History of St. Patrick Church
The history of St. Patrick parish begins with the earliest settlers in the
Hudson area, when Wisconsin was still a territory.
In 1840, two young Frenchmen, Louis Massey and Peter Bouchea, started a
settlement on the banks of the Willow and St. Croix Rivers. The town was called
Willow River, then Buena Vista and finally renamed Hudson in 1852. Both of
these pioneers were Catholic and they became the first parishioners of the
Catholic Church. They were followed by other French-Indian Catholic families
who lived by hunting and fishing.
Before Massey and Bouchea settled here, others stayed in the valley during the
trapping seasons and it is recorded that Mass was offered in this locality by
itinerant missionaries, among them Father Gaultier, the famous priest-explorer.
The first record of a Mass in the city of Hudson was offered in January of 1855
by Father George Keller. He was stationed in St. Paul from 1855 to 1856. He
would visit the Catholic settlers of Willow River (Hudson) at various
intervals.
It was in the fall of 1856 that Bishop John Martin Henni of Milwaukee became
interesed in the growing Catholic settlement along the St. Croix River. He sent
Father J.J. McGee to be the first resident Catholic priest in the newly renamed
town of Hudson. He found 1101 people there that year and within two short years
the population had more than doubled to 2500.
Father McGee at once began the erection of a church. A frame building, 30x50
feet was built at the southeast corner of Second and St. Croix Streets on a
piece of land donated by Louis Massey.
The building was completed and Holy Mass celebrated for the first time in the
spring of 1857. The new church was dedicated to St. James. Bishop John Martin
Henni, Milwaukee, blest the Church on September 19, 1859 and on the next day
119 people received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the new building. During
this time a rectory was built a block north of the church which was noted for
its unusual cupola on the roof.
According to the Hudson North Star, the weekly newspaper for October 3, 1860,
the Catholic church bell, the first church bell in Hudson, was raised in the
new tower of St. James' church. According to the story, the bell weighed 2000
pounds and cost 10 cents per pound. "It was rung morning, noon and night
and at the hours of service."
Several priests came and went and the parish continued to grow. On June 20,
1868, Father Chrsostom Verwyst arrived at the parish. In addition to the Hudson
congregation, he attended to the mission churches of Clayfield, Oak Grove,
River Falls, Prescott, Schwalen Settlement, East Farmington and Somerset.
Father Verwyst made many improvements to his parish, establishing the parochial
school, purchasing land southwest of town for a cemetery. Recognizing that the
present church could not accommodate the growing parish, he secured the
purchase of land at the corner of Fourth and St. Croix Streets for a new
church. However, he was reassigned before construction of the new church could
begin.
Father Peter Lavin arrived in Hudson next, but was succeeded six months later
by Father Martin Connelly, who arrived in October of 1872 and immediately began
the erection of a larger church building on the corner of Fourth and St. Croix.
The cornerstone was blest and laid on August 23, 1874. It took several years to
complete the building.
On November 15, 1874, Bishop Michael Heiss of La Crosse blessed and dedicated
the new Church under the patronage of St. Patrick of Ireland. The church saw
two major additions during its history.
The rectory was built in 1875 by Father Thomas A. Kelly, who succeeded Father
Connelly. Father Kelly installed the bell in the steeple and organized a branch
of Catholic Knights of Wisconsin during his stay. Father John A. Barney came to
St. Patrick in 1889 as its eleventh resident priest. He remained there for the
next 36 years and his was the longest pastorate in the history of the parish.
It was during his first year that the two story red brick school building was
erected for $7000. The original school building was demolished in 1953 to make
room for a new school and gymnasium.
The school was originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis, LaCrosse.
During the time, a sancuary and sacristy were added to the Church building
under Monsignor Barney.
In 1905 the Sister of St. Agnes from Fond du Lac came to Hudson to take charge
of teaching at the school. The Knights of Columbus Council #1762 was chartered
in 1914. Father Peter Rice was pastor from 1925 to 1934 and Monsignor John M.
Owens from 1934 to 1962. Both had a powerful impact on the growth of the
Catholic community and both are buried in the Catholic cemetery. Msgr. Owens
made improvements to both the church and the rectory.
1953 was a busy year with a new school building being erected and the old one
being torn down. The school was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Joseph J.
Annabring, Diocese of Superior, in 1955. The second Vatican Council reinforced
St. Patrick priorities of total parish religious education in 1959.
In 1963 the Carmelite Sisters came to Hudson and established their monastery at
430 Laurel Avenue.
In 1970 the Parish Council, with its four standing committees of liturgy,
education, witness and stewardship, was established for greater involvement of
the laity.
The final payment on the school mortgage was made during our country's
bicentennial year, 1976. As the parish continued to grow, the need for a larger
church became a topic for Pastor Alex Anton. An in-depth appraisal of the
church properties was done in 1974. At that time, the total market value of the
church rectory, school and cemetery was estimated at $1,297,000. Although a
committee formed and designs were made, there was no new building. Father
Robert O'Connell oversaw an extensive renovation project on the church interior
which was successfully completed in 1979. In 1980, two houses on Fourth Street
were purchased for the future re-building of the church parking lot. The
following year, the St. Patrick School gymnasium and kitchen were renamed the
Owens Center in honor of Monsignor John M. Owens.
A new Sisters of St. Agnes Convent was purchased and renovated in 1983, leaving
the second floor of the school available to expand the Religious Education
Center and the school facilities. That convent was sold and moved to make
way for the expansion of the school in 2002. The sisters were moved to a
residence on 4th Street that was eventually sold to the Day Care Center next
door
In the late 1980's, the need for a new church was again addressed and land
finally purchased on the outskirts of town in 1988. After the ground breaking
on April 8,1990, construction began at 1500 Vine Street. The new church was
dedicated on June 9, 1991 under the direction of Fr. Peter Szleszinski.
Priests of
St. Patrick Church
|
George Keller
|
1855-1856
|
|
J.J. McGee
|
1856-1857
|
|
A. Godfert
|
1857-1859
|
|
Napolean Mignault
|
1859-1861
|
|
Nicholas Stehle
|
1861-1865
|
|
Sebastian Seif
|
1865-1868
|
|
Chrysostom A. Verwyst
|
1868-1872
|
|
Peter J. Lavin
|
1872
|
|
Martin C. Connelly
|
1872-1875
|
|
Edward Coleman
|
1875
|
|
Thomas A. Kelly
|
1875-1889
|
|
John A. Barney
|
1889-1924
|
|
Ignatius Kinney
|
1924-1925
|
|
Peter Rice
|
1925-1934
|
|
John M. Owens
|
1934-1962
|
|
James Taylor
|
1949-1951
|
|
John Regh
|
1953-1956
|
|
Frederick Brost
|
1956-1957
|
|
John P. Slowey
|
1957-1958
|
|
Joseph Canfield
|
1958-1965
|
|
James Griffin
|
1962-1967
|
|
Robert Baranow
|
1965-1967
|
|
Pat Dalton
|
1965
|
|
David R. King
|
1967-1970
|
|
James Hoffman
|
1967-1971
|
|
Alex P. Anton
|
1970-1977
|
|
Dennis Dhooge
|
1971-1976
|
|
Thomas P. Keilen
|
1976-1980
|
|
Robert E. O'Connell
|
1977-1986
|
|
Brian M. Dubois
|
1980-1984
|
|
James J. Brinkman
|
1984-1986
|
|
Peter F. Szleszinski
|
1986-2005
|
|
James L. Blastic
|
1986
|
|
Gerald R. Fuller
|
1986-1988
|
|
Gabriel Biondolillo
|
1988-1989
|
|
Joseph Knoeber
|
1989
|
|
Gerard I. Willger
|
1989-1992
|
|
Raymond L. Gonia
|
1992-1993
|
|
Tommy Thompson
|
1993-1995
|
|
Maryon Jordan, O.S.B
|
1995
|
|
Ron Olson
|
1996
|
|
William Murphy
|
1996-1997
|
|
Lewis Burden Jr.
|
1997-1998
|
|
James Kinney
|
1998-2000
|
|
Ryan Erickson
|
2000-2002
|
|
John Parr
|
2003 - 2009
|
|
Daniel Dahlberg
|
2009 -
|
|
William Brenna
|
2009 - 2010
|
|
Gene Murphy
|
2010
|
