About St. Rafael the Archangel · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
St. Rafael the Archangel Congregation is a Roman Catholic parish in the Layton Park neighborhood on Milwaukee's south side, part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The parish was formed on July 1, 1999, by the merger of the historic Holy Ghost (a German parish founded 1902) and St. Barbara (a Polish parish founded 1921), both of which served the south side's wave of European immigrants a century ago. Today the parish is a predominantly Hispanic community, and Masses are celebrated in Spanish. The parish shares its identity with St. Rafael the Archangel School, a K4–8 Catholic grade school that is a member of Seton Catholic Schools.
- Established
- 1999
- Patron
- St. Raphael the Archangel
- Rector
- Father Luis Pacheco-Sanchez (also pastor of St. Adalbert)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. Rafael the Archangel offers a bilingual, Hispanic Catholic community on Milwaukee's south side, where every Sunday Mass is celebrated in Spanish (8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.) along with a Saturday Vigil at 5:00 p.m. and weekday Masses on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning and evening. The parish welcomes families through its K4–8 grade school, part of the Seton Catholic Schools system, where more than 99% of students identify as Hispanic or Latino and almost all participate in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Thursday evening confessions, devotions and a strong sacramental life make St. Rafael a welcoming spiritual home for Latino Catholics in Layton Park and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Mass times at St. Rafael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Spanish)
About St. Rafael the Archangel Parish
St. Rafael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee located in the Layton Park neighborhood on Milwaukee's south side. The parish was created in 1999 by the merger of two historic south-side parishes, Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit and St. Barbara, and today worships at the former St. Barbara church on S. 33rd Street. The community is predominantly Hispanic, and Sunday and weekday Masses are celebrated in Spanish.
History: From Holy Ghost and St. Barbara to St. Rafael
The parish's roots run back to the great south-side immigrant parishes of early-twentieth-century Milwaukee. Holy Ghost parish was founded in 1902 by German Catholic families in Layton Park; the current Holy Spirit church at 2273 S. 31st St. was dedicated in 1930, and the parish voted to rename itself Holy Spirit in 1976. Polish families from the same neighborhood established St. Barbara parish in 1921 and built a combination church and school two blocks north in 1924.
- 1902 – Holy Ghost Parish founded for German Catholics in Layton Park.
- 1921 – St. Barbara Parish founded for Polish Catholic families of the same neighborhood.
- 1924 – St. Barbara combination church-school building completed at 2059 S. 33rd St.
- 1930 – Holy Ghost church dedicated at 2273 S. 31st St.
- 1976 – Holy Ghost parish renamed Holy Spirit.
- 1992 – Holy Spirit and St. Barbara schools merge.
- 1999 – Parishes themselves merge on July 1 to form St. Rafael the Archangel, worshipping at the former St. Barbara church.
- 2025 – Original 1930 Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit church demolished to make way for a new K–8 school building.
Hispanic Ministry on Milwaukee's South Side
St. Rafael the Archangel is one of the principal Hispanic Catholic parishes of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The parish shares pastoral leadership with neighboring St. Adalbert Parish, and together they form a hub of Latino sacramental life, faith formation and family ministry for the Layton Park and south-side neighborhoods.
- All regularly scheduled Masses are celebrated in Spanish.
- Shared pastoral team with St. Adalbert Parish.
- Faith formation and sacramental preparation for Hispanic families.
- Parish bulletins published bilingually in English and Spanish.
St. Rafael the Archangel School
St. Rafael the Archangel School is a K4–8 Catholic grade school and a member of the Seton Catholic Schools system. Located on the parish campus, the school is committed to preparing scholars to be virtuous leaders in the community through high academic instruction, Catholic values and the development of the whole person — mind, body and spirit. Nearly 99% of students identify as Hispanic or Latino, and almost all participate in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. The school earned a 4-star rating on its 2023–24 state report card and is currently building a new facility on the site of the former Holy Spirit church, designed to serve approximately 500 students.
- Grades: K4 through 8
- Member of Seton Catholic Schools
- Mission: virtuous leaders through academic excellence and Catholic values
- Nearly 99% Hispanic/Latino student body
- Milwaukee Parental Choice Program enrollment
- 2023–24 state report card: 4 stars (79.6 — Exceeds Expectations)
- New school building under construction on the former Holy Spirit church site, capacity ~500 students
Contact and Location
The parish office and church are located at 2059 S. 33rd Street in the Layton Park neighborhood, near the corner of W. Becher Street on Milwaukee's south side. The parish office can be reached by phone during business hours.
- Address: 2059 S 33rd Street, Milwaukee, WI 53215
- Phone: (414) 645-9172
- Website: strafael.org/faith/st-rafael-parish/
- School address: 2075 S. 32nd Street, Milwaukee, WI 53215
- School phone: (414) 643-6090