About St. Theresa Perpetual Adoration Chapel · Union Center, Wisconsin
St. Theresa Perpetual Adoration Chapel is a historic Roman Catholic chapel in the tiny village of Union Center, Wisconsin (population ~200), in Juneau County. Once an active parish known first as St. Patrick's and then as St. Theresa, it was suppressed as a parish in 1996 and reborn as a perpetual Eucharistic adoration chapel at midnight on January 1, 2000. Today it exists primarily as a round-the-clock prayer site where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with Saturday morning Mass also celebrated. It falls within the Diocese of La Crosse (Richland Center Deanery) and is cared for under the pastoral supervision of St. Jerome Parish in nearby Wonewoc.
- Established
- 1862
- Patron
- St. Theresa of Avila (originally St. Patrick until 1878)
- Diocese
- Diocese of La Crosse (Richland Center Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Theresa is a unique destination for Catholics seeking quiet, sustained prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with committed adorers — many traveling from up to 40 miles away — keeping watch in hourly shifts. The chapel welcomes visitors of all backgrounds as a 'lighthouse' of prayer in rural Juneau County, and offers weekly Saturday morning Mass in the same historic, lovingly preserved 19th-century building. Visitors can also stop in while biking the 400 State Trail or driving along Highway 82, and explore the adjacent St. Theresa Cemetery.
Mass times at St. Theresa Perpetual Adoration Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (Sunday through Saturday)
Identity and Mission
St. Theresa Perpetual Adoration Chapel is a historic Catholic chapel in Union Center, Wisconsin, dedicated almost entirely to perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Although it is no longer an active parish, the building remains a working oratory of prayer in the Diocese of La Crosse, where the Eucharist is exposed around the clock and Saturday morning Mass is celebrated.
- Chapel type: Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel / oratory
- Deanery: Richland Center
- Diocese: La Crosse
- Pastoral supervision: St. Jerome Parish, Wonewoc
History
From Irish and German pioneer settlement in 1854, through its days as St. Patrick's and then St. Theresa, the church served generations of rural Wisconsin Catholics. After the parish was suppressed in 1996, the community rallied through the Knights of Columbus and the Militia Immaculata to repurpose it as a perpetual adoration chapel, which opened at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2000.
- 1854 — First Irish and German Catholic settlers arrive in the Union Center area
- 1858 — Father F. X. Weinhart first celebrates Mass here, traveling from Sauk City
- 1862 — Local families donate land for a Catholic cemetery
- Early 1860s — Framed church built off-site and hauled to its location by oxen
- 1866 — With the creation of the Diocese of La Crosse, the parish enters the new diocese
- 1878 — Parish renamed from St. Patrick's to St. Theresa
- 1883 — Father George Kaller becomes first resident pastor; helps organize St. Jerome's in Wonewoc
- 1892–1893 — Stone foundation, brick exterior, Gothic altar and organ added
- 1907–1908 — Spire and 800-pound bell installed
- 1913 — Golden jubilee celebration
- 1996 — Bishop Raymond Burke suppresses the parish; building preserved as an oratory
- 1999 — Knights of Columbus and Militia Immaculata secure Bishop Burke's approval for perpetual adoration
- January 1, 2000 — Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration begins at midnight
- July 12, 2025 — Bishop Gerard W. Battersby celebrates 25th anniversary / 100+ years of faith Mass
Architecture and Historic Interior
Although originally a simple wooden-frame structure, the building was transformed in the 1890s into a Gothic-influenced brick church. Much of its interior — including the wooden pews, kneelers, Gothic altar, ornate statues, and hand-carved pillars and scrollwork — has been preserved essentially as it was over a century ago.
- Wooden-frame construction later encased in brick (1892)
- Stone foundation added with the first resident pastor
- Gothic-style altar and organ installed by 1893
- Towering spire added in 1907
- 800-pound main bell and two smaller bells donated in 1908
- 14 original wooden pews and kneelers still in use
- Hand-carved pillars, scrollwork, and ornate statues preserved
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
The chapel's primary liturgical offering is Saturday morning Mass, in addition to its perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Schedules are coordinated with the supervising parish, St. Jerome in Wonewoc.
- Saturday — 9:00 AM Mass (English)
- Sunday and weekday Masses are typically observed at St. Jerome Parish, Wonewoc
St. Theresa Cemetery
The chapel sits alongside St. Theresa Cemetery, established in 1862 when two local families donated four acres of land to bury Civil War dead and other community members. The St. Theresa Cemetery Association today shares responsibility for the care and maintenance of the chapel and grounds.
- Established 1862
- Original four acres donated by local families
- Coordinates: 43.68273, -90.26195
- Mailing: c/o St. Jerome Parish, Wonewoc
Community and Patronage
The chapel is sustained by the devotion of lay Catholics from the surrounding region rather than by a resident priest or staff. The Knights of Columbus and the Militia Immaculata's Rosa Mystica Prayer Village — particularly the family of Bev Cousineau — were the lay movements most responsible for its rebirth as a perpetual adoration chapel.
- Knights of Columbus — original partner in 1999 enthronement to the Sacred Heart
- Militia Immaculata / Rosa Mystica Prayer Village — consecrated under the formula of St. Maximilian Kolbe
- St. Theresa Cemetery Association — custodial steward of the chapel
- St. Jerome Parish, Wonewoc — pastoral supervision
Notable People and Events
Key figures in the chapel's story include the early missionary priest Father F. X. Weinhart; the first resident pastor Father George Kaller; lay champion Bev Cousineau; Father Norbert Tracy, SJ, then pastor of St. Jerome; and bishops Raymond Burke (who suppressed the parish and authorized the chapel) and Gerard W. Battersby (who celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025).
- Father F. X. Weinhart — first priest to celebrate Mass in Union Center (1858)
- Father George Kaller — first resident pastor (1883)
- Bev Cousineau — Militia Immaculata member who recruited adorers
- Father Norbert Tracy, SJ — then-pastor of St. Jerome who supported the chapel's conversion
- Bishop Raymond Burke — suppressed the parish and approved perpetual adoration (1996, 1999)
- Bishop Gerard W. Battersby — celebrated the 25th anniversary Mass (July 12, 2025)
Contact
Inquiries about the chapel, Mass intentions, or becoming a committed adorer can be directed to the contacts listed below. Pastoral matters are handled through St. Jerome Parish in Wonewoc.
- Phone: 608.572.1266
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing address: 123 Oak Street, Union Center, WI 53962
- Pastoral care: St. Jerome Parish, 528 Center Street, Wonewoc, WI 53968
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father F. X. Weinhart1858–
Traveled from Sauk City to celebrate the first Masses in Union Center.
- Father George Kaller1883–
First resident pastor of the Union Center parish; organized the Catholic families of Wonewoc into St. Jerome's Congregation in 1883.