About St. Peter · Stevens Point, Wisconsin
St. Peter Parish is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, serving the community for nearly 150 years. Founded in 1876 by roughly fifty Polish families who had settled in what was then the Polish fourth ward of the city, the parish is the oldest Polish Catholic congregation in Portage County. The present church, built in 1897 on Fourth Avenue, is a Gothic Revival brick landmark topped by a copper-clad dome and clock tower. Today St. Peter worships in a collaborative partnership with neighboring St. Casimir Parish, offers daily and Sunday Masses, 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays, a strong devotional life (Rosary Society, Holy Name, Eucharistic Adoration, Daily Rosary), and supportsumorphic ministries including CCD/Religious Education, music, justice and peace outreach, and an annual parish picnic.
- Established
- 1876
- Patron
- St. Peter (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. John A. Potaczek
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse
Why belong here
St. Peter is one of the oldest Polish Catholic parishes in central Wisconsin, and its 1897 Gothic Revival church on Fourth Avenue remains the spiritual and architectural heart of Stevens Point's Polish heritage. The parish offers a strong devotional rhythm — daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday, First Friday Adoration, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Daily Rosary, and a thriving Rosary Society — together with a collaborative partnership with neighboring St. Casimir Parish. CCD/Religious Education, a Music Committee and a 'wonderful vintage pipe organ,' the Justice and Peace Committee's support of groups like Operation Bootstrap, the long-running annual parish picnic, and a historic connection to a 1976 visit by the future Pope St. John Paul II make St. Peter a living, working parish where Polish-rooted tradition, sacramental life, and outreach meet.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 – 3:45 pm
- Tuesday 7:15 – 7:45 am
- Wednesday 7:15 – 7:45 am
- Thursday 7:15 – 7:45 am
- Friday 7:15 – 7:45 am
Adoration times
- Wednesday 24-hour Adoration: 8:30 am (after the 8:00 am Mass) until Thursday morning, with Benediction before the 8:00 am Mass
- Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 pm during Wednesday Adoration
- First Friday of the month: Adoration 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
About St. Peter Parish
St. Peter Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of La Crosse. The parish is the spiritual and architectural heir of Stevens Point's Polish-American community: it was founded in 1876 to serve roughly fifty Polish families, and its 1897 Gothic Revival church on Fourth Avenue remains the visual landmark of the city's Polish fourth ward. Today the parish works in collaborative ministry with neighboring St. Casimir Parish, sharing a pastor and offering a Sunday Mass at St. Casimir at 9:00 am.
- Parish name: St. Peter
- Type: Catholic Parish (Roman Rite, Diocese of La Crosse)
- Location: 800 4th Avenue, Stevens Point, WI 54481
- Collaborative partner parish: St. Casimir
History & Heritage
Polish settlers began arriving in the Stevens Point area in the 1860s, and by 1876 some fifty Polish families were living in the city. Worshiping in German Catholic parishes under segregated seating, the community petitioned for a parish of its own, and in June 1876 Father Antoni Bogacki became the first resident pastor. After a brief succession of priests in the 1870s and 1880s (including the Franciscan Fr. Jozafat Wałuń, who died in 1881), the parish built its present church in 1897 to a Gothic Revival design by Kolpacki of Milwaukee, built by Joseph Hutter. Side retables were added in 1910 and the high retable in 1915, when the sanctuary and sacristies were also expanded by parishioner Frank Spalenka. A parish school opened in 1925, staffed for sixty years by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Third Order of St. Francis. Major post-Vatican II renovations came in 1963, and the copper-tile dome that now caps the four-stage tower was installed in 2006.
- Founded 1876; present church dedicated 1897
- First pastor: Rev. Antoni Bogacki (June 1876 – April 1877)
- Fr. Jozafat (Antoni) Wałuń, OFM served 1878–1881
- Stained-glass window and interior sculpture mark Pope St. John Paul II's 1976 visit
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Father John A. Potaczek, who was ordained in 1999 and joined St. Peter (and the collaborative St. Casimir) after prior assignments in La Crosse, Stevens Point, Bloomer, and Mauston; he previously served as state chaplain of the Knights of Wisconsin. He is assisted by Senior Priest Fr. Arul Joseph Visuvasam and Deacon Ray Heitzinger. The parish office can be reached at (715) 344-6115.
- Pastor: Rev. John A. Potaczek
- Senior Priest: Rev. Arul Joseph Visuvasam
- Deacon: Ray Heitzinger
- Parish office: 715-344-6115
Parish Committees & Societies
St. Peter's life is shaped by long-standing councils, committees, and societies. The Pastoral Council was established by Bishop John Paul in May 1985 under Canon Law 536; the Finance Council fulfills the canonical role described in Canon Law 1284. Liturgical, music, building, family-life, justice-and-peace, and annual-picnic committees all play active roles. Two of the parish's oldest lay societies are the Holy Name Society (organized 1920) and the Rosary Society (organized October 1878 and affiliated with the National Council of Catholic Women).
