About St. Monica Parish · Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
St. Monica Parish is a Roman Catholic community of more than 1,100 households in Whitefish Bay, a North Shore suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1923 by Archbishop Sebastian G. Messmer, the parish is part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and shares a number of ministries with neighboring St. Eugene Congregation in Fox Point. Its mission statement reads: 'to love God and neighbor by prayerfully celebrating the Sacraments, generously serving others, and intentionally engaging in lifelong faith formation.' The parish complex includes the church at 160 E. Silver Spring Drive, a rectory, a parish school, and a ministry center/convent, and it is the historic mother parish that helped launch both Holy Family (1949), St. Eugene (1957), and Dominican High School (1956).
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- Saint Monica, mother of Saint Augustine; patroness of wives and mothers
- Rector
- Rev. Jonathon A. Schmeckel
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. Monica offers the full rhythm of parish Catholic life in a tight-knit North Shore community of more than 1,100 households: two Sunday Masses and a daily morning Mass schedule, weekly Confession and Thursday all-day Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction, and a robust formation track from 4K Sunday School through high school Confirmation. The parish operates its own grade school (St. Monica School) and shares OCIA, youth ministry, and the St. Monica/St. Eugene Prayer Quilt Ministry with neighboring St. Eugene, while a long-running St. Vincent de Paul conference reaches out to those in need. Add streamed Masses via Apple TV, Roku, and YouTube, an active Music and Liturgical Ministry, and a campus that has anchored Whitefish Bay Catholic life for a century, and St. Monica is the kind of parish where a family, a retiree, or a returning Catholic can find a place to pray, serve, and belong.
Mass times at St. Monica Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesdays 7:00–7:30 AM
- Thursdays 6:00–7:00 PM
- Saturday 8:30 AM (after the 8:00 AM morning Mass)
Adoration times
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM (Benediction at 6:45 PM)
Parish History
St. Monica Parish was founded in 1923 by Archbishop Sebastian G. Messmer and is one of the anchor Catholic communities of Milwaukee's North Shore. From a Christmas Day 1923 Mass in the Whitefish Bay Village Hall, to a barn-converted chapel dedicated on the feast of St. Monica in 1924, to the present Spanish/Mediterranean church completed in 1955, the parish's story mirrors the growth of Whitefish Bay itself from farmland to suburb. St. Monica was the seedbed parish for Holy Family (1949), St. Eugene (1957), and Dominican High School (1956), and it continues to anchor a wide network of Catholic life on the North Shore.
- Founded 1923 by Archbishop Sebastian G. Messmer; first pastor Rev. Peter Dietz
- First Mass: Christmas Day 1923 in Whitefish Bay Village Hall
- Barn chapel dedicated May 4, 1924 (feast of St. Monica); used until late 1960s
- Present church construction begun 1938; upper church opened Christmas 1955 (architect E. Brielmaier & Sons, Spanish/Mediterranean style)
- Mother parish of Holy Family (1949), St. Eugene (1957), and co-founder of Dominican High School (1952/1956)
Our Patron — Saint Monica
The parish takes its name from Saint Monica (c. 331–387), the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, whose persistent prayers for her son's conversion are a model of patient, trusting faith. Saint Monica is honored as patroness of wives and mothers, and her feast is celebrated at the parish on May 4. The parish's original 1924 barn chapel was dedicated on her feast day, and her intercession remains a touchstone for the community's family and marriage ministries.
- Feast day: May 4 (also listed as August 27 in the older calendar)
- Patroness of: Wives and Mothers
- Mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The parish is led by Father Jonathon A. Schmeckel, assisted by Parochial Vicar Father Charles Luke and a full team of lay ministry, formation, music, advancement, and administrative staff. Father Schmeckel writes a weekly Friday message that is bundled with the parish newsletter.
- Rev. Jonathon A. Schmeckel — Pastor (414-420-6263, [email protected])
- Fr. Charles Luke — Parochial Vicar
- Joyce Swietlik — Director of Religious Education (also OCIA/RCIA contact, 414-420-6165)
- Jeanette Lambrecht — Associate Director of Child & Family Ministry (414-420-6164)
- Helena Dziadowicz / Rachel Butargabe — Associate Director of Youth Ministry
- David Bonofiglio — Director of Music & Liturgy
- Sue Devine — Director of Administrative Services
- Athena Boos — Associate Director of Finance & Human Resources
- Cecilia Heffernan — Director of Advancement (parish)
- Catherine Creighton — Director of Advancement & Enrollment (school)
- Clare Parulski — Marketing and Communications
- Juliette Anderson, Mary Brzozowski — Administrative Assistants
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Monica offers a lifelong formation track from early-childhood Sunday School through adult OCIA, in many cases shared with neighboring St. Eugene Congregation. Curriculum draws on Loyola Press and Dynamic Catholic materials, with sacramental preparation grounded in the parish and home.
