About St. Michael · Suring, Wisconsin
St. Michael Catholic Church is a small rural parish in the Village of Suring, Oconto County, Wisconsin, part of the Diocese of Green Bay. It is linked with St. John the Evangelist in nearby Gillett, WI — the two parishes share a priest celebrant but retain their own identities, offices, secretaries, parish councils, and committees. Mass is celebrated in Suring's church and at the Chute Pond Station chapel, with the parish also visiting The Bay Nursing Home for a monthly Communion Service. The parish's own mission statement describes it as a vibrant faith community committed to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ through prayer, service, and education, proclaiming that 'All are welcome.'
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Father Antonio De los Santos
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Michael is a warm, small Catholic community in the heart of Oconto County's farmland where everyone truly knows one another. Worship is offered in three settings — the main church in Suring, the Chute Pond Station chapel (with a summer Saturday vigil), and the linked parish of St. John the Evangelist in Gillett — so Mass is never far away. The parish runs a strong Faith Formation program for children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation, welcomes adults through RCIA, brings Communion to residents of The Bay Nursing Home on the second Thursday of each month, and explicitly proclaims that 'All are welcome.'
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday following the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Michael Church
- By appointment at either parish
- Advent and Lenten Communal Penance Services (parish-wide)
Welcome & Identity
The parish describes itself as one of two 'linked parishes' — St. Michael of Suring and St. John the Evangelist of Gillett — that share a Priest Celebrant while retaining separate offices, secretaries, parish councils, and committees. The published mission statement reads: 'St. John and St. Michael Catholic Parishes are vibrant faith communities committed to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ through lives of prayer, service, and education while actively proclaiming, "All are welcome."'
History of St. Michael Parish
Catholic families in the South Branch settlement gathered in the 1880s and bought two acres from Robert Grignon in 1885 to establish what became St. Mary's Cemetery (later renamed St. Michael's). About 1906, Rev. John Loerke of Laona began saying Mass in Suring's Liberty Hall. With Bishop Joseph Fox's approval the congregation was incorporated under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel on March 20, 1906, with first trustees Robert Grignon (Secretary) and Valentine Dieringer (Treasurer). After Liberty Hall burned in 1908, the congregation worshipped in a former drug store while buying land for a permanent church.
- First trustees: Robert Grignon (Secretary), Valentine Dieringer (Treasurer)
- Witnesses included Very Rev. Peter Lochmann, Vicar General of the Green Bay Diocese, Jacob Holl, and August Tradeau
- First baptisms: Marie Eva Fredenburg and Lyle Bernard Grady, March 17, 1907
- First marriage: John Foth and Catherine Ehlinger, July 1, 1907
- First First Communion class: June 20, 1909
- First Confirmation class by Bishop Raymond Fox: October 9, 1911
Building the Church (1911–1913)
Rev. James Schmitt, who succeeded Fr. Otto Kolbe at Gillett in 1908, led construction of the present Suring church. Plans were drawn by Fr. St. Louis of St. Patrick's Parish at Stiles; site work began in summer 1911. Lumber came from Mike Ehlinger Sr. and Jr., brick from the Suring Brick and Tile Co., and brickwork was done by John Hougaard — much of the rest by local volunteers at $2.00/day. The cornerstone is dated 1912, and the new church was dedicated on September 29, 1913, the Feast of St. Michael. Altar boys at the dedication were Leon Hischke, Matt Otradovec, and Steve Stix.
- Cornerstone: 1912
- Dedication: September 29, 1913 (Feast of St. Michael)
- Architect: Fr. St. Louis of St. Patrick Parish, Stiles
- Lumber: Mike Ehlinger Sr. and Jr.
- Brick: Suring Brick and Tile Co.
- Brickwork: John Hougaard
St. Michael – Chute Pond Station Chapel
In addition to the main church in Suring, the parish operates a second worship site, St. Michael – Chute Pond Station, located at 12494 Hwy 32/64, Suring, WI 54174. The chapel hosts a Saturday evening Mass during the summer season (6:00 PM) and a Sunday morning Mass at 7:30 AM year-round, giving parishioners in the rural area additional opportunities to attend Mass close to home.
