A Brief History of St. Matthew Parish

The year 2008 marks the 167th anniversary of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Our present pastor Rev. Patrick O'Loughlin, is the 47th pastor in a long line of dedicated priests to serve and lead the family of God in our parish.

The Beginnings of a Parish
In 1835 non native Americans began farmsteading and in 1838 nine Irish immigrant families bought land in this area, which was then known as the “Irish Settlement”. Earliest devotions were led by Fr. Patrick O’Kelley, the founder of the parish, and Fr. Thomas Morrissey in the farm homes of John Flynn and Thomas Caveney. In 1841 a little log church was built. In 1843 John Flynn and James O’Herin each donated three acres of land to the parish, which they had bought directly from the government for $1.25 an acre. Only a stagecoach road known as “Chicago Road” ran through the forest beside Lake Michigan.

Construction Begins on The Little Brick Church
As the log church became too small, construction of the present brick old church was begun in 1858 and completed in 1860. So as to not disturb worship during construction, the new church was built completely around, and actually enclosed, the existing log church.

The Changing Face of St. Matthew Parish
By 1880 the parish had lost its sole Irish cast and was known as Irish-German. St. Matthew Parish was incorporated according to Wisconsin Sate Law in 1883. In 1916 when the parish celebrated its 75th anniversary, 84 families were members, about half of German descent, then Irish, and a scattering of Slavic families. By 1941 the parish had grown to 250 families with the Slovak families being the second most populous group. In 2007 our parish no longer represents any one group. We are a true melting pot of many backgrounds and heritages.

Present Building Took Four Years From Planning to Completion
In 1958 plans for the present building were begun - the same year that a Parish Board of Directors (forerunner of the present Parish Council) was organized. In 1959 an architect was chosen for the new building, as well as a fund-raising group, a lending institution, and a materials supplies firm. A building fund effort was initiated in 1960 with a set goal of $125,000. Six weeks of fund-raising brought in a total in cash and pledges of $228,000. Ground was broken for the present church/ school building on May 21, 1961 and it was completed late May 1962. In 1960 the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in St. Louis, Missouri were contracted to take charge of the education of parish children. Sr. M. Celine was the first principal, Julianna Barber is the current principal of our school.

Little Brick Church Renovated
In 1981, the Associate Pastor, Rev. Richard Stoffel suggested to some parishioners it was time to consider what should be done with the “old church” as it had been the victim of vandalism and was becoming an eye-sore. A study was undertaken and it was decided that a group would work toward the restoration of the “old church” as long as no monies were taken from parish funds. Father Rick and a number of parish members, a group known as the 140th/150th Anniversary Committee, made their 10-year goal restoring the “old church” by the 150th anniversary of the parish in 1991. The beautifully restored church is a testament to their dedication and sacrifice.

A History of Dedicated Pastors
Fr. Patrick Kelley founded the parish and oversaw the construction of that first log church back in 1841. Other pastors in our recent history include Fr. George Radant in the 1940’s and 50’s. Fr. Joseph Beres succeeded him in 1956. Rev. George Beitzinger, Rev. Donald Surges, and Rev. Joseph Sukup followed, with Fr. Joe retiring in June 1998. Fr. Bill Stanfield then served as sole pastor until August 2005, when Fr. Steve Stradinger of St. Mary By the Lake Parish joined him to serve as co-pastor, enabling Fr. Bill to serve as half-time Director of the Office of Continuing Formation of Clergy for the archdiocese. In May 2008, Fr. Patrick O’Loughlin was assigned sole pastor.
 

Grounded and Growing — A New Addition in 2004
In early 2003, after much study and planning, the first phase of a two phase long-term building plan was begun.  A capital campaign was held to enlist parishioner financial support, and ground was broken in late summer for an addition to the current church. The professionally constructed building benefited from many parishioner donations of labor, expertise and materials, which all came to fruition on May 22, 2004 when the addition was dedicated. It provides a new entrance, a gathering space, a hospitality kitchen area, an elevator, and meeting rooms. In 2006, the Generations of Joy campaign began to fund the debt from Phase I, and save for the beginning of construction of a new worship space and gym/performance venue. While we patiently save for our new church and gym, we made improvements to our facilities. In 2005, two old garages were replaced with a larger garage complex. In 2006, we reconfigured our current worship space and constructed a picnic pavilion. In 2007, we installed energy efficient insulation and new classroom ceilings in the upper level of the main building.

Tomorrow Beckons
From a mission in the “new world” of 9 Irish families we have grown to a large diocesean parish of 980 families including 2957 people. We are a people who hear and answer the call to serve - St. Matthew boasts over 30 committees and groups made up of dedicated parishioners. Together with our parish staff we have accomplished much, and in return are blessed with a rich and diverse parish life. Ours is a past to be proud of, yet at the same time ours is a history still being written, as we work together to spread the Word of God.