About St. Maximilian Kolbe · Almond, Wisconsin
St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church is a rural parish located in Almond, a small village in southeastern Portage County, Wisconsin. The parish was formed in 2002 when it merged with three other rural congregations in the surrounding farming area. It belongs to the Diocese of La Crosse (Stevens Point Deanery) and is served at 8611 State Highway 54, just outside the village. The parish identifies itself as a faith community for the wider rural area, offering daily and weekend Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and ministries rooted in its heritage as a mission to scattered farm families.
- Established
- 2002
- Patron
- St. Maximilian Kolbe
- Rector
- Rev. Arockia Amirtha-Raj Stanislaus (Father Amir)
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Stevens Point Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Maximilian Kolbe is a tight-knit rural Catholic community that takes its rural heritage seriously: Mass is offered every day of the week except Monday, with a Saturday Vigil and two Sunday Masses to serve scattered farm families across southeastern Portage County. It is one of the oldest continuous Catholic presences in the area, with St. Martin's Cemetery — established 1863 and still active — cared for by a volunteer board. Weekly Eucharistic Adoration (Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. and Sundays 6:30–7:30 p.m.) and a personal pastor who knows his parishioners make this a good place to worship, serve, and put down roots.
Mass times at St. Maximilian Kolbe
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Parish Identity and Location
St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church serves rural southeastern Portage County, Wisconsin, from its address at 8611 State Highway 54, Almond, WI 54909. It is part of the Diocese of La Crosse and is listed in that diocese's Stevens Point Deanery. The parish office can be reached at (715) 824-3380 or by email at [email protected], with office hours on Wednesday afternoon and during the day on Thursday.
- Address: 8611 State Highway 54, Almond, WI 54909
- Phone: (715) 824-3380
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese: La Crosse (Stevens Point Deanery)
History of the Parish and Its Rural Roots
The Catholic presence in the Almond area traces back to 1850, when St. Martin's Parish was founded to minister to the Catholic settlers of the Buena Vista region. The community's first land for a church and cemetery was donated by local Catholic families in the 1860s. Over the decades a tornado, larger buildings, and finally a diocesan reorganization reshaped the parish: in 2002 St. Martin's was merged with three neighboring rural parishes to create today's St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, under the patronage of the Polish Franciscan martyr St. Maximilian Kolbe.
- 1850 — St. Martin's Parish established for Catholic settlers in Buena Vista
- 1863 — St. Martin's Cemetery founded on land donated by Jacob and Susan Helbach
- 1917 — Larger St. Martin's church dedicated by Green Bay Bishop Rev. Paul Peter Rhode
- 2002 — St. Martin's merged with three other rural parishes to form St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish
Pastor and Parish Leadership
The current pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe is Rev. Arockia Amirtha-Raj Stanislaus, affectionately known to parishioners as 'Father Amir.' He is listed by the Diocese of La Crosse as the pastor in charge of the parish.
- Rev. Arockia Amirtha-Raj Stanislaus ('Father Amir') — Pastor
St. Martin's Cemetery
St. Martin's Catholic Cemetery, established in 1863 on land donated by Jacob and Susan Helbach, sits at the southwest corner of County Road BB and Church Road in the Town of Almond, Portage County. Although the St. Martin's church building was closed in 2002 (with the structure sold in 2003 and converted to a private home), the cemetery continues in active parish use, with 336 people buried there as of the parish's published count. A volunteer Board of Directors has overseen St. Martin's Cemetery for more than 150 years, handling finance, lot sales, funeral home coordination, and recordkeeping.
- Site: SW corner of County Road BB and Church Road, Town of Almond, Portage County, WI
- Established: 1863 on three acres donated by Jacob and Susan Helbach
- First burial: Anne Russell, moved from Stevens Point in 1863
- Current burials: 336
- Stewardship: Volunteer Board of Directors since 1863
Contacting the Parish Office
Parishioners and visitors are invited to call or email the parish office with questions, concerns, or needs. The office is staffed on a limited in-person schedule, and the parish prefers contact by phone or email first.
- Phone: 715-824-3380
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Wednesday 3:30–5:30 p.m.; Thursday 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- Mailing Address: 8611 State Road 54, Almond, WI 54909-9704