- Address: 12494 Hwy 32/64, Suring, WI 54174
- Saturday Mass (summer only): 6:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: 7:30 AM
Clergy, Staff & Office
St. Michael is currently pastored by Father Antonio De los Santos, who was ordained to the priesthood on March 29, 1981, and is from Naga City in the Archdiocese of Caceres, Philippines. Before coming to the linked parishes of St. Michael and St. John, he served as Temporary Administrator of St. Benedict Parish in Suamico and St. Pius in Little Suamico, Administrator of St. Maximillian Kolbe in Sobieski and St. Patrick in Green Bay, and most recently Administrator of Annunciation Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Jude, and St. Joseph parishes in Green Bay. Day-to-day operations are handled by Financial Secretary Tricia Fischer for St. Michael and Secretary Kathy Campshure for St. John; the parish office is open Monday through Wednesday, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
- Father Antonio De los Santos — Pastor
- Tricia Fischer — Financial Secretary, St. Michael
- Kathy Campshure — Secretary, St. John
- Office hours: Mon–Wed, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The linked parishes state that they are 'committed to quality Catholic Formation in collaboration with parish families to inspire our adults and youth based on a foundation of church teaching, scripture and sacrament,' aspiring to build 'a community of prayer, service and discipleship.' St. Michael's Faith Formation classes meet on Sundays and Wednesday evenings in season, with special First Communion classes scheduled in the spring. Sheelagh School serves as Faith Formation Coordinator for St. Michael, with Samantha Zeitler coordinating the St. John side.
- Sheelagh School — Faith Formation Coordinator, St. Michael
- Samantha Zeitler — Faith Formation Coordinator, St. John
- St. Michael Faith Formation: Sunday classes and Wednesday 5:00 PM sessions during program year
Sacrament Preparation
First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation each have published requirements. First Communion and First Reconciliation candidates must be baptized (with a baptismal certificate on file if not baptized locally), know the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be, attend a First Communion Retreat, attend Mass with their family, and participate regularly in Faith Formation classes. Confirmation candidates must be baptized, attend the Confirmation Enrollment Mass with a sponsor, choose a Confirmation name, complete 25 service hours (10 of them recent), attend the Confirmation retreat and interview, write a letter to the bishop, and help plan the Confirmation liturgy.
- First Reconciliation: requires baptism, familiarity with the Act of Contrition, retreat attendance
- First Communion: prayer knowledge, retreat, regular Faith Formation
- Confirmation: 25 service hours, sponsor, bishop's letter, retreat, interview, liturgy planning
RCIA & Adult Education
The parish runs the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for adults interested in becoming Catholic, and uses an adapted process for children not baptized as infants. The parish emphasizes that RCIA is a process rather than a program and is paced to the individual, typically culminating at the Easter Vigil. Anyone interested may contact the St. Michael parish office at 920-842-2580 or St. John's at 920-855-2542.
- Process generally takes several months, paced individually
- Full initiation typically at the Easter Vigil
- Adapted process available for unbaptized children
Outreach: Nursing Home Communion
On the second Thursday of each month, the parish brings a 10:00 AM Communion Service to residents of The Bay Nursing Home in Suring, extending the Eucharist to those who can no longer easily attend Mass. This is the only specifically named outreach ministry on the parish website, reflecting the small rural parish's close ties to its neighbors.
- The Bay Nursing Home, Suring
- Second Thursday of the month, 10:00 AM
Contact, Location & Linked Parish
St. Michael's parish office is at 210 S. Krueger Street, PO Box 248, Suring, WI 54174 (phone 920-842-2580, fax 920-842-9825, email [email protected]). It is linked with St. John the Evangelist at 127 S. Garden Avenue, Gillett, WI 54124 (920-855-2542, fax 920-855-1449, email [email protected]; office hours Mon–Wed 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM). Weekly bulletins are published online through the parish website.
- St. Michael: 210 S. Krueger Street, PO Box 248, Suring, WI 54174 — 920-842-2580
- St. John: 127 S. Garden Avenue, Gillett, WI 54124 — 920-855-2542
- Parish website: http://www.stjohnstmichael.com/