- Pastoral Council & Finance Council
- Sacred Worship Committee (since the 1970s)
- Music Committee (choir, cantors, vintage pipe organ)
- Eucharistic Adoration Committee (24-hour Wed Adoration since 2006)
- Building and Grounds Committee (5-year capital improvement plan)
- Family Life Committee (Cookie Walk, Silent Auction)
- Justice and Peace Committee (supports Operation Bootstrap)
- Parish Annual Picnic Committee (since 1990)
- Holy Name Society (since 1920)
- St. Peter's Rosary Society (since 1878; sponsors two Catholic-high-school scholarships)
Faith Formation & Catholic Schools
St. Peter Parish runs a CCD/Religious Education program for parish youth, with Confirmation preparation celebrated by Bishop Battersby. Father Potaczek also serves as Dean of Pacelli Catholic Schools, helping coordinate Catholic education across the Stevens Point area. In his annual Catholic Schools Week message, the pastor emphasizes the role of Catholic education in helping students 'have a deep and lasting relationship with Almighty God' and to 'seek justice, seek humility.'
- CCD / Religious Education program for parish youth
- Confirmation preparation with Bishop Battersby
- Parish supports the wider Pacelli Catholic Schools system (Fr. Potaczek serves as Dean)
- Catholic Schools Week celebrated annually
Music & Liturgy
The Music Committee oversees the parish's Mass music, choir, cantors, and musicians. The parish is 'blessed' with a vintage pipe organ, which the Music Committee highlights as central to the church's liturgical sound — invoking the Second Vatican Council's description of the pipe organ as held in 'high esteem' and adding 'wonderful splendor' to ceremonies. The Sacred Worship Committee, dating to the 1970s, assists the pastor with the parish's spiritual and liturgical life.
- Parish choir, cantors, and musicians coordinated by the Music Committee
- Vintage pipe organ in regular liturgical use
- Sacred Worship Committee supports the pastor's liturgical role
Devotions & Spiritual Life
Beyond the regular Mass and Confession schedule, St. Peter offers a robust devotional life. The Daily Rosary is prayed thirty minutes before each weekday Mass. The 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays (in place since 2006) includes the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 pm, and the parish also offers First Friday Adoration from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. The Rosary Society, founded 1878, keeps a daily living rosary and gathers for Holy Communion in a body on the first Sunday of each month.
- Daily Rosary 30 minutes before each weekday Mass
- 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday (since 2006)
- Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 pm during Wednesday Adoration
- First Friday Adoration, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
- Rosary Society daily-living-rosary devotion since 1878
Outreach & Social Justice
The Justice and Peace Committee promotes respect for life and works actively on social-justice concerns in the wider Stevens Point community, including support of local groups like Operation Bootstrap and ministries that care for the afflicted. The Family Life Committee supplements this with parish and community events — most notably the annual Cookie Walk and Silent Auction — that build fellowship and raise funds for parish and charitable causes.
- Justice and Peace Committee (respect-life and social-justice ministry)
- Parish supports Operation Bootstrap and other local outreach
- Family Life Committee's annual Cookie Walk and Silent Auction
Annual Parish Picnic & Community Life
The St. Peter Annual Picnic, first held in June 1990, is the parish's central social and fundraising event. It grew out of a desire 'to provide opportunity for parishioners to work together in unity and fellowship,' and that mission continues today. Many volunteers come together each year to set up the grounds, chair events, and run a silent auction — all are welcome to participate, from setup to coordinating an existing or new event.
- Parish picnic held each June since 1990
- Silent auction and family-friendly events
- Contact: Matt at 715-540-0328 or [email protected] to volunteer
Facilities & Buildings
St. Peter maintains its historic 1897 church, the surrounding grounds, and a middle-school building, all overseen by the Building and Grounds Committee. The committee ensures 'Safety, Maintenance, and Long-Term viability of parish facilities,' manages vendors and contractors, and keeps a 5-year capital improvement plan in place. The 2006 copper-tile re-cladding of the tower dome is one of the most visible stewardship projects of recent decades.
- 1897 Gothic Revival church
- Parish grounds and middle-school building
- 5-year capital improvement plan in place
- Tower dome re-clad in copper tiles (2006)
Visiting & Contact
St. Peter is located at 800 4th Avenue in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, 54481-1627, and the parish office can be reached at (715) 344-6115. The parish's collaborative partner, St. Casimir, hosts the 9:00 am Sunday Mass. Visitors are warmly welcomed — the church sign greets newcomers in both English and Polish ('Welcome! / Witamy!').
- Address: 800 4th Avenue, Stevens Point, WI 54481-1627
- Phone: (715) 344-6115
- Website: https://www.stpeter.us/
- Diocese: La Crosse (deanery: Stevens Point)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Antoni (Antoni Bogacki)June 1876 – April 1877
First resident pastor after the 1876 founding; the parish was then in the Diocese of Green Bay.
- Rev. January CzarnowskiMay 1877 – September 1877
Succeeded Fr. Bogacki briefly in 1877.
- Rev. Wojciech BukowskiSeptember 1877 – 1878
Took over pastoral duties in September 1877.
- Rev. Jozafat (Antoni) Wałuń, OFM1878 – November 29, 1881
Franciscan friar from Prussian Poland; had earlier built a St. Casimir chapel in Stevens Point; died in 1881 while serving the Polish faithful.