About St. Michael · Keshena, Wisconsin
St. Michael Parish (Keshena, Wisconsin) is a Roman Catholic parish located on the Menominee Indian Reservation in northeastern Wisconsin and is part of the Diocese of Green Bay. According to the parish's own mission statement, it is a diverse Christian community that integrates the sacred symbols and spiritual practices of the Menominee people with the teachings and holy sacraments of the Catholic Church. The parish serves all residents of the reservation, offers daily and Sunday Mass, runs a faith formation program for children and youth, operates a food pantry and a Thrift N Gift shop, and is currently served by Fr. Hanz Christian Borbor along with Deacon Mark Fuller and a team of lay ministers and council members.
- Established
- 1859
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Fr. Hanz Christian Borbor
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Michael is a small, welcoming reservation parish where Catholic faith is intentionally woven together with the spiritual traditions of the Menominee people — the parish mission statement explicitly promises to integrate sacred symbols and Menominee spiritual practices with Catholic Mass and sacraments. Parishioners are cared for pastorally by a stable team (Fr. Hanz Christian Borbor as Parish Administrator, Deacon Mark Fuller, a parish secretary, and a faith formation director) and supported by practical outreach including a parish Food Pantry, the Thrift N Gift shop, and a Cemetery Board. With weekday Mass Tuesday–Friday, a Saturday vigil, and Sunday morning Mass (with Rosary before each), plus faith formation classes for grade-school children and Confirmation preparation for teens, St. Michael offers both the rhythms of regular Catholic devotion and the warmth of a tight-knit community that reaches out to all residents of the Menominee Reservation.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 pm (along with Rosary, before the 5:00 pm Mass)
About St. Michael Parish
St. Michael Parish is a Roman Catholic parish located on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Keshena, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Green Bay. Its published mission statement calls it 'a diverse Christian community reaching out to all residents, learning, loving, sharing, and communicating with one another through the teachings and practices celebrated in the Mass & the holy sacraments of the Catholic Church by integrating sacred symbols and spiritual practices of the Menominee.' The parish mailing address is PO Box 610, Keshena, WI 54135, with the church itself located at N816 State Highway 47-55.
- Type: Roman Catholic parish
- Diocese: Green Bay
- Location: Menominee Indian Reservation, Keshena, WI
- Mailing address: PO Box 610, Keshena, WI 54135
History
St. Michael's roots on the Menominee Reservation go back to 1859, when the parish was first established as part of the early Catholic missionary presence in northeastern Wisconsin. Sacramental records preserved at Marquette University begin in 1877 and run continuously to the present, including baptisms, first communions, confirmations, marriages, and funeral records. For most of its history the mission was run by Franciscan friars from Sacred Heart Province — Revs. Servatius Altmicks, O.F.M., Odoric Derenthal, O.F.M., Blase Krake, O.F.M., and Floribert Veverka appear in the parish's 19th- and 20th-century correspondence, alongside correspondence with bishops of Green Bay and the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions. The parish ran St. Joseph School (originally the St. Joseph Industrial School) from the late 19th century. In the 1970s and 1980s, parishes on the reservation, including St. Michael, were transferred from Franciscan to diocesan control, a transition documented in the parish's legal records (1970–1981).
- 1859: Parish founded on the Menominee Reservation
- 1877: Earliest surviving sacramental registers
- Late 1800s: Franciscan (O.F.M.) missionaries staff the parish and St. Joseph School
- 1970s–80s: Transfer from Franciscan to diocesan control
- Today: Served by the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a Faith Formation program for children and youth, with classes starting in the fall. Curriculum is offered beginning in 1st grade and continuing up through Confirmation preparation for teens. Registration forms are available at the church entrance and are mailed to returning families, with a $10 registration fee. Parents or parishioners interested in teaching are encouraged to contact Anne Sulskis, the Faith Formation coordinator.
- Classes begin Sunday, September 13 (6:00–7:30 pm) in the recent cycle
- 1st grade and up enrolled in Faith Formation
- Confirmation preparation offered for young teens
- $10 registration fee per child
- Coordinator: Anne Sulskis ([email protected])
Sacraments
Baptism and the Anointing of the Sick are arranged through the parish office. Parents seeking baptism register and make arrangements during office hours, or download the baptism registration form and drop it in the secure drop box outside the office door together with the $10 registration fee. For the Anointing of the Sick, parishioners are asked to contact the parish office directly at 715-799-3811.
- Baptism: register through the parish office; $10 fee; baptism preparation class offered
- Anointing of the Sick: by appointment through 715-799-3811
Pastoral Staff & Councils
The parish is led by Fr. Hanz Christian Borbor, who serves as Parish Administrator, with Deacon Mark Fuller assisting. The office is staffed by Parish Secretary Mary Lewellin. A strong team of lay ministers and council members runs the parish's day-to-day operations: Anne Sulskis (Faith Formation), Rickie Dodge (Thrift N Gift Coordinator), Jackie Langhans (Food Pantry Coordinator), Therese Glauser (Treasurer), and Cookie Vigue (Finance Council Chair), with Trustees Karen Smart and Vicki Hermsen and a Pastoral Council Chair. A New Members Registration Form is available online and at the office for anyone wishing to join.
- Parish Administrator: Fr. Hanz Christian Borbor
- Deacon: Deacon Mark Fuller
- Parish Secretary: Mary Lewellin
- Faith Formation: Anne Sulskis
- Thrift N Gift Coordinator: Rickie Dodge
- Food Pantry Coordinator: Jackie Langhans
- Treasurer: Therese Glauser
- Finance Council Chair: Cookie Vigue
- Trustees: Karen Smart and Vicki Hermsen
Outreach & Parish Life
Outreach is a major part of St. Michael's ministry to the reservation community. The parish Food Pantry addresses food insecurity on the Menominee Reservation, and the Thrift N Gift shop provides low-cost goods. The parish also maintains the St. Michael Parish Cemetery, with published rules governing use and care of burial plots. A parish hall is available for community events.
- St. Michael Food Pantry (Coordinator: Jackie Langhans, 715-201-2961)
- Thrift N Gift shop (Coordinator: Rickie Dodge)
- St. Michael Parish Cemetery (rules published by the parish)
- Parish Hall rental: $175 per day (half/full day) + $100 refundable deposit, call 715-799-3811
Visiting & Joining the Parish
St. Michael welcomes new members and visitors. Those interested in registering as parishioners can stop by the parish office during office hours (Monday–Thursday, roughly 9:00 am to 2:00 pm — call first, as hours may vary) or download the New Members Registration Form from the website and drop it in the drop box just outside the office door. The main parish email is [email protected] and the parish phone is (715) 799-3811.
- Parish office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 am–2:00 pm (call first)
- Phone: (715) 799-3811
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmichaelkeshena.com/