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

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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

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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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SAI T KILI The hlstory of St Krluan s parush a pansh which mcludes the surroundmg area as well as the yet unlncorporated town of Blenker has been ably sketched by the Reverend Nrcholas R Ashenbrenner O P a son of the parish Hrs opemng comment mdlcates the Splfll of the sturdy people who have helped buuld St Kalman s The country people of thus small com munity are largely of a common German an cestry an ancestry steeped In Catholrc tra dltlons They have remained to the present day true to thelr anclent forth and conse quently represent a umque Catholic communl ty IH the mldst of modernlstlc secularlsm The flrst settlers all German arruved a bout 1871 Devout Cathollcs thelr flrst concern was a place for attending duvune service This they found In near by Auburn dale and Junction Cnty When after thirteen years the Blenker commumty numbered twenty flve famllles they determined to bunld a church of thenr own Wuthm the same year the Most Reverend Kalman Flasch Bnshop of La Crosse dedlcated the small church whlch was designated a mxsslon of Junctnon Cnty Once a month servlces were held Two years later the care of the mlssuon was transferred to the pastor at Auburndale for the convenience of the German speakmg parishioners and from 1892 on services were held every other week Thoroughly Catholnc as the people were they recognized from the start that their chuldren must be In a Catholrc school A cordmgly they bullt a parochral school ln 1889 fuve years after the bulldlng of their church A layman was the sole teacher St. Kilian Church, Blenker