- Sunday School for grades 4K–5: Sundays 9:00–10:00 AM at St. Monica School
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist: 2nd grade and older (Jeanette Lambrecht, [email protected], 414-420-6164)
- High School Youth Ministry: Sundays 7:00–8:30 PM in Donovan Hall, with grade-specific tracks (9th, 10th 'Chosen', 11th Confirmation, 12th)
- Confirmation: preparation begins sophomore year; celebrated in 11th grade (Joyce Swietlik, Helena Dziadowicz)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults): typically culminates at the Easter Vigil; shared with St. Eugene
St. Monica School
St. Monica School (5635 N. Santa Monica Boulevard) has been a cornerstone of the parish campus since 1928. Designed by architect A. C. Runzler in the Spanish/Mediterranean style — including an octagonal library and a chimney disguised as an Italian campanile — the school added a 65-foot belfry in 1931 and a classroom/gymnasium wing in 1950, and remains a parish-operated grade school today.
- Opened 1928, staffed originally by lay teachers and Sisters of the Order of Immaculate Heart of Mary (Monroe, Michigan)
- Distinctive features: octagonal library, campanile-style chimney, 65-foot belfry (1931)
- Lynn LeRoy — Principal ([email protected])
- Jon Arens — Assistant Principal
- Catherine Creighton — Director of Advancement & Enrollment
- Phone: 414-332-3660
Music & Liturgical Ministries
St. Monica's Music Ministry provides music for weekend Masses, with cantors and choir members serving on a rotating basis. The Liturgical Ministry coordinates lay volunteers (lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, servers, ushers, greeters) for Mass. Director of Music & Liturgy is David Bonofiglio.
- Music Ministry — choir and cantors for weekend Masses
- Liturgical Ministry — rotating schedule of volunteer lectors, EMHCs, servers, greeters
- Director of Music & Liturgy: David Bonofiglio ([email protected])
Service & Outreach Ministries
The parish supports several outreach efforts that translate faith into works of mercy, both within the parish and in the wider Whitefish Bay and Milwaukee community. The St. Vincent de Paul conference is a particular outreach, with home visitation and aid for those in need.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — one-to-one personal services through home visitation, aid, information/referral, and problem solving
- St. Monica & St. Eugene Prayer Quilt Ministry — meets Fridays 1:00 PM in the Ministry Center; each quilt is tied with knots as silent prayers for the recipient (contact: Norma, [email protected])
- Funeral Ministry — support for families at the funeral liturgy
- Poor Box collection for those in need
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments and welcomes inquiries at every stage of life — from infant Baptism through marriage and Anointing of the Sick. Sacramental emergencies (including Last Rites) are answered 24 hours a day through the parish's emergency line.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist — 2nd grade Children's Sacramental Program or adult OCIA
- Confirmation — 10th-grade preparation, 11th-grade celebration (Archdiocese of Milwaukee)
- Holy Communion for the homebound — pyx and prayer booklet available from priest or pastoral associate
- Matrimony — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — 24/7 sacramental emergency line: 414-332-1576 ext. 9
- OCIA (adults) — Joyce Swietlik, 414-420-6165
Online Mass & Guided Prayer
St. Monica's Online Mass Ministry broadcasts weekend Masses via Apple TV, Roku, and YouTube (search 'STME'), with previous Masses archived for later viewing. The parish also offers a Guided Prayer page featuring a Litany of Loreto recorded by St. Monica parishioners and Rosary videos and audio.
- Live and archived Masses at st-monica.org/live
- Apple TV, Roku, and YouTube 'STME' channel
- Guided Prayer page: Litany of Loreto (parishioner-recorded) and Rosary videos/audio
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors are welcome throughout the week. The parish office is open Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–4:00 PM in summer; the church itself is open Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–3:00 PM, Saturday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM, and Sunday 8:00 AM–11:45 AM, with visitors asked to enter via the elevator off the parking lot during open hours.
- Address: 5681 N. Santa Monica Boulevard, Whitefish Bay, WI 53217 (parish office)
- Church: 160 E. Silver Spring Drive, Whitefish Bay, WI 53217
- Phone: 414-332-1576
- Email: [email protected]
- Sacramental emergency: 414-332-1576 ext. 9 (24 hours)
- Website: https://www.st-monica.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Peter (Ernst) Dietz1923–1947
Founding pastor appointed by Archbishop Messmer; built barn chapel, school, and began the present church; died in office 1947.
- Monsignor John Barry1947–c.1973
Succeeded Father Dietz and served through the parish's 50th anniversary.
- Monsignor John Donovan1974–1993
Long-tenured pastor; the parish youth hall bears his name (Donovan Hall).
- Rev. Robert W. Schneider1993–1994
Short-term pastor.
- Rev. Alan Jurkus1994–2007
Installed November 8, 1994; served until June 19, 2007.
- Rev. Jonathon A. Schmeckelpresent
Current pastor; sends a weekly Friday message and parish newsletter.