About St. Peter the Apostle · East Troy, Wisconsin
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in East Troy, Wisconsin, part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The parish traces its roots to 1842, when missionary priest Fr. Thomas Morrissy first celebrated Mass in the area, and was formally organized in 1851 among Irish, Scottish and German immigrant families. The current stone church on Beulah Avenue was built in 1872 and remains the spiritual home of a parish that today includes a K-8 school, year-round Eucharistic Adoration, a wide range of faith-formation programs, and a long-running Fall Festival that has been a community tradition since 1961.
- Established
- 1851
- Patron
- St. Peter the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Jordan Berghouse
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. Peter the Apostle is a parish where almost every parishioner can find a place to serve and to be served. The parish offers daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays (a 27-year unbroken tradition the parish is proud of even having kept through COVID-19), and a Healing Prayer service on the third Sunday of each month. From the parish school (K-8) and adult faith formation to the Knights of Columbus, the Helping Hands Clothing Center, Sharing Sunday food collection, Holiday Help drive, and the annual Fall Festival — now in its sixth decade — St. Peter's is a multi-generational parish that takes care of its own and of the wider East Troy community.
Mass times at St. Peter the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 9:00 – 9:30 AM
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM (immediately following the 8:30 AM Mass; nearly 27 consecutive years of weekly Eucharistic Adoration)
History of St. Peter the Apostle
Catholic life in the East Troy area began in 1842, when Fr. Thomas Morrissy — an Irish missionary riding an Indian pony on circuit through southeast Wisconsin — celebrated the first Mass at the old Burlington Hotel. Fr. Morrissy died in 1850 at the home of James Porter, one of the Scottish immigrant founders of the community. The parish was formally organized in 1851 and built its first church, St. Thaddeus, in 1854. By 1870 the congregation had outgrown that frame building, and in 1872 — under the direction of Fr. Thomas Bergen — the current stone church was completed on Beulah Avenue using limestone hauled from Casselman's Quarry at Potter's Lake. The congregation was incorporated under Wisconsin law on March 8, 1883. Successive generations have maintained and beautified the building: the limestone sanctuary and Gothic altars added around 1900, the magnificent art-glass windows installed in 1910, a pipe organ added in 1918, a slate roof, a 1971 under-bracing and redecoration in gray, and an off-white repainting in the 1980s under Fr. John Twomey that erased the parish's debt.
- 1842 — Fr. Thomas Morrissy celebrates first Mass in East Troy area
- 1851 — Parish organized among Irish, Scottish and German immigrant families
- 1854 — St. Thaddeus frame church built on Division Street
- 1872 — Current limestone church built; named St. Peter the Apostle
- 1880 — Church bell purchased; Angelus rung daily by parishioner Michael Rush
- 1883 — Parish incorporated under Wisconsin law
- 1888 — Original parish school built across the street
- 1910 — Art-glass windows installed
- 1915 — Parsonage built (now Gerard's Embrace)
- 1918 — Pipe organ installed by Ladies Catholic Aide Society
- 1954 — Centennial of St. Thaddeus celebrated with Archbishop Albert G. Meyer
- 1961 — First Fall Festival held
- 1962 — New parish school opened; new convent completed
- 1971 — Major restoration; side altars removed; interior painted gray
- 1980s — Interior repainted off-white under Fr. John Twomey; debt erased
Parish Clergy & Staff
St. Peter the Apostle is currently served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, three deacons, a pastoral associate who is a religious sister, and a small team of parish and formation staff. The parish office is open Monday–Friday and can be reached at 262-642-7225.
- Fr. Jordan Berghouse — Pastor (Ext. 4)
- Fr. Denny Jacob — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon John Van Zeeland
- Deacon Greg Price
- Deacon Pete Giersch
- Sr. Kevin Karimi, LSOF, PhD — Pastoral Associate
- Emmalee Gregg — Parish Secretary & Communications Director (Ext. 4)
- Renee Hitt — Adult Formation & Parish Life Coordinator
- Thaddeus Loduha — Youth Formation Coordinator, grades 7–12 (262-363-7615 Ext. 120)
Sacraments & Liturgy
All seven sacraments are celebrated at St. Peter's. Parents expecting a child to be baptized must complete an infant baptism preparation class (currently virtual, led by Adult Faith Formation Coordinator Renee Hitt); adults seeking baptism are directed to the parish's OCIA process. First Holy Eucharist is prepared in 2nd grade through the parish school or CCD program and celebrated three weekends in spring. Confirmation deepens baptismal commitment and is coordinated through the parish office. The Anointing of the Sick offers grace and peace to the ill, elderly or pre-surgical; reconciliation is heard each Saturday morning; engaged couples work with the pastoral staff to prepare for marriage; and the parish welcomes vocations to Holy Orders and religious life. Communion for the homebound and funerals are also supported by the parish.
