About St. Veronica · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
St. Veronica Congregation is a Roman Catholic parish in the Bay View/Tippecanoe neighborhood on Milwaukee's south side, part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and now one of six parishes in the South Shore Catholic collaborative (alongside Nativity of the Lord, St. Paul, Immaculate Conception, St. Veronica's sister parishes St. Adalbert, Sacred Heart of Jesus, and others). Founded in 1925 by twelve laymen working with Father Julius Wermuth at the request of Archbishop Sebastian G. Messmer, the parish takes its name from Saint Veronica, the patron of land donor Veronica Jorgensen. The parish mission proclaims 'We are Imaging Christ to the World,' lived out through worship, formation and service — including a long-running food pantry, St. Vincent de Paul home visits, faith formation, and the Sanctus and Resurrection choirs.
- Established
- 1925 (parish organized); cornerstone laid September 8, 1926; church dedicated December 11, 1926
- Patron
- Saint Veronica
- Rector
- Rev. Carmelo (Carmelo) Giuffre (Pastor of the South Shore Catholic Parishes)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. Veronica is a long-established south-side Milwaukee parish with deep roots — nearly a century of Catholic life in the Tippecanoe/Bay View area — and an active social outreach tradition. The parish feeds its neighbors through the St. Veronica Food Pantry (open Wednesdays and twice a month on Saturdays), and its St. Vincent de Paul team makes home visits to families in need across the south side. A strong Music Ministry (the Sanctus Choir for high-schoolers through adults and the Resurrection Choir for funerals), shared faith formation for children and adults, a Catholic Social Justice Committee focused on racial justice, and a Respect Life ministry round out the life of the parish. As one of the South Shore Catholic Parishes, St. Veronica offers the warmth of a neighborhood congregation with the resources of a larger collaboration.
Mass times at St. Veronica
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 pm
- Thursday after 8:15 am Mass (per 2018 parish schedule)
Adoration times
- Holy Hour: 3rd Saturday of the month at 3:00 pm
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Veronica describes itself as a vibrant and active Catholic Faith community. Its mission proclaims: 'We are Imaging Christ to the World,' a goal carried out through worship, formation and service. The parish is located at 353 East Norwich Street on Milwaukee's south side and is part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Our Parish History
Founded in 1925 in the Tippecanoe section of the Town of Lake, St. Veronica grew from forty founding families into one of the largest parishes on Milwaukee's south side, surviving the Great Depression and two World Wars. The cornerstone for the original church and school was laid September 8, 1926 and the church was dedicated December 11, 1926. The parish was named for Saint Veronica in honor of land donor Veronica Jorgensen.
- 1925 — Parish organized at the request of Archbishop Sebastian G. Messmer; Father Julius Wemuth leads twelve laymen.
- 1926 — Cornerstone laid September 8; church dedicated December 11; school opens with 160 students in four grades.
- 1930s — Depression nearly bankrupts parish; Father Leo J. Schiffler leads revitalization with Archdiocese loans and a Milwaukee Auditorium benefit; barracks from Pulaski High School and Mitchell Field repurposed as classrooms.
- 1940s — Under Father David Ryan, parish grows to nearly 1,000 families.
- 1950–1952 — Father Gordon A. Johnson becomes pastor (Dec. 6, 1950) and builds the 17-room school (opened 1952); church is renovated and a parish hall and kitchen added.
- 1966 — New 1,200-seat church dedicated.
- 1990s — Under Father Joseph Frederick, parish reaches 1,610 families with 400+ children in school.
- 1996 — Parish Center completed.
- 2004 — South Shore parishes combine schools into St. Thomas Aquinas Academy and faith formation into Southeast Catholic.
- 2019 — Father Carmelo Giuffre accepts the shared pastorate of St. Veronica and Nativity of the Lord.
Parish Staff
As a member of the South Shore Catholic Parishes collaborative, St. Veronica shares pastors, formation leaders, music staff, administrative personnel and maintenance staff with neighboring parishes. The parish office can be reached at 414-482-2920 or [email protected].
- Rev. Carmelo Giuffre — Pastor (shared)
- Rev. Michael Courchaine — Associate Pastor (shared)
- Joshua Moore — Shared Director of Formation
- Kim Mueller — Shared Director of Administration
- Del Kahlstorf — Shared Director of Music (NL/SP/SV)
- Paul Weisenberger — Shared Director of Worship (IC/SA/SHJ)
- Chris Stemwell — Finance Officer
- Gerry Cofta — Administrative Assistant (NL/SP/SV)
- Joe Laska — Shared Director of Facilities
- Carlos Ortega — Shared Facilities Co-Director
- Roy Robles — Maintenance Director (NL/SP/SV)
- Bruna Antonson — Shared Communications Coordinator
Sacraments
St. Veronica prepares parishioners for the sacraments through the Parish Office. Baptisms require preparation and scheduling; couples planning marriage should contact Fr. Carmelo; those in need of Anointing of the Sick should contact the parish office. Funeral Masses are scheduled Monday and Wednesday through Friday, usually with an hour to hour-and-a-half visitation preceding the liturgy.
