About St. Rita Parish · West Allis, Wisconsin
St. Rita Parish was a Roman Catholic parish in West Allis, Wisconsin, founded on July 6, 1924, and long served by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The parish grew from humble beginnings — its first Mass was celebrated in a rented tent — into a vibrant West Allis community known for its striking 1964 contemporary church with a thin-shell concrete hyperbolic-paraboloid roof designed by architect Mark Pfaller. On July 1, 2024, St. Rita merged with neighboring St. Augustine and Holy Assumption parishes to form Saint Barnabas Catholic Congregation, a single parish operating at three sites in West Allis. The St. Rita site is now listed by the parish as 'CLOSED' for regular worship, while its people, ministries, and history continue as part of Saint Barnabas under pastor Father Gerardo Carcar.
- Established
- 1924
- Patron
- St. Rita of Cascia
- Rector
- Father Gerardo Carcar
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee (parish now merged into Saint Barnabas Catholic Congregation)
Why belong here
St. Rita's people today are part of Saint Barnabas Catholic Congregation, a united, multigenerational community serving West Allis from three worship sites — Holy Assumption (71st & Orchard), St. Augustine (67th & Rogers), and the historic St. Rita site (60th & Lincoln). The parish offers weekday and Sunday Masses in both English and Spanish, a weekly Spanish rosary, Eucharistic Adoration on Friday evenings, Saturday confessions, and active ministries including a food pantry, Sleeping Bag Ministry, Earth Angels, St. Vincent de Paul, Cursillo, an Intercessory Prayer Group, Hispanic Lectors, and Mother's Heart Day Care. Whether you are a lifelong West Allis Catholic, a newcomer, returning to the faith, or simply curious, the parish welcomes you to worship, serve, and grow in Christ alongside a diverse community of believers.
Mass times at St. Rita Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 p.m. at St. Augustine Site
- Saturday: 6:00 p.m. at Holy Assumption Site
Adoration times
- Friday: 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at St. Augustine Site
History of St. Rita Parish (1924–2024)
St. Rita's congregation began on July 6, 1924, when the first Mass was celebrated in a rented tent on what would become the parish campus at 60th & Lincoln in West Allis. That October a two-story combined church, school and hall was completed along West Lincoln Avenue at a cost of $60,000, and the parish school opened to 120 students under three School Sisters of St. Francis. The parish grew steadily through the late 1920s and 1930s under pastors Fr. Rodenkirch, Fr. Charles G. Myers and Fr. Peter Enrietto, who together oversaw land acquisitions, the 1932 Spanish Colonial Revival-style parish hall (designed by architect Mark Pfaller), and a renovated church. The parish marked its first Confirmation class on January 23, 1927, when Archbishop Sebastian G. Messmer confirmed 92 persons. St. Rita's celebrated its silver jubilee in 1949 and continued growing into the 1950s with a west-end addition in 1950 (basement church, classrooms, Sisters' penthouse) and a new school building in 1956-57.
- Founded July 6, 1924 — first Mass in a rented tent
- Combined church-school-hall opened October 1924; school opened with 120 pupils under School Sisters of St. Francis
- First Confirmation: January 23, 1927, conferred by Archbishop Sebastian G. Messmer (92 persons)
- Spanish Colonial Revival-style parish hall built 1931-32, designed by Mark Pfaller
- West-end addition (basement church, school, Sisters' apartment) completed 1950
- New school building added 1956-57
The 1964 Contemporary Church Building
On April 1, 1962, ground was broken for a new St. Rita church designed once again by Mark Pfaller. Construction was completed and the church dedicated on May 3, 1964. The building is a celebrated example of mid-century Contemporary religious architecture: pre-cast concrete panel walls with large expanses of stained glass are wrapped by a thin-shell concrete parabolic roof composed of four hyperbolic-paraboloids spanning 120 feet on each side of a square floor plan. At only three inches thick, the roof weighs in excess of 800 tons and rises from sixteen feet at grade to fifty-three feet at the apex. Four exterior buttresses, each seventeen feet long and weighing 187,000 pounds and sunk nine feet into the ground, anchor the structure; massive hinges join them to the roof and accommodate movement of the concrete shell. The bells were blessed on October 18, 1963, Bishop Roman R. Atkielski consecrated the altar on December 19, 1963, and the organ was dedicated on March 29, 1964. The New York Times featured the building in a December 13, 1964 article, calling it 'a new Roman Catholic Church in suburban Milwaukee which combines such traditional elements of church architecture as flying buttresses and stained glass windows with contemporary forms — a parabolic roof and an open interior plan.'
