About St. Wenceslaus · Neva, Wisconsin
St. Wenceslaus Parish is a small Catholic community in the unincorporated community of Neva, Langlade County, Wisconsin (mailing address Deerbrook, WI). It is one of three parishes that make up the Antigo Area Catholic Churches cluster together with SS. Mary & Hyacinth and St. John the Evangelist in nearby Antigo, all under the Diocese of Green Bay. The parish is celebrated locally as 'the heart of the community' and quietly marked its 125th anniversary in 2022. It is known for an unusual church design and a notable collection of shrines, and it continues to gather worshipers for a Tuesday morning Mass and a Sunday morning Mass with confessions before each.
- Established
- 1897
- Patron
- Saint Wenceslaus
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. Wenceslaus is a small, family-sized Catholic parish where nearly everyone knows one another and where the church is described by its own members as 'the heart of the community.' Visitors and newcomers are welcomed into a parish that keeps the classic rhythms of rural Catholic life — a Tuesday morning Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, confessions before that Sunday Mass, and the shared life of the Antigo Area Catholic Churches cluster with its pooled faith formation program. The annual feast of St. Wenceslaus on September 28 brings the parish together each fall, and the building itself — noted for its unusual design and many shrines — gives the community a distinct sense of place worth visiting in its own right.
Mass times at St. Wenceslaus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM (before the 10:30 AM Mass, per the Antigo Area Catholic Churches schedule; the parish page also shows Sunday 10:15–10:45 AM)
About St. Wenceslaus Parish
St. Wenceslaus is a small Catholic parish in the rural community of Neva, Langlade County, Wisconsin. Its mailing address is in Deerbrook (N5340 Church Rd, Deerbrook, WI 54424), but it is identified on diocesan and Catholic directory sites as the Church of St. Wenceslaus, Neva. It belongs to the Antigo Area Catholic Churches, a cluster of three parishes — St. Wenceslaus, SS. Mary & Hyacinth (Antigo), and St. John the Evangelist (Antigo) — that share staff, offices, faith formation and ministry while keeping each church's own Mass schedule and identity.
History & 125th Anniversary
The parish traces its founding to 1897, making it one of the older Catholic communities in Langlade County. In October 2022, the parish quietly marked its 125th anniversary. Rather than a single large celebration, parishioners reflected on the parish's role as 'the heart of our community,' a phrase longtime member Bob Bures used when sharing memories of first Communion and decades of parish life. The anniversary was covered by a regional Catholic news outlet under the Diocese of Green Bay banner.
- Founded 1897
- 125th anniversary quietly observed in October 2022
- Parishioner Bob Bures quoted: 'It is the heart of our community'
Patron & Feast Day
The parish is named for Saint Wenceslaus, the Duke of Bohemia and martyr (c. 907–935) who is the patron saint of the Czech lands and of many Czech-American Catholic communities in the upper Midwest. His feast day is September 28, and the parish marks the occasion each fall.
- Patron: Saint Wenceslaus
- Feast day: September 28
Architecture & Shrines
Parishioners and local reporting describe the St. Wenceslaus church building as having an 'unusual design' and a notable collection of many shrines. These features are among the things longtime members point to when explaining what makes their church distinctive.
- Unusual church design
- Many shrines
Antigo Area Catholic Churches Cluster
St. Wenceslaus is part of a three-parish cluster with SS. Mary & Hyacinth (819 3rd Ave, Antigo) and St. John the Evangelist (415 6th Ave, Antigo). The cluster's mission statement reads: 'As friends and followers of Jesus, we are devoted to fostering households and communities of discipleship through the mission and ministry of the Catholic Church,' with a vision of being 'intentional missionary disciples striving to lead all people to the Kingdom of God.' The cluster office is open Monday–Thursday 8 AM–4 PM and Friday 8 AM–noon, with reduced summer hours around Memorial Day.
- Cluster parishes: St. Wenceslaus (Neva/Deerbrook), SS. Mary & Hyacinth (Antigo), St. John the Evangelist (Antigo)
- Cluster phone (main): 715-623-2024
- Cluster email: [email protected]
- Sunday morning Masses across the cluster: 7 AM (SS. Mary & Hyacinth), 9 AM (St. John), 11 AM (St. Wenceslaus)
- Saturday Vigil Masses: 4 PM (SS. Mary & Hyacinth), 6 PM (St. John)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The three parishes of the Antigo Area Catholic Churches run a shared Tri-Parish Faith Formation program so that children and families of St. Wenceslaus can take part in religious education alongside their peers from SS. Mary & Hyacinth and St. John the Evangelist. Information is published through the cluster's ministries page.
- Tri-Parish Faith Formation (cluster-wide program)
Contact & Visiting
Visitors and parishioners can reach St. Wenceslaus by phone at (715) 627-2126 or by email at [email protected]. The parish office is open Tuesdays 8 AM–12 PM and 1 PM–4 PM, and Fridays 8 AM–12 PM. The address is N5340 Church Rd, Deerbrook, WI 54424 — the church itself is in the unincorporated community of Neva.
- Phone: (715) 627-2126
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: N5340 Church Rd, Deerbrook, WI 54424 (Neva, WI)
- Parish office hours: Tuesday 8 AM–12 PM and 1 PM–4 PM; Friday 8 AM–12 PM
- Website: https://antigoareacatholicchurches.com/saint-wenceslaus/
Diocese
St. Wenceslaus Parish falls within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, which covers much of northeastern Wisconsin.
- Diocese of Green Bay
- GCatholic Church ID: 31498