About St. William · Wittenberg, Wisconsin
St. William Catholic Parish, listed by the parish itself as 'Holy Family – St. William,' is a small Roman Catholic mission church located in Wittenberg, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Green Bay. According to the parish's website, it has served the Wittenberg area as part of a Three Parish Catholic Family that also includes St. Anthony in Tigerton and St. Mary in Marion. Mass is celebrated at St. William on Sundays at 8:00 AM and Thursdays at 8:30 AM, with confessions before Sunday Mass and after Thursday Mass. The parish runs religious education on Wednesday evenings and is supported by a worship committee, cemetery committee, Catholic Council of Women, and a St. Vincent de Paul conference.
- Established
- 1920
- Patron
- St. William
- Rector
- Fr. Mark Rydell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Green Bay
Why belong here
St. William offers a close-knit Catholic community in Wittenberg with Sunday and weekday Mass, regular Reconciliation, and Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays at 5:30 PM. As part of the Three Parish Catholic Family (with St. Anthony of Tigerton and St. Mary of Marion), parishioners are supported by a worship committee, cemetery committee, Catholic Council of Women, RCIA program, Vacation Bible School, Totus Tuus youth mission, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, food pantry collections for the Wittenberg, Tigerton and Marion pantries, faith formation for lower and upper grades on Wednesday evenings, and a Wednesday-evening family meal and conversation about the Catholic faith.
Mass times at St. William
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays 7:00 – 7:45 AM (Holy Family – St. William, Wittenberg)
- Thursdays 9:00 – 10:00 AM (Holy Family – St. William, Wittenberg)
Adoration times
- Every Thursday 5:30 PM — Adoration in Wittenberg
- Every Tuesday 4:45 PM — Adoration in Tigerton (St. Anthony)
- Every Saturday 9:00 AM — Adoration in Marion (St. Mary)
Welcome to Holy Family – St. William Parish
Holy Family – St. William is a small Catholic community in Wittenberg, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Green Bay. It is one of three parishes in the 'Three Parish Catholic Family' that also includes St. Anthony in Tigerton and St. Mary in Marion. Mass is celebrated at St. William on Sundays at 8:00 AM and Thursdays at 8:30 AM, with Reconciliation on Sundays 7:00–7:45 AM and Thursdays 9:00–10:00 AM. The church building is handicapped accessible, and the parish follows Virtus and safe-environment practices.
- Mass: Sundays 8:00 AM & Thursdays 8:30 AM
- Reconciliation: Sundays 7:00–7:45 AM; Thursdays 9:00–10:00 AM
- Religious Education: Wednesday evenings 5:30 PM
- Address: 106 N Ellms St, Wittenberg, WI 54499
- Phone: (715) 535-2571
Parish History
The parish traces its roots to 1920, when the first Holy Family Church was built. Holy Family was initially served from St. Rose, Clintonville for fifteen years, then attached to St. Anthony in Tigerton for eight years as a mission, followed by thirty years as a mission of St. Philomena in Birnamwood, and finally a year and a half as a mission of St. Boniface of Aniwa. St. William's Congregation of Eland was attached to Holy Family as a mission in March 1960. Holy Family became a full-fledged parish with its own full-time resident pastor, Father Jerome Watry, on June 18, 1959. The current Holy Family Church had groundbreaking in 1969, was first used July 26, 1970, and was formally dedicated November 1, 1970.
- First Holy Family Church built 1920
- St. William's of Eland attached to Holy Family as mission, March 1960
- Holy Family becomes a parish: June 18, 1959 (Father Jerome Watry, first resident pastor)
- Current Holy Family Church groundbreaking: August 24, 1969
- Cornerstone, cross, and baptismal font blessed August 30, 1970 by Very Rev. Leo Binder, Dean of Langlade County
- Formal dedication: November 1, 1970
- New entrance with bathrooms and gathering space added 2011
Three Parish Catholic Family
After Father Claude Zabinski's death in July 1999, Holy Family – St. William entered a period of uncertainty and was linked with St. Anthony in Tigerton and St. Mary in Marion as the 'Three Parish Catholic Family.' Father Mike Carroll presided, with Dominican Sisters Mary Gail and Margaret Therese assigned to Holy Family. Father Faustin Miskabo O.Praem was pastor of the tri-parish for about a year and worked to unify the three parishes. Fr. Matt Settle became pastor on July 2, 2018; the parish's current About page lists Fr. Mark Rydell as the current pastor.
