"Thirty years ago I had prayed that if it be God's Will, He would grant my very serious request, namely, the privilege of starting a new parish."

 In 1951, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee purchased 18 acres of land, beginning the formation of a new parish serving southern Kenosha.  Fr. Vincent Schneider was assigned to start the new parish that started in a little chapel shrine attached to the old Carmelite Home for the Aged on 93rd Street