Columbus Catholic High School - Compass Yearbook (Marshfield, WI)

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-uutlvdvf' SAINT IUSEPH IQVYQE 'QP' -'res 213 Gm St Joseph Church, Stratford ln November 1897 a few years after the railroad had penetrated Into what IS now Stratford a timber region then boastung a sawmlll and some scattered farms a small group of Catholvcs representing some forty famllles, banded together to organize a parish With the bishops permussuon they proceeded during the followlng year to build a church Completed wlthln a year It was dedicated as St Joseph Church In 1899 For the next three years the Stratford par Ish was consndered as a Musslon Church with priests from Rozellvllle and Marshfleld mums termg to the people and conductung servuces as they had done from 1886 on In 1902 the blshop assigned the Reverend M. C. Casper as resident pastor, an offuce he zealously fulfilled for ten years when he was succeeded by the Reverend Frederick For ster From 1918 untnl his death nn 1 44 the Reverend John L Schumacher shepherd ed the growing congregation of Stratford l 1939 Father Schumacher undertook bunldlng program to meet the needs of the growing commumty The present church school comblnatlon was erected that year Dlgnlfled simple suggesting strength by its concrete brlck steel structure nt well symbol lzes the unlty the sohdnty of the Catholic Faith Beauty marks the anterior of the church where the two tone buff walls pews and woodwork of llght oak altars and com munlon raul of unpolished shell gray stone, invite devout prayer.

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HEWITT Recognizing their responsibility for the Christian education of their children, the people of St. MichaeI's determined to build a school. Enthusiasm was rife, ln June of 1898, Reverend John Eisen, assisted by the Reverend Gerhard Vadder, and the Reverend J. Gara, laid the cornerstone for ci new school. ln September, the School Sisters of Notre Dome came from Milwaukee to teach the one hundred and one children enrolled. On Sunday, October 16, 1898, the bishop Rev. R. J. Oberwinder PASTOR Interior of St. Michael Church, Hewltt solemnly dedicated the school building, the Sisters' home, and chapel. Shortly after his arrival in 1945, the Rev. Robert Oberwinder, the present pastor, set about repairing and modernizing the school. Today it is the boast of pastor ond people that every child of the parish is attending St. Joseph's School, the parish school. After fifty years, the church building it- self was no longer serviceable. A new St. Michael's was imperative. On October 4, 1949, the cornerstone of the new church was laid by the Most Reverend John P. Treacy, Bishop of LaCrosse. Within a year, the edi- fice was completed, and on April 30, 1950, the Blessed Sacrament was carried in solemn procession to the new and beautiful St. Michael Church.

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STR On the east side of the building is the school, which contains six modern class- rooms. The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration from La Crosse form the teaching staff. The year following Father Schumacher's death several priests served the parish. In October, 1945, the present pastor, the Rev- erend Anthony W. Fischer was assigned to St. Joseph's. The Reverend Alfred Hemmers- bach, assistant, came to Stratford last year. Father Fischer set about modernizing the Sisters' house in I949. In addition he built a new rectory, brick and colonial in style. ln the spacious well-equipped auditorium in the basement of the school, the organiza- TFCRD Rev. Anthony W. Fischer PASTOR 'W' F K Rev Alfred Hemmersbach Assistant tions active in the parish, stage programs and other social events. From the start St. Joseph's parish, organ- ized fifteen years before the town of Strat- ford was incorporated has been character ized by growth spiritual and temporal