About St. Therese · Appleton, Wisconsin
St. Thérèse Catholic Parish (also known as St. Therese / Santa Teresita) is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Green Bay. It is widely known as "one church, many cultures," serving a tri-cultural community of Anglo, Hispanic (predominantly Mexican-origin), and Micronesian Catholics from across the Fox Valley. Weekend Masses are offered in both English and Spanish, and the parish runs an unusually broad range of ministries — including Hispanic youth ministry, RCIA, the Discípulos de Cristo lay-formation program, a quinceañera ministry, Emmaus men's and women's groups, and a Divine Mercy prayer group. The parish sits at 213 E. Wisconsin Avenue, just blocks from the Fox River, and is a regional hub for Spanish-language sacramental ministry extending into Menasha, Neenah, Little Chute, Kaukauna, and beyond.
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower)
- Rector
- Rev. Ryan Starks (concluding June 30, 2026); Rev. Jon Thorsen appointed incoming pastor effective July 1, 2026
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Therese is one of the most culturally rich parishes in the Fox Valley — a single worshiping community where English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and Micronesian Catholics pray, learn, and serve side by side. Visitors can attend Mass in either English or Spanish every weekend and most weekdays, and the parish welcomes people from across the region (Menasha, Neenah, Little Chute, Kaukauna, even New London and Omro) to celebrate the sacraments here. With active youth ministry, RCIA, small-group faith formation for teens, a St. Therese School alumni community, Emmaus groups, a charismatic prayer group, a Divine Mercy group, an annual pilgrimage to the Steubenville Youth Conference, and a quarterly 33-hour Eucharistic Adoration, there are many concrete ways to belong.
Mass times at St. Therese
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM (English & Spanish)
- Thursday: 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM (English & Spanish)
- Friday: 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- By appointment — call the parish office at 920-733-8568 to schedule a private confession
Adoration times
- 33 Hours of Eucharistic Adoration — first Thursday of each month, beginning at 8:00 AM Thursday and concluding at 5:00 PM Friday (Most Blessed Sacrament exposed upon the altar; contact Lupita Munoz at 920-636-6835 or the parish office to sign up for an hour)
About St. Thérèse Parish
St. Thérèse Catholic Parish (St. Therese / Santa Teresita) is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Green Bay at 213 E. Wisconsin Avenue in Appleton, Wisconsin. Its tagline — 'One Church, Many Cultures. Grow. Pray. Serve. Belong.' / 'Una Iglesia, Varias Culturas. Crecer. Orar. Servir. Pertenecer.' — captures its identity as a tri-cultural community of Anglo, Hispanic (mostly Mexican-origin), and Micronesian Catholics from across the Fox Valley. The parish offers Mass in both English and Spanish every weekend and most weekdays, and runs an unusually wide range of ministries for a parish of its size.
- Diocese of Green Bay (Roman-Latin Rite)
- Address: 213 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Appleton, WI 54911
- Phone: (920) 733-8568
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://st-therese.com/
Parish History & School
The Diocese of Green Bay first reached the growing Hispanic Catholic population of the Fox Valley with a Sunday afternoon Mass at St. Gabriel Parish in Neenah. As the community grew, parishioners petitioned the diocese for fuller pastoral care, and St. Therese became the regional home for Hispanic ministry, supported through the Bishop's Appeal. St. Therese Catholic School served the parish community for 56 years, from 1928 to 1984, graduating more than 3,600 students. The school building was demolished in 2021, with the parish holding an Alumni Day before demolition and planning a new fellowship space decorated with photos from the school's history.
- Hispanic ministry at St. Therese began as a diocesan response to the growing Fox Valley Hispanic Catholic community
- St. Therese Catholic School: 1928–1984 (3,600+ alumni)
- School demolished 2021; Alumni Day held in August 2021
- St. Therese School Alumni Association Facebook page preserves school history and photos
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Transition
The parish's current pastor, Fr. Ryan Starks, also serves as chaplain of St. Francis Xavier High School. In spring 2026 the Diocese of Green Bay announced that Fr. Starks will conclude as pastor of St. Therese and chaplain of Xavier on June 30, 2026, to become Pastor of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Oshkosh effective July 1, 2026. Rev. Jon Thorsen, currently Pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Chilton, has been named incoming pastor of St. Therese effective July 1, 2026. Carlos Herrera Alvarez serves as the parish's Hispanic Ministry Coordinator, and Andy Pethan coordinates the Religious Education Program. Fr. William (Bill) Hoffman is referenced in earlier parish bulletins as pastor.
- Rev. Ryan Starks — Pastor (concluding June 30, 2026)
- Rev. Jon Thorsen — incoming Pastor effective July 1, 2026
- Carlos Herrera Alvarez — Hispanic Ministry Coordinator
- Andy Pethan — Coordinator of Religious Education
- Rev. William (Bill) Hoffman — Pastor (past)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs an active Religious Education Program (REP) for children and youth, and the high school program uses a small-group model that the parish adopted after the 2022 Steubenville Youth Conference trip. Coordinator Andy Pethan led the parish in interviewing roughly 100 teens to shape small groups (some gender-based), and the parish sends an annual delegation of young people to the Steubenville Youth Conference — 56 teens were registered for one summer's trip. The REP is bilingual, and recent Confirmation classes have been approximately 50% Hispanic, 38% Micronesian, and 12% Anglo.
- Religious Education Program (REP) — bilingual, Wednesday evenings
- Small-group high school faith formation (some gender-based)
- Annual Steubenville Youth Conference trip
- RCIA — bilingual, with 15 catechumens prepared at a recent Easter Vigil
- 75 students received First Eucharist in a recent year
- 130 baptisms celebrated in a recent year
Hispanic Ministry & Multilingual Pastoral Care
Hispanic Ministry, led by coordinator Carlos Herrera Alvarez (a former minister from Guadalajara), is the heartbeat of St. Therese. The parish runs an extensive range of Hispanic programs supported in part by the Bishop's Appeal, and serves as the regional sacramental home for Hispanic Catholics from Appleton, Menasha, Neenah, Little Chute, Kaukauna, and occasionally New London and Omro. Carlos also coordinates training for extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, hospitality ministers, altar servers, choirs, catechists, and baptism preparation. Ten parishioners have participated in the Diocese of Green Bay's Discípulos de Cristo, the Hispanic version of the Commissioned Ministry program.
- Three weekly Spanish Masses (Saturday 5:30 PM, Sunday 10:30 AM, Sunday 12:00 PM, Thursday 6:30 PM)
- Hispanic Bible Study — Saturdays 8:00 AM with Fr. Bill
- Hispanic REP / Confirmation prep
- Quinceañera ministry (~14 per recent year)
- Ministerio Santa Elizabeth — pastoral care for families around births (Reyna García, 920-257-3465)
- Discípulos de Cristo — 200+ hour lay formation program
- Special celebrations: Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Thérèse, Día de los Muertos, Las Posadas
- Three annual fundraisers with the Hispanic community raise ~$7,500
Prayer Groups, Devotions & Scripture Study
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, the parish hosts a rich calendar of prayer groups and devotions, many of them bilingual. The Charismatic Prayer Group meets Saturdays at 6:30 PM, the Divine Mercy Group meets Fridays at 7:00 PM in the Family Room, and a Rosary for Peace and Justice for Immigrants is prayed every Saturday at 5:00 PM. Emmaus men's and women's small groups meet weekly (Tue/Wed 6:00–8:00 PM). English Bible Study is offered Sunday mornings 8:30–9:30 AM.
- Charismatic Prayer Group — Saturdays 6:30 PM
- Divine Mercy Group — Fridays 7:00 PM
- Rosary for Peace and Justice — Saturdays 5:00 PM
- Emmaus Women — Tuesdays 6:00–8:00 PM
- Emmaus Men — Wednesdays 6:00–8:00 PM
- English Bible Study — Sundays 8:30–9:30 AM
- Spanish Bible Study — Saturdays 8:00 AM with Fr. Bill
- Handbell Practice — weekly at 7:00 PM
Stewardship, Outreach & Mission
St. Therese is a stewardship parish. It has participated in the diocese's 'Light the Fire' intensive stewardship program and operates a Vision in Action (VIA) stewardship committee. The parish promotes annual mission trips to the Dominican Republic, three Hispanic-community fundraisers per year, and a community garden project. A St. Elizabeth Ministry committee works with the Hispanic community to accompany families through births and other vulnerable moments.
- Vision in Action (VIA) stewardship committee
- 'Light the Fire' stewardship program participation
- Annual mission trip to the Dominican Republic
- Community Garden project
- St. Elizabeth Ministry (Ministerio Santa Elizabeth) for births
- Three annual Hispanic-community fundraisers (~$7,500 raised)
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music and liturgical service are deeply woven into parish life. The parish supports English and Spanish choirs, a handbell choir that rehearses weekly, and guitar classes taught in Spanish after Sunday Mass. Lay liturgical roles — extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, hospitality ministers, and altar servers — are actively recruited and trained, with the Hispanic Ministry Coordinator organizing formation for all of these.
- English and Spanish choirs
- Handbell choir — weekly rehearsal 7:00 PM
- Guitar classes (Spanish) — Sundays after 11 AM Mass, Manuel González, 1-414-739-4886
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Hospitality Ministers
- Altar Servers
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William (Bill) Hoffman
Pastor referenced in parish bulletins (Bible study in Spanish under 'Padre Bill')
- Rev. Ryan Starksthrough June 30, 2026
Also served as Chaplain of St. Francis Xavier High School; appointed Pastor of Most Blessed Sacrament, Oshkosh effective July 1, 2026
- Rev. Jon Thorseneffective July 1, 2026
Currently Pastor of Good Shepherd Parish, Chilton until May 31, 2026; then Pastor of St. Therese