- Construction began April 1, 1962
- Dedicated May 3, 1964
- Architect: Mark Pfaller, Milwaukee
- Bells blessed October 18, 1963
- Altar consecrated by Bishop Roman R. Atkielski, December 19, 1963
- Organ blessed and dedicated March 29, 1964
- Featured in the New York Times, December 13, 1964
- Architectural style: Contemporary with parabolic thin-shell concrete roof and flying buttresses
Saint Barnabas Catholic Congregation (2024 Merger)
After several years of sharing clergy and collaborating on ministries, St. Rita, St. Augustine, and Holy Assumption parishes officially merged on July 1, 2024 to form Saint Barnabas Catholic Congregation, a single Roman Catholic parish serving West Allis from three worship sites. The three legacy parishes no longer exist as separate canonical entities; their buildings, parishioners, and ministries now form one parish under pastor Father Gerardo Carcar. St. Florian Parish in West Milwaukee had previously merged into Holy Assumption in 2023, making the Saint Barnabas merger the culmination of a broader consolidation of Catholic life in West Allis and West Milwaukee.
- Effective date: July 1, 2024
- Pastor: Father Gerardo Carcar
- Three worship sites: Holy Assumption (71st & Orchard), St. Augustine (67th & Rogers), St. Rita (60th & Lincoln)
- St. Rita site listed as 'CLOSED' for regular worship
- St. Florian Parish (West Milwaukee) merged into Holy Assumption in 2023
Mass and Worship Schedule
Mass is now celebrated across the three Saint Barnabas sites, with English and Spanish liturgies each weekend. The St. Rita site hosts Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m.; the St. Augustine site hosts the Saturday Vigil at 4:00 p.m.; the Holy Assumption site hosts a Saturday Vigil Spanish Mass at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. Weekday Masses rotate between the Holy Assumption and St. Augustine sites (typically 8:00 a.m.), and a Liturgy of the Word with Communion led by Deacon Steve is offered at the St. Augustine site on Mondays and select other days. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons at both St. Augustine (3:00 p.m.) and Holy Assumption (6:00 p.m.); Friday Eucharistic Adoration runs from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at St. Augustine; and the Spanish rosary is prayed Saturdays at 6:15 p.m. at Holy Assumption.
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 a.m. at St. Rita site
- Sunday Mass — 10:30 a.m. at Holy Assumption
- Saturday Vigil — 4:00 p.m. at St. Augustine (English)
- Saturday Vigil — 7:00 p.m. at Holy Assumption (Spanish)
- Weekday Mass — 8:00 a.m. at Holy Assumption or St. Augustine (see calendar)
- Confessions — Saturday 3:00 p.m. (St. Augustine) and 6:00 p.m. (Holy Assumption)
- Eucharistic Adoration — Friday 5:00-9:00 p.m. at St. Augustine
- Spanish Rosary — Saturday 6:15 p.m. at Holy Assumption
Parish Ministries and Outreach
Saint Barnabas Catholic Congregation continues the outreach traditions of St. Rita, St. Augustine, and Holy Assumption with a wide range of ministries. The Food Pantry distributes weekly; the Sleeping Bag Ministry makes sleeping bags for those in need; Earth Angels serves the vulnerable; and the St. Vincent de Paul Conference provides direct aid to neighbors in need. Cursillo (Course in Christian Living) forms lay leaders, while prayer groups such as the Intercessory Prayer Group and Hispanic Lectors practice strengthen the spiritual life of the parish. Other ministries include the Mother's Heart Day Care Program, A La Carte (downtown West Allis outreach), a Building and Grounds Committee, Stewardship Team, Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Worship Commission, Human Concerns Committee, Hospitality Committee, Festival Committee, and Special Olympics (which uses the St. Augustine gym and cafeteria).
- Food Pantry (weekly distribution)
- Sleeping Bag Ministry
- Earth Angels
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Cursillo (Course in Christian Living)
- Mother's Heart Day Care Program
- Hispanic Lectors and Spanish-language ministry
- A La Carte (downtown West Allis outreach)
- Intercessory Prayer Group
- Stewardship, Pastoral, Finance, Building & Grounds, Worship, Human Concerns, Hospitality, and Festival Councils/Committees
Parish Staff and Clergy
Saint Barnabas Catholic Congregation is led by pastor Father Gerardo Carcar. Assisting priests include Father Dick Robinson and Father Bill Key, who regularly celebrate Mass and hear confessions across the three sites. Deacon Steve ministers at the St. Augustine site, leading the weekday Liturgy of the Word with Communion. Parish office staff can be reached through the Holy Assumption site at 7109 West Orchard Street.
- Father Gerardo Carcar — Pastor
- Father Dick Robinson — Assisting Priest
- Father Bill Key — Assisting Priest
- Deacon Steve (Dcn. Steve) — St. Augustine site
- Parish office: 7109 West Orchard Street, West Allis, WI 53214
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Rodenkirch1924-1926
Founding pastor who oversaw construction of the original combined church-school-hall and the opening of the school in 1924. Transferred to St. Peter's Parish, St. Peter, Wisconsin.
- Rev. Charles G. Myers1926-1935
Came from St. Rose of Lima Parish, Fredonia, WI. Oversaw grounds improvements, additional land purchases, and enrollment growth to 375 pupils.
- Rev. Peter Enrietto1935-1940
Served during the Depression; purchased a janitor's home, enlarged the rectory, and renovated the church.
- Rev. Frederick P. ArnoldReturned later (originally assistant Feb-July 1928)
Originally appointed assistant in February 1928 before being transferred to St. James Parish, Madison; later returned to St. Rita's as pastor.