- St. Anthony — Tigerton
- St. Mary — Marion
- Holy Family – St. William — Wittenberg
- Joint Pastoral and Finance Councils
- Pastoral Council meets 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM (in Tigerton)
- Worship Committee meets 3rd Wednesday of each month at 2:00 PM in Tigerton (after the 1 PM Holy Hour)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Three Parish Catholic Family runs Religious Education for lower and upper grades on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 PM, with a meal and faith conversation as part of 'A Family of Faith.' Youth and summer programs include Vacation Bible School and the Totus Tuus youth mission. The parish also runs RCIA for adults on an as-needed basis, leading to reception into the Church and the Sacraments at the Easter Vigil.
- Religious Education — Wednesday evenings 5:30 PM
- Vacation Bible School
- Totus Tuus Youth Mission (e.g., July 14–19, 2024)
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (call 715-535-2571)
- Family of Faith — Wednesday meal and conversation about the Catholic faith
Parish Staff & Leadership
The 'About / Parish Staff' page lists the current staff serving the Three Parish Catholic Family. Fr. Mark Rydell is listed as Pastor; Tammy Wendler is Office Administrator & Faith Formation Facilitator; Elena Winfree is Communications Coordinator; Michael Brandt serves as Deacon; Howard Bricco is listed as Deacon Emeritus.
- Pastor — Fr. Mark Rydell (phone 715-535-1842; emergencies 715-2549-0606; [email protected])
- Office Administrator & Faith Formation Facilitator — Tammy Wendler (715-535-2571; [email protected])
- Deacon — Michael Brandt
- Deacon Emeritus — Howard Bricco
- Communications Coordinator — Elena Winfree ([email protected])
Councils & Committees
Pastoral and Finance councils are required in the Diocese of Green Bay. The Three Parish Catholic Family councils meet jointly to discuss common issues and separately for parish-specific matters.
- Pastoral Council — meets 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM (Tigerton)
- Finance Council — meets once a month
- Worship Committee — 3rd Wednesday of each month at 2:00 PM (Tigerton)
- Cemetery Committee — Marion & Wittenberg
- Building and Grounds Committee — sub-committee of Finance Council
Outreach & Charity
The Three Parish Catholic Family actively supports three local food pantries with ongoing non-perishable and household-item collections. The Tigerton Quilt Group produces hundreds of quilts each year for those in need locally and around the USA. A St. Vincent de Paul conference (Trinity Family) serves the three parishes.
- MAMA's House of Hope — Marion food pantry
- Tigerton Food Pantry — Tigerton (Facebook page referenced; 715-326-3750)
- Wittenberg Food Pantry — Wittenberg
- Tigerton Quilt Group — meets weekly; hundreds of quilts distributed each year
- St. Vincent de Paul — Trinity Family conference
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the sacraments in conjunction with the Three Parish Catholic Family. Information is available through the parish office.
- Reconciliation: Sundays 7:00–7:45 AM; Thursdays 9:00–10:00 AM at Wittenberg
- RCIA leading to reception at the Easter Vigil
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing — contact the parish office (715-535-2571)
Office, Contact & Hours
The Three Parish Office serves all three parishes from the St. Anthony / Tigerton address (PO Box 106, 430 Swanke St., Tigerton, WI 54486), with weekday office hours published on the website.
- Parish phone: (715) 535-2571
- Office hours: Monday closed; Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM; Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Three Parish Office mailing: PO Box 106, 430 Swanke St., Tigerton, WI 54486
- Pastor phone: 715-535-1842 (emergencies 715-2549-0606)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jerome Watry1959–July 14, 1965
First full-time resident pastor when Holy Family became a full-fledged parish on June 18, 1959; oversaw rectory construction (1960) and began the new-church building fund (1965).
- Father Ralph HermsonJuly 14, 1965–1972
Began construction of new Holy Family Church; groundbreaking 1969, dedication 1970.
- Father Thomas Golden1972–1973 (approx. one year)
Short tenure before moving to St. Francis Xavier, De Pere.
- Father Claude ZabinskiJune 20, 1973 (administrator); March 1974 – July 1999 (pastor)
Longest-serving pastor; passed away in July 1999.
- Father Mike Carroll
Presided over the tri-parish linkage with St. Anthony, Tigerton and St. Mary, Marion after Fr. Claude's death.
- Father Faustin Miskabo O. Praemapprox. one year
Worked to unify the three parishes.
- Sister Margaret Therese, OP (Parish Director) / Father Richard Stajniger O. Praem (sacramental minister)
After Fr. Faustin left.
- Father John Girotti2006–2009
Served along with three other parishes.
- Father David McElroy O.Praem2017–July 2018
Served the Three Parish Family.
- Father Matthew (Matt) SettleJuly 2, 2018 – present (per diocesan directory)
Pastor of the Three Parish Family.
- Father Mark Rydellcurrent
Listed as Pastor on the parish's current About/Staff page.