About St. William Church · Waukesha, Wisconsin
St. William Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Waukesha, Wisconsin, founded on June 25, 1957, and named in honor of Rt. Rev. Msgr. William Miller, who served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Waukesha for forty years. The parish began on a ten-acre plot of land, with its first church building constructed in 1960, and quickly grew alongside the addition of St. William School in 1961. Today, St. William is part of the Catholic Community of Waukesha, a collaborative grouping of Waukesha's four Catholic parishes that began in 2017 under one pastoral team and was formally unified as Corpus Christi Parish on July 1, 2025. The parish offers Mass in both English and Spanish, weekday adoration, food pantry outreach, faith formation for all ages, and a robust network of lay ministries serving the Waukesha community.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- St. William of Vercelli
- Rector
- Fr. Matthew Widder
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
St. William is a welcoming, bilingual (English and Spanish) Catholic community rooted in 65+ years of Waukesha history, and now part of the collaborative Catholic Community of Waukesha. Parishioners can plug into a deep well of ministries — faith formation for youth and adults, food pantry and St. Vincent de Paul outreach, the Men's Ministry, Christian Women, the Camino Neocatecumenal, a Sewing Ministry, blood drives, mission trips, and a strong liturgical music program. With weekday and Sunday Mass in both languages, weekly adoration, and a shared citywide pastoral council, there's a place for nearly every interest or vocation here.
Mass times at St. William Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 10:00 am at St. William Church
Adoration times
- Tuesday after 5:30 pm Mass at St. William Church
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. John Neumann: 6:00 am – 6:00 pm Monday–Sunday (closed Sundays 8:00 am – 12:00 pm); after-hours access via waukesha.weadorehim.com
History of St. William Parish
St. William Parish was established on June 25, 1957, two years after a ten-acre plot was purchased as the site for a third Catholic parish in the City of Waukesha. The parish was named for Rt. Rev. Msgr. William Miller, who had served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Waukesha for forty years. The first church building was constructed in 1960, and the parish's growth was supported by the opening of St. William School in 1961. A larger church building replaced the original in 1992, and St. William joined the cluster of Waukesha Catholic schools in the Waukesha Catholic School System in 1990.
- Established June 25, 1957
- Original church built 1960
- St. William School opened 1961
- Waukesha Catholic School System formed 1990 (St. William joined)
- New church building constructed 1992
- Joined Catholic Community of Waukesha 2017
- Merged into Corpus Christi Parish July 1, 2025
Becoming Corpus Christi Parish
In 2017, St. William, St. Joseph, St. Mary, and St. John Neumann began collaborating as the Catholic Community of Waukesha under a shared pastoral team. After years of cluster planning, the four parishes were formally merged into a single canonical parish — Corpus Christi Parish — on July 1, 2025, with Fr. Matthew Widder continuing as Pastor. Each of the four church buildings continues to serve as a worship site under the unified Corpus Christi banner.
- Collaboration began 2017
- Formal merger July 1, 2025
- Fr. Matthew Widder continues as Pastor
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. William and the Catholic Community of Waukesha are served by a single pastoral team under Fr. Matthew Widder, Pastor. The team includes two Associate Pastors, a Pastor Emeritus, and a deacon, alongside directors for Faith Formation, Hispanic Ministry, Music & Liturgy, Pastoral & Societal Ministry, Finance, Facilities, Communications, and Stewardship.
- Fr. Matthew Widder — Pastor
- Fr. Patrick Heppe — Pastor Emeritus
- Fr. Jorge Perez — Associate Pastor
- Fr. Dominic Lazzaroni — Associate Pastor
- Dcn. Jorge Benavente (414-769-3492)
- Erin Erickson — Director of Formation / Youth Ministry Coordinator
- Mario Perez — Director of Hispanic Ministry
- Bob Gallagher — Director of Music & Liturgy
- Karen Flesses — Associate Director of Liturgy and Music
- Janet Yahnke — Director of Societal & Pastoral Ministry / HR
- Peggy Lanser — Adult and Family Ministry Coordinator
- Wanda Roth — Sacramental Coordinator
- Nick Sanders — Chief Operating Officer (Finance)
- Andy Dejewski — Facilities Manager
- Pat Sennott — Events & IT Manager
- Cassie Duck — Communication Manager
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation at the Catholic Community of Waukesha serves learners of every age. The Youth Ministry program (WAY) welcomes teens in Grades 6–10 and aims to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Year-long Confirmation preparation is offered for high school juniors who have completed 9th and 10th grade Formation, with retreat and rally experiences throughout the year and regular mission trip and service opportunities. Adult and Family Ministry, plus sacramental preparation (First Reconciliation in second grade), round out the formation offerings.
- Youth Formation / WAY for Grades 6–10
- Confirmation Preparation for high school juniors
- First Reconciliation preparation in second grade
- Adult and Family Ministry
- Retreats, rallies, and mission trips
Hispanic Ministry
Hispanic Ministry at St. William is led by Director of Hispanic Ministry Mario Perez and Coordinator Rosana Perez. The parish offers a weekly Saturday evening Spanish Mass at 6:00 pm and a Sunday Spanish Mass at 11:30 am, alongside sacramental preparation, faith formation, and community-building events conducted in Spanish.
- Spanish Mass Saturday 6:00 pm and Sunday 11:30 am
- Director: Mario Perez
- Coordinator: Rosana Perez
Outreach, Charity, and Human Concerns
The Human Concerns Commission coordinates a broad network of charitable ministries at St. William. St. Vincent de Paul of Waukesha County serves neighbors in need regardless of faith, providing emergency rent, utilities, food, clothing, household goods, and referral services. The parish Food Pantry stocks and delivers groceries to families, and Loaves and Fishes extends meal support. A Health Ministry addresses community wellness needs, while the Stop Human Trafficking Ministry, Sewing Ministry, and Blood Drive Committee provide additional avenues for service.
- St. Vincent de Paul (262-547-2763 x 204 for St. William area)
- Food Pantry (262-832-1445)
- Loaves and Fishes
- Health Ministry
- Stop Human Trafficking Ministry
- Sewing Ministry
- Blood Drive Committee
- Communion Ministry to the Homebound & Hospital
- Respect Life Ministry
Parish Community Life and Adult Ministries
Adults at St. William find community through several long-standing groups: the Men's Ministry meets in fellowship and prayer to discuss Catholic faith and practice; Christian Women brings together women of the parish for spiritual and social activities; Emaus and the Camino Neocatecumenal provide small-group faith formation rooted in Scripture; and FOCCUS supports engaged couples in marriage preparation. The Ministry of Praise offers prayer support for the intentions of others, while the Stewardship Committee and the Buildings and Grounds Committee keep the parish functioning behind the scenes.
- Men's Ministry
- Christian Women
- Emaus
- Camino Neocatecumenal
- FOCCUS (marriage preparation)
- Ministry of Praise
- Stewardship Committee
- Buildings and Grounds Committee
- Finance and Investment Committee
Liturgy, Music, and Worship
The parish's liturgical life is supported by a dedicated Music & Liturgy team led by Director Bob Gallagher and Associate Director Karen Flesses. The Prayer & Worship Committee coordinates lay involvement in the liturgy, and Eucharistic Adoration is offered at St. William on Tuesday evenings after the 5:30 pm Mass, in addition to the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. John Neumann.
- Music & Liturgy team
- Prayer & Worship Committee
- Tuesday adoration after 5:30 pm Mass
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. John Neumann
Getting Involved and Contact
Anyone is welcome to attend Mass or events at St. William. The parish's main office number is 262-922-9285; general inquiries can go to [email protected], with ministry-specific emails (e.g. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]) listed on the website. The 9:30 am Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the Catholic Community of Waukesha YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
- Phone: 262-922-9285
- Email: [email protected]
- YouTube: Catholic Community of Waukesha channel
- Pastoral Council meets third Wednesday of the month in the Vercelli House on the St. William campus