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St. Henry’s Catholic Church
The Watertown Catholic Community is
comprised of two parishes, St. Bernard Catholic Church and St. Henry Catholic
Church, and includes a combined parish school, the Watertown Catholic School. The community is located in
the Diocese of Madison.
ZUKOTYNSKI
The Polish artist/muralist Thaddeus von Zukotynski
(1855-1912) who adorned many
Catholic Churches in the Midwest with his paintings, including St. Henry’s,
Watertown, WI. Mr. Zukotynski
created more than a hundred paintings/murals for Catholic churches in the
Midwest during his short lifetime.
1916 Note
Built by Ferdinand
Behlke, General Contractor
c.1870s
-- -- FIRST
COMMUNION
1882
02 01 St.
HENRI’S CHURCH SCHOOL
Among
the numerous educational institutions of our city none can lay claim to a
higher degree of excellence than the St. Henri’s church school, conducted under
the auspices of the Sisters of Notre Dame, with Sister Rustica as Superioress.
The
fine building erected the past summer by the congregation of St. Henri’s
church, situated on the east side of Third Street, north of Main, is a credit
to our city, and constitutes one of the most substantial improvements made in
Watertown for a long time. Without
intending to be elaborate, the building is compact and tasty, heated by
furnace, and furnished after the most approved manner of school houses, the
furniture being supplied by Andrews & Cos., of Chicago.
The
room for the
advanced scholars is on the first floor and two rooms on the second floor
allotted to the use of the primary grades.
Nearly two hundred scholars attend the school and all give evidence of
the fact that the teachers spare no pains to properly train the children under
them and provide for their intellectual advancement. Watertown Republican, 02 01 1882
1891
01
21 St.
HENRI’S CHURCH SCHOOL
St. Henri's
church congregation have decided upon the enlargement of their church along
with other improvements. Additions will
be built on the east and west side of the church and the edifice lengthened on
the north end. When completed the church
will be in the form of a cross, and will have an increased seating capacity of
about 200. The work will begin on the
opening of spring. improvements will cost $10,000. WR
03 11 NEW
ALTAR DONATED
At a meeting
last Sunday of the Ladies' Sodality of St. Henri's church it was resolved that
the society would present as their donation the handsome new altar that is in
contemplation with the other improvements to the church building. It will be manufactured at La Crosse and will
cost some $1,200. WR
04 03 EASTER
SUNDAY
Easter is
the church's festal day, and with the possible exception of the happy Christmas
time, there is no other day in the year when the churches are so generally well
attended.
Last Sunday
was no exception to the rule.
Early in the
morning when the bells pealed joyously forth for the risen Lord, thousands of
people, dressed in their Easter best, were seen wending their way to the
churches to attend the Easter services.
Sermons appropriate to the day were preached in all churches, and Easter
Sunday music in many of the houses of worship was of a beautiful and highly
artistic character.
Every
available foot of space was taken at St. Henri's church during the Easter
morning service. Solemn High Mass was
celebrated, and the church choir, which is noted for its very fine singing,
rendered most excellent music on this occasion.
Services at
St. Paul's, the M.E., the Congregational, and Lutheran churches, were largely
attended, and the musical and religious exercises were of a grand and
impressive character.
08 28 GUARDIAN ANGEL STATUE
IN PLAYGROUNDS
The environments of
St. Henry's Catholic church and school have been greatly improved; the climax
of all, however, is the erection of the beautiful guardian angel statue on the
playgrounds of the school.
The statue is over six
feet in height and rests on a base three feet high. The guardian angel points to heaven with one
hand, casting its looks to the little child at its side.
The members of St.
Henry’s congregation are to be congratulated for these most attractive
improvements, much more so as it is in line with the improvements in the city
in general. Weekly Watertown
Leader, 08 28 1908
1910
05 20 FIRST
COMMUNION
At St. Henry’s Catholic church the following class received Holy
Communion at the morning service:
Clarence Brown, Eugene Fendt, Joseph Schuenke, Walter Flint, Theodore
Feisst, Edward Breunig, Raymond Miller, Raymond Hertel, Joseph Motl, John
Thren, John Hertel, Alvin Fraenke, Michael Hady; Annette Feisst, Magdalene
Berg, Blanche Ruzek, Margaret Goodnetter, Edna Hertel, Lorette Scheiber, Hedwig
Klecker, Catharine Kioes, Mary Vogel, Anna Brasky. The Watertown News, 20
May 1910
1914
02 12 REV.
SCHWINN ASSIGNED TO PARISH
On
Wednesday evening the members of St. Henry’s congregation tendered their new
pastor, Rev. Schwinn, a cordial reception.
The program comprised musical numbers by the choir and school children,
a solo by Mr. R. Hahn and a number by the quartette composed of Mrs. Feisst,
Miss Ruesch, Mr. Feisst and Mr. Hahn.
Rev. Bach of Madison introduced the new pastor. He said that in his long acquaintance with
Rev. Schwinn he had always known him to be a man of untiring zeal and devotion
to the life he had chosen, and that the friends he left behind him at his
former station attest the success of his efforts.