- Baptism — preparation and scheduling through the Parish Office
- Marriage — contact Fr. Carmelo
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the Parish Office
- Funerals — coordinated through Fr. Carmelo Giuffre; scheduled Mon. and Wed.–Fri.
Outreach & Service Ministries
St. Veronica lives out its mission of 'Imaging Christ to the World' through several service ministries that meet real needs on Milwaukee's south side. The St. Veronica Food Pantry is the most visible: it serves parishioners and neighbors weekly and is supported by the parish's 'Feed and Shelter' ministry, along with food from Hunger Task Force and Feeding America. A Saturday breakfast is also offered. The St. Vincent de Paul conference meets twice monthly and makes home visits to families in need. Other service-oriented groups include Caring for Others, the Catholic Social Justice Committee (currently focused on racial justice and healing), and the Respect Life ministry.
- St. Veronica Food Pantry — Wednesdays 4:00–6:00 pm; 1st & 3rd Saturdays 9:00–11:00 am
- Saturday breakfast — open to parishioners and helpers
- St. Vincent de Paul — meets 1st & 3rd Mondays; conducts home visits on the south side
- Caring for Others
- Catholic Social Justice Committee — focus on racial justice and healing
- Respect Life
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music is a central part of parish life at St. Veronica. The Sanctus Choir is open to all interested singers in high school and older, providing music for holidays and weekend Masses from September through May with Thursday evening rehearsals (6:30–8:30 pm). The Resurrection Choir provides the very special ministry of music for funerals at St. Veronica and Nativity of the Lord. The Art & Environment team plans and prepares the worship environment throughout the year, and the Liturgical Ministry supports the celebration of Mass.
- Sanctus Choir — Thursdays 6:30–8:30 pm; alternates between St. Veronica and Nativity of the Lord on Sundays
- Resurrection Choir — 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 10:00–11:30 am
- Art & Environment
- Liturgical Ministry
Faith Formation & Community Life
Faith formation at St. Veronica is coordinated through the shared South Shore Catholic Formation Commission, which meets monthly to set goals for parish-wide formation and ministry. The Adult Ministry Team envisions, oversees, coordinates and evaluates all adult formation. Stewardship, Finance and Pastoral Councils round out parish governance and life. Southeast Catholic, the combined religious education program of the South Shore parishes, provides faith formation for school-age children.
- Formation Commission (parish-wide formation and ministry planning)
- Adult Ministry Team
- Stewardship Engagement Team
- Finance Council
- Pastoral Council
- Southeast Catholic (combined regional faith formation program)
South Shore Catholic Parishes Collaboration
Since 2004 St. Veronica has been part of a collaborative of South Side Milwaukee parishes that combined their schools into St. Thomas Aquinas Academy and their faith formation programs into Southeast Catholic. Today, with Father Carmelo Giuffre serving as Pastor of the South Shore Catholic Parishes (including Immaculate Conception, Nativity of the Lord, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Adalbert, St. Paul and St. Veronica) and Father Michael Courchaine as Associate Pastor, many staff roles are shared across the cluster — including formation, worship, music, administration, facilities and communications.
- Immaculate Conception (IC)
- Nativity of the Lord (NL)
- Sacred Heart of Jesus (SHJ)
- St. Adalbert (SA)
- St. Paul (SP)
- St. Veronica (SV)
- Shared pastor: Fr. Carmelo Giuffre
- Shared associate pastor: Fr. Michael Courchaine
- St. Thomas Aquinas Academy — combined regional school
- Southeast Catholic — combined regional faith formation
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Julius Wemuth1925–c.1928
Organized the new parish at Archbishop Messmer's request; continued as co-pastor at St. Gerard's and became its permanent pastor until his death in 1954.
- Rev. John Dark1928
St. Veronica's first resident-designate pastor; resided at Pio Nono High School, where he also served as president and teacher.
- Rev. Raymond Kellyfrom 1929
First full-time resident pastor of St. Veronica.
- Rev. Leo J. SchifflerDepression era (1930s)
Accepted the call to revitalize the parish during the Great Depression; secured Archdiocese loans and a Milwaukee Auditorium benefit that kept the parish afloat.
- Rev. David Ryan1940s
Parish grew to almost 1,000 families during his pastorate; building fund for a school was established.
- Rev. Gordon A. Johnsonfrom December 6, 1950
Built the new 17-room school (opened 1952), renovated the church and added a parish hall and kitchen.
- Rev. Joseph Frederick1990s
Oversaw the parish at one of its largest points (1,610 families, 400+ children in school) and the 1996 construction of the Parish Center.
- Rev. Mark Paynebefore 2019
Established the shared pastorate between St. Veronica and Nativity of the Lord.
- Rev. Carmelo Giuffrefrom 2019
Accepted the shared pastorate; now serves as Pastor of the South Shore Catholic Parishes (IC, NL, SHJ, SA, SP, SV).