St. Michael

History of St. Michael, Dane

Founded in 1875, St. Michael Church is the oldest Catholic parish in the village of Dane. From its first wood-frame church the parish built a basement school in 1876, brought the Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee to teach in 1889, and constructed a separate school in 1905. The 1961 brick school — still in use today as Blessed Trinity School — replaced the older building. On April 21, 1974, the original church's steeple was struck by lightning and the church burned; the present church, hall, and classrooms were built in 1975. The original St. Michael statue saved from the fire now sits above the back wall of the current church as a witness to the parish's continuity.

• 1875 — Church established and built
• 1876 — School begins in church basement (1876–1905)
• 1889 — Sisters of St. Francis (Milwaukee) begin teaching (through 1969)
• 1905 — Separate school building with rear convent constructed
• 1961 — Current school building (now Blessed Trinity School) built
• April 21, 1974 — Lightning strike destroys original church
• 1975 — Present church, hall, and two classrooms constructed
• 2000 — Old rectory demolished
• Formed Blessed Trinity Parish with St. Patrick's, Lodi
• Now part of St. Maximilian Kolbe Pastorate (with St. John the Baptist, Waunakee, and St. Mary of the Lake, Westport)

Worship at St. Michael

St. Michael keeps a small, consistent weekly schedule: Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM, Wednesday Mass at 8:00 AM, and Friday Mass at 8:00 AM. Confessions are heard before Sunday Mass (7:30–7:55 AM) and on Wednesday afternoons (5:00–5:45 PM), with additional time after Friday Mass during the Holy Hour. Saturday-vigil and other Masses for the pastorate are celebrated at the sister churches in Waunakee, Lodi, and Westport.

• Sunday Mass: 8:00 AM
• Wednesday Mass: 8:00 AM
• Friday Mass: 8:00 AM
• Confessions: Sun 7:30–7:55 AM, Wed 5:00–5:45 PM, Fri after Mass
• Holy Hour / Confession: following Friday morning Mass

St. Maximilian Kolbe Pastorate

St. Michael is one of four worship sites in the St. Maximilian Kolbe Pastorate, organized under the leadership of Fr. Joseph Baker with parochial vicars Fr. Simon Tipps and Fr. Anthony Kersting, and senior deacon Norbert Brunner. The centralized pastorate offices are in Waunakee (209 South Street, 53597), with a regional office at the Lodi campus. The four cooperating churches — St. Michael (Dane), St. Patrick (Lodi), St. John the Baptist (Waunakee), and St. Mary of the Lake (Westport) — share formation, music, finance, and sacramental-preparation staff.

• Rev. Joseph Baker — Parochial Administrator / Pastor
• Rev. Simon Tipps — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Anthony Kersting — Parochial Vicar
• Deacon Norbert Brunner — Senior Deacon
• Jackie Nerat — Director of Finance and Operations
• Kim Piazza — Parish Office Manager
• Maria Anderson — Parish Office Assistant
• Lindsay Finn — Director of Mission & Catholic Identity
• Eileen Daley — Coordinator of Formation (children and adults)
• Landy Kafan — Coordinator of Formation (teens)
• Sheila Utter — Coordinator of Sacraments (children)
• Bridget Daniels — Coordinator of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
• Patrick Francis — Director of Sacred Music
• Mary Gantz — Pastorate Sexton

Pastorate Schools

The pastorate operates two parish schools. Blessed Trinity School sits on the Dane campus and serves families from St. Michael and St. Patrick, Lodi. St. John the Baptist School serves families from the Waunakee and Westport parishes. Both schools integrate The Big Picture curriculum so K–8 students enrolled in the schools are not required to attend the in-person formation sessions (though school parents are encouraged to).

• Blessed Trinity School (Dane) — Principal Alicia Zepp; office (608) 592-5711 ext. 5401; [email protected]
• St. John the Baptist School (Waunakee) — Principal Kalee Kozinski; office (608) 849-5325 ext. 5101; [email protected]

Faith Formation — The Big Picture

The Big Picture is the pastorate's parish-wide faith-formation program for adults, children, and teens, with monthly in-person sessions running October through April. At St. Michael, Dane, sessions meet Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Parallel sessions are held at St. John the Baptist, Waunakee, on Sunday mornings (8:45–10:15 AM) and Sunday evenings (5:30–6:55 PM, families with 3rd-grade-or-older children). The family fee is $150 for the year; financial-need discounts are available.

• At-home work rooted in lectio divina on Scripture (~30–45 min/week per family)
• Parent formation is an essential component
• Immediate preparation for Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation layered on top of ongoing formation
• Homeschool families welcome

Youth & Confirmation

Confirmation preparation is open to 8th graders and any high-schoolers who attended a Catholic school or The Big Picture during the current academic year. The 2026 Confirmation cycle received immediate preparation in Spring 2026 and is anticipated in late fall 2026. A Session 3 with parents meets at St. Michael, Dane (5:00–6:30 PM). Post-Confirmation, teens are invited into High School Discipleship Formation, with additional leadership, retreat, and mission-trip opportunities.

Care Team & Prayer Networks

The Care Team Ministry reaches out to elderly parishioners in their homes for non-medical support — caregiver respite, visits, calls, errands, and the like. Two prayer-team networks cover the pastorate: the St. John the Baptist / St. Mary of the Lake network (Jean Elvekrog, [email protected]) and the Blessed Trinity network (Anna Zimmerman 608-592-2728; Sally Kjorlie 608-592-4741). Anyone with a prayer request or an interest in joining a team is welcome to contact the parish office.

• Care Team leaders — Karen Miller (608-849-8260), Kathy Lauer (608-395-9219), Barb Meriggioli (608-850-6056)
• Prayer requests may also be routed through the parish office: (608) 849-5121

Knights of Columbus & Scrip

Knights of Columbus Council #6463 (sponsored by St. Patrick's, Lodi) serves the broader Blessed Trinity community and offers annual scholarships to eligible high-school seniors who are parishioners or close relatives of a Council member. The Scrip gift-card program is available the first and third Sundays of the month at St. Michael before and after the 8:00 AM Mass, with proceeds supporting the parish and school.

• Scholarship applications: kofc6463.org or [email protected]
• Scholarship contact: Dean Winters, 608-576-7966, [email protected]
• Scrip at St. Michael: Judy Pulvermacher ([email protected]); Barb Taylor ([email protected])

Hallow Prayer App — Free Parish Access

Through a parish partnership with Hallow, all registered parishioners gain free premium access to the Catholic prayer and meditation app. Parents enrolled with their family in The Big Picture, teens in Confirmation prep or High School Youth Ministry, and children enrolled in the parish schools all receive free accounts. Anyone can join online by searching the parish office zip code (53597) at hallow.com/parish.

Practical Information & Contact

St. Michael's address is 109 S. Military Road, Dane, WI 53529. The parish shares the site with Blessed Trinity School (phone (608) 592-5711). The centralized pastorate office is at 209 South Street, Waunakee, WI 53597, open Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–3:00 PM, phone (608) 849-5121. Sacramental emergencies after hours are handled through (608) 849-5121 ext. 1. Bulletin articles are due by 5:00 PM Friday the week before publication; submit to [email protected].

• Mailing address: 109 S. Military Road, Dane, WI 53529
• Centralized office: 209 South Street, Waunakee, WI 53597 — (608) 849-5121
• Lodi regional office: 521 Fair Street, Lodi — Tuesdays 8:30–10:30 AM
• After-hours sacramental emergency: (608) 849-5121 ext. 1
• Email: [email protected]
• School & Preschool: (608) 849-5325
• Bulletin submissions: [email protected] (due Fridays at 5:00 PM)