He spoke well of St. Henry's congregation,
told of their spirit of harmony and progress, and said they were particularly
fortunate in securing Rev. Schwinn as their new pastor. He wished Rev. Schwinn many years of health
to labor successfully in his new pastoral field.
Following Rev. Bach’s remarks the Rev.
Salentine of Sun Prairie, Rev. Nellins of Marshall and Rev. Hennessy of St.
Bernard’s each spoke a few words of congratulations to the new pastor and
expressed their best wishes for his success at St. Henry’s and Watertown. In reply Rev. Schwinn stated that he was
thankful to all for their kind words and welcome and that if St. Henry’s
continued the noble support of its pastor he would lend all his efforts for a
still better and more successful congregation.
WG
1916
06 27 FRANK ENDERS
PAINTINGS AT ST. HENRY’S
Robert Goeldner and
son Alfred, Julius Goeldner and Frank Enders of Milwaukee, were in Watertown
Sunday visiting relatives and renewing old acquaintances. This is Mr. Enders first visit to Watertown
in 30 years and at that time when he was here he and
the late J. B. Murphy painted several pictures in
St. Henry’s church. He claims Watertown
sure has changed some. Watertown Weekly Leader, 06 27 1916
11 24 Knights of Columbus
1917
07 18 NEW ORGAN INSTITUTED AT ST. HENRY’S CHURCH
A new church organ has
been installed in St. Henry’s Catholic church and it will be used for the first
time Sunday, July 29. The cost of the
instrument is $1775, the old pipers being used, reducing the cost which otherwise
would have been S3000. The instrument
is twelve feet wide, fourteen feet high and seven feet deep. It is enclosed in a hardwood case and has two
keyboards of sixty-one notes each and there are thirty foot pedals. It is run by an electric bellows and is
actuated on the tubular pneumatic system.
It is one of the best organs made, all the latest Improvements being
incorporated in the instrument. The
organ has a great range in volume of sound.
The volume table of sound is measured in feet according to the height of
the pipes. It is equipped with two pedal
movements, the balanced swell pedal and balanced crescendo pedal. The Watertown News, 18 Jul 1917
1925
-- -- GRADE SCHOOL CLASSES
1931
05 13 FIRST COMMUNION
A class of 26 boys and
girls from St. Henry's parochial school will make up the first communion class
there Thursday, Ascension day, when the annual first communion services will be
held. The services will be held in St.
Henry's church at 8 o'clock with the Rev. Dean F. X. Schwinn officiating:
The members of the
first communion class are: Herbert Baurichter, Sylvester Bertel, James
Coughlin, Ralph Ertl, Kenneth Geishirt, Norbert Haberkorn, John Hertel, Harvey
Hrobsky, James Imming, Raymond Klecker, Lawrence Klecker, Francis Nimm, Leon
Riedl, Wilfred Riedl, Jerome Scheiber, Allen Schmeling, Alfred Wallner,
Marcella Berg, Marie Fendt, Mary Froh, Josephine Miller, Rita Novotny, Regina
Peirick, Kathleen Ryan, Patricia Simon, Ingeborg Wallner.
05 19 PARTICIPATED IN DEDICATION OF
HOSPITAL ADDITION
St Mary’s Hospital’s new $132,000 addition was dedicated at appropriate
ceremonies at the hospital chapel, located in the new addition. His Excellency, the Most Rev. Samuel A.
Stritch, archbishop of the Milwaukee archdiocese, officiated at the dedication,
assisted by a large number of clergymen. . . . Assisting Archbishop Stritch
were the archbishop’s assistant, the Rev. Roman Atkielski; Rev. Francis Xavier
Schwinn, of St. Henry’s parish here; Rev. Fr. Hess of Waterloo; Rev. Patrick
Haggerty, C. S. C., of St. Bernard’s parish here; Rev. John Devers, C. S. C.,
of Sacred Heart College here; Rev. Alfred Wiemer of St. Henry’s parish here;
Rev. Edward Malloy, C. S. S. R., rector of the Redemptorist Seminary of
Oconomowoc; Rev. Ray Miller, C. S. S. R.; Rev. Fr. Zingen of Jefferson and Rev.
Edward Hertel of Waterford.
-- -- EIGHTH GRADE GRADS
09 14 ST. HENRY’S TO UTILIZE PARK
Members of the
upper grades in St. Henry’s Catholic School will use Memorial Park, one block
from the school, for their noon recreational period, permission having been
obtained for that purpose. The plan was
to go into effect today.
A traffic
officer will patrol North Second and Cady streets when the children enter the
park and when they leave. Because of
this supervision, it will be necessary for the children to go and return in a
group at the appointed time. The
children were to receive definite instructions regarding this arrangement to
make the order effective. Children in the lower grades of the school will be restricted
to use of the school grounds, now greatly reduced in area because of the larger
space occupied by the new school which was opened last week.
