About St. Paul · Evansville, Wisconsin
St. Paul Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the city of Evansville in Rock County, southern Wisconsin. The parish traces its origins to 1906, when local Catholic families organized, incorporated their new congregation, and built a brick house of worship on Garfield Avenue that remains in use today. St. Paul is part of the Diocese of Madison and, since September 20, 2025, has been canonically united with four neighboring parishes (St. Joseph in Edgerton, St. Augustine in Footville, Holy Mother of Consolation in Oregon, and St. Ann in Stoughton) to form St. Cletus Parish. Worship continues at the historic Evansville church, with Mass on Thursday evening and Saturday vigil, Saturday confessions, and monthly Eucharistic Adoration on the third Monday.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. David Wanish, VF (Pastor of St. Cletus Parish)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Madison
Why belong here
St. Paul offers a warm, intimate Catholic worship community in the heart of small-town Evansville, rooted in a 1906-built historic church listed within the Evansville Historic District. As one of five worship sites in the new St. Cletus Parish, it combines the personal scale of a country parish with the resources, schools, and ministries of a larger pastorate — including the parish-wide Go Make Disciples initiative, faith formation, youth ministry, Lenten small groups, and service projects such as Feed My Sheep with Kids Against Hunger. Whether you attend the Thursday evening or Saturday vigil Mass, come for Saturday confessions, or join monthly Eucharistic Adoration, you'll find a faithful congregation eager to welcome new members.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 5:30 PM – 5:55 PM (at St. Paul)
- Thursday: 4:30 PM – 4:55 PM (at St. Paul, per pastorate schedule)
Adoration times
- Monday: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (3rd Mondays only)
About St. Paul Parish
St. Paul Catholic Church in Evansville, Wisconsin, is a small historic parish founded in 1906 and now part of the Diocese of Madison. Since September 20, 2025, it has been one of five worship sites of the canonically unified St. Cletus Parish, alongside St. Joseph in Edgerton, St. Augustine in Footville, Holy Mother of Consolation in Oregon, and St. Ann in Stoughton. Despite the merger, St. Paul continues to offer its own Mass schedule, confessions, and monthly Eucharistic Adoration, preserving the close-knit character of the original Evansville congregation.
- Patron: St. Paul the Apostle
- Diocese: Madison
- Parish group: St. Cletus Parish
History of the Parish
The drive to build a Catholic church in Evansville was headlined in the Evansville Review on November 16, 1905 — 'Determined to Erect A Church.' After local leaders raised the required two-thirds of the cost of lot and building, St. Paul's Congregation was incorporated on February 24, 1906, and the white-painted brick church was built in 1906-1907. Twentieth-century pastors including Father McCollow, Father Kramer, and Father Thomas Lourim (assigned 1977) grew the parish, expanded the Mass schedule, and fostered ecumenical ties with other Evansville churches in the spirit of Vatican II. The building remains a contributing property of the Evansville Historic District on the National Register.
- Founded: 1906 (incorporated February 24, 1906)
- Architect: William B. Meggott
- First wedding: architect Meggott to Ella Cassady, April 1907
- Bell tower enclosed: 1913
- Listed: Evansville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places, 1978
Architecture & Building
Designed by architect William B. Meggott and constructed in 1906-1907, St. Paul's is an Early Gothic Revival house of worship with Romanesque touches — a white-painted brick building with steep gable roof, cross gable, and pointed-arch stained glass windows. The hip-roofed Norman-style tower was added in 1913 to accommodate a bell. The building is a contributing structure within the Evansville Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
- Style: Early Gothic Revival with Romanesque elements
- Wall material: Brick (painted white)
- Tower: Norman-style, added 1913
Faith Formation & Youth
Faith formation for children and youth is coordinated across the St. Cletus Pastorate, with St. Paul's families sharing in pastorate-wide programs. Youth ministry is supported by parish communications coordinator and youth ministry assistant Corrine Willson. Sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation, RCIA) is available through the central parish office.
- Faith Formation: [email protected]
- Youth Ministry
- RCIA and sacramental preparation (contact parish office)
Parish Life & Community
The women of St. Paul have organized continuously since the early twentieth century, first as St. Mary's Sodality and today as the Council of Catholic Women (CCW), sponsoring bake sales, Sunday-afternoon card parties, the spring salad-bar luncheon, the annual St. Patrick's Day dinner and dance, and the fall Christmas Bazaar. St. Paul also joins the other Evansville churches for the World Day of Prayer, Ecumenical Good Friday, and Thanksgiving services — an ecumenical tradition fostered by Father Lourim in the post-Vatican II era.
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW)
- Annual Christmas Bazaar and spring luncheon
- Ecumenical services with other Evansville churches
Outreach & Service
Through the St. Cletus Pastorate, St. Paul parishioners take part in the parish-wide 'Go Make Disciples' evangelization initiative and the annual Lenten 'Feed My Sheep' service project, which has partnered with Kids Against Hunger to package 30,000 meals sent to hungry people around the world. Lenten small-group studies such as 'No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk through Christ's Passion' by Edward Sri and 'With Jesus to the Cross' rotate among the five churches of the pastorate.
- Go Make Disciples initiative
- Feed My Sheep (Kids Against Hunger)
- Lenten video and book studies
Visiting & Contact
St. Paul Catholic Church is located at 39 Garfield Avenue, Evansville, WI 53536, on the southeast corner of First Street and Garfield Avenue within the Evansville Historic District. The parish office can be reached at (608) 882-4138 or [email protected]. The official website for the unified St. Cletus Parish is https://stcletuspastorate.org/, and a free email newsletter is published through Flocknote at rockcountycatholic.flocknote.com.
- Address: 39 Garfield Avenue, Evansville, WI 53536
- Phone: (608) 882-4138
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stcletuspastorate.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father McCollow
Early twentieth-century pastor; scheduled Sunday Masses at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., weekday Masses at 7:30 a.m., Sunday Benediction at 4 p.m., and Saturday confessions at 7 p.m.
- Father Kramer
Added a third Sunday Mass to accommodate the growing congregation.
- Rev. Thomas Lourim1977-
Ordained in Madison in 1948 after a career as a Rock County social worker; expanded the Mass schedule and promoted Vatican II ecumenical outreach with other Evansville churches.
- Rev. David Wanish, VF2025-
Installed as first pastor of the newly canonically merged St. Cletus Parish on October 26, 2025, uniting St. Paul with St. Joseph (Edgerton), St. Augustine (Footville), Holy Mother of Consolation (Oregon), and St. Ann (Stoughton).