- Baptism — infant prep class required; adult baptism via OCIA
- Holy Eucharist — 2nd-grade preparation (school or CCD)
- Confirmation — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — by request and annually
- Reconciliation — Saturday 9:00 AM and by appointment
- Marriage — pastoral preparation with the couple
- Holy Orders & Religious Life — vocational information available
- Communion for the Homebound — ministry to the sick and isolated
- Funerals — parish support in honoring the deceased
St. Peter's Parish School (K-8)
St. Peter's operates a parish school for grades K through 8, currently housed in the school building opened in 1962 under the direction of Fr. John Goebel, with Sister M. Magdala as its first principal. The school offers a robust Catholic education for a full life and welcomes families of all faiths, though Catholic worship and formation are an integral part of the day and all students are expected to participate willingly. Families wishing to register should contact the school office for current information on age requirements, immunization records, and state admission procedures.
- Grades K–8
- Catholic faith formation integrated into the curriculum
- Open to families of all faiths (with participation expected)
- Contact: 262-642-7225 / school office
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith formation at St. Peter's runs from childhood through adulthood. Children in public school or homeschool prepare for First Eucharist through the parish CCD program in 2nd grade; older students continue through Confirmation preparation. Thaddeus Loduha coordinates Youth Formation for grades 7–12 (reachable at 262-363-7615 Ext. 120). Renee Hitt, the Adult Formation & Parish Life Coordinator, leads adult faith formation, baptism preparation classes, and parish-life initiatives, and oversees the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process for unbaptized adults or those coming into full communion with the Catholic Church.
- CCD / Religious Education for school-age children
- First Eucharist preparation in 2nd grade
- Confirmation preparation for teens
- Youth Formation for grades 7–12
- Adult Faith Formation (Renee Hitt)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adults
Liturgical Ministries
Lay people play a central role in the celebration of Mass at St. Peter's. The parish invites anyone in 3rd grade or older to serve as an Altar Server; readers proclaim the Word of God as Lectors; and Eucharistic Ministers help distribute the Body and Blood of Christ. Schedules are coordinated through the parish office, and ministers are asked to arrange substitutes when they cannot make an assigned date.
- Lectors — proclaim the Word of God at Mass
- Eucharistic Ministers — distribute Communion
- Altar Servers — open to 3rd grade and up
Parish Life, Outreach & Charity
St. Peter's runs an extensive outreach program to care for parishioners and neighbors in the wider East Troy Community School District. Helping Hands provides financial assistance for rent, utilities, food, gas, clothing, and emergency shelter; the Helping Hands Clothing Center at 1970 Beulah Avenue is open Tuesdays 9 AM–5 PM and Saturdays 9 AM–noon and is staffed entirely by volunteers. On the third Sunday of every month, non-perishable food is collected at the altar for the East Troy Food Pantry — averaging about $120 and 200 lbs of groceries a month. Each year the parish also partners with East Troy's Holiday Help Drive to brighten Christmas for local families in need. A Homebound Ministry visits the sick and isolated as a work of mercy, and the Knights of Columbus and Ladies Sodality (formerly the Ladies Catholic Aide Society) round out the parish's adult organizations.
- Helping Hands — financial assistance for East Troy residents
- Helping Hands Clothing Center — 1970 Beulah Ave (Tue 9–5, Sat 9–noon)
- Sharing Sunday — monthly food collection for East Troy Food Pantry
- Holiday Help Drive — annual partnership
- Homebound Ministry — visits to the sick and housebound
- Knights of Columbus — parish council
- Ladies Sodality (formerly Ladies Catholic Aide Society)
Parish Governance & Safeguarding
Following Canon Law 536, St. Peter's has two councils providing oversight: a Pastoral Council and a Finance Council. The Finance Council ensures responsible stewardship of parish resources in support of the church's mission and ministries. Both councils welcome parishioner involvement. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee and St. Peter's are also committed to safeguarding children and to supporting victims/survivors of sexual abuse; the parish participates in the archdiocesan Safeguarding Training program and provides volunteer information for those wishing to serve in any ministry involving minors.
- Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
- Safeguarding Training (Archdiocese of Milwaukee)
- Volunteer Information and background-check procedures
Annual Fall Festival
Begun in 1961 as a parish fundraiser and community celebration, the Fall Festival has grown into St. Peter's largest annual event and one of the highlights of the East Troy calendar. Held on the first Sunday in October, the festival features the parish's 'world-famous' chicken dinner, a country store, games, raffles, and fellowship. It remains a major source of parish income and a living link to the parish's 60-plus-year tradition.
- Held annually on the first Sunday in October
- World-famous chicken dinner
- Country store, games, and raffles
- Fundraiser for the parish since 1961
Visit, Contact & Location
St. Peter the Apostle welcomes visitors, returning Catholics, and those searching for a spiritual home. The church is located at 1981 Beulah Avenue in East Troy, Wisconsin; the parish office (and rectory) is at 1975 Beulah Avenue. The phone number is 262-642-7225. Visitors are invited to attend Mass, participate in a ministry, or simply come by — there is a place for everyone, no matter where they are on their spiritual journey.
- Church Address — 1981 Beulah Avenue, East Troy, WI 53120
- Parish Office — 1975 Beulah Avenue, East Troy, WI 53120
- Phone — 262-642-7225
- Diocese — Archdiocese of Milwaukee
- Helping Hands Clothing Center — 1970 Beulah Avenue
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Thomas Morrissy1836–1850
Irish-born missionary circuit rider who celebrated the first Mass in the East Troy area in 1842 and died at the home of James Porter in 1850.
- Fr. Martin Kundig1850–1854
Vicar-general under Bishop Henni and resident pastor of Waukesha; organized the East Troy parish and built St. Thaddeus in 1854.
- Fr. Sebastian Seif1854–1856
- Fr. Micheal Haider1856–1857
- Fr. Thomas Bergen1870–1876
Last resident pastor of St. Thaddeus and first pastor of the new St. Peter's; oversaw construction of the stone church in 1872.
- Fr. James Fitzgibbons1876–1881
Civil War Army chaplain appointed by Abraham Lincoln; purchased the parish's church bell in 1880.
- Fr. E. Allen1881–1884
Shepherded the parish through its 1883 incorporation.
- Fr. Hugo Victor1884–1887
Rector of St. Peter's; transferred to Northfield, MN, then served in South Dakota for thirty years.
- Fr. John H. Kessler1887–1893
First Wisconsin-born priest to serve St. Peter's; built the original parish school in 1888.
- Fr. J.J. Weinhoff1896–1917
Died in office; buried in the parish cemetery with a large granite cross.
- Fr. James Hagarty (interim)1916–1917
Cared for the parish during Fr. Weinhoff's final illness.
- Fr. William Goebel1917–1922
- Fr. Joseph Ritger1922–1934
Born in Milwaukee, ordained 1900.
- Fr. Francis Sampon1934–1954
Added parish-hall kitchen, exits, new roof, and five western acres; celebrated the 1954 centennial with Archbishop Albert G. Meyer.
- Fr. A.P. Kraus (interim)1954–1956
Retired chaplain of the Waupun state penal institution; served while Fr. Sampon was ill.
- Fr. John H. Goebel1956–1968
Opened the new parish school in 1962, completed the new convent, started the Fall Festival in 1961, and chartered the parish's Knights of Columbus council.
- Fr. Joseph J. Hickey1968–1986
- Fr. John Twomey1986–1995
Led the 1980s renovation that repainted the interior off-white and erased the parish's debt.
- Fr. Kenneth Derfus1995–1998
- Fr. Louis P. Luljak1998–2002
Retired in 2002.
- Fr. Donald Hying1998 (brief tenure)
Later Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee and Bishop of Madison.
- Fr. Lawrence J. (Larry) Chapman2002–
Along with Fr. Mark, championed retention and restoration of the historic church, including steeple repairs, organ work, tuck-pointing, new carpeting and the refurbishing of the 112-year-old windows.
- Fr. Jordan Berghousepresent
Current pastor.