11 12 VETERANS MARKER PLACED AT SCHOOL
The Watertown Post No. 1349, Catholic War Veterans
of America, which contributed a flag pole to St. Henry’s new school at the time
of the dedication of the building yesterday, placed a beautiful marker at the
foot of the pole. This was not ready in
time for placing when the flag pole was dedicated and so it was placed
yesterday by the Watertown Memorial Co. which designed the stone. It lies flat, is embedded in cement and a
plate in the stone hears this inscription:
“Presented by Watertown Post No. 1349, Catholic War Veterans of
America in tribute to members of St. Henry who served their country.”
1954
-- -- WATERTOWN CENTENNIAL
PARADE
Entry for parishes of St. Bernard’s
& St. Henry’s
-- -- HOME REMOVED FOR PARKING LOT,
SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
05 23 NEW RECTORY
The
new rectory to be constructed by St. Henry’s Catholic congregation will cost
$120,000, it was revealed today when the monthly report of building permits
issued in May was released at the office of City Public Works Director Floyd
Usher. The permit issued for the new
rectory also calls for car garage as well as the living quarters and parish
administration offices. The building
will be 80 by 48 feet and will be two stories high. It will front on North Fourth Street, as did
the old rectory which has been demolished along with St. Henry’s Hall. The new building will occupy most of the two
former building sites. Construction will
begin almost immediately.
Built
by Riedl Brothers
Cross Reference: 03 1966 <> Construction specification
book for rectory. Brielmaier, Sherer
& Sherer, Architects, Milwaukee. a
Society holding, St. Henry’s collection
1966
12 20 CHRISTMAS
PROGRAM
< set of 4
1969
10 080 FIRE PREVENTION
WEEK
St. Henry's Brownie
Troop 503 visited the Watertown Fire Department in connection with Fire
Prevention Week. Teacher Janet Boelter
is seated in the cab of one of the trucks.
1994
05 04 SEGERSON REPLACED BY ROTT
The Rev. Thomas M. Segerson, pastor of St. Henry
Church for the past seven years, has been appointed as pastor of St. Mary and
St. Paul Church in Mineral Point. His
new duties will begin June 14. His
appointment was one of several announced by the Most Rev. William H. Bullock,
bishop of Madison, and head of the Madison Diocese. The Rev. Bernard E. Rott has been appointed
new pastor of St. Henry Church, effective June 14. He is currently serving as associate pastor
of St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison. He
was associated with St. Henry from 1978 to 1980, serving as deacon and
associate pastor.
2002
11 02 REDEDICATION
SERVICE
2003
09 04 St. HENRY PARISH CELEBRATES 150 YEARS
2007
06 11 EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATION
2008
06 10 EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATION
2015
06 01 CHRISTIAN MOTHERS OFFICERS
The Christian Mothers and Altar
Confraternity, which started at St. Henry Catholic Church in 1917, has
announced its officers for the coming year.
The mission of the group, which meets four times a year, is to hold
several fundraisers to benefit St. Henry church and to provide social and
spiritual growth for all women of the parish.
In the back row from left are Barbara Agasie, vicariate contact; Anita
Caine, past president installing officer; ways and means chairwomen Diane
Dondlinger, Ruth Rolefson and Suzanne Dobke; and Gloria Higgins, Holly Berry
Fair chairwoman. In the front row from left are JoAnn Guetzlaff, secretary;
Marlene Stangler, treasurer; Diane Fontaine, vice president; and Kathleen
Lindemer, president.
11 11 KAREN TILL ORDAINED
WHS_013_512.jpg
2018
03 01 FATHER
PHILIP J. KROGMAN
Father
Philip J. Krogman, accepting the invitation as Simeon did (Luke 2:29), “Now
Lord, you may dismiss your servant in peace…” died on March 1, 2018.
03 10 Rev. NOLAN ACQUITTED
The Catholic
Diocese of Madison has deemed allegations of sexual misconduct against the Rev.
William A. Nolan not credible. Nolan
served in several southern Wisconsin parishes, including in Watertown at St.
Henry Catholic Church from 1985 to 1987 and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fort
Atkinson from 2002-07. Nolan, 66, will
be able to minister publicly as a priest but in accordance with “the norm for
retired priests in the Diocese of Madison, he will not have any parish
assignment.”.
2020
12 18 SISTER JOAN EMILY KAUL
`One of
eight School Sisters of Notre Dame who died of Covid-19. In just five days, from Dec. 9-14, eight
sisters lost their lives to the virus.
On Dec. 14 alone, the sisters lost four of their own. Kaul was a member of the Watertown High
School class of 1943. She went on to
become Sister Mary Honore. The School
Sisters of Notre Dame established the Notre Dame of Elm Grove in 1859 to
provide an orphanage for area children. It later became a home for elderly and
ill sisters. Milwaukee
Journal article
(possibly St. Henry's) known to
be an Eighth Grade Graduation Class in Watertown, believed to be 1938.
Seeking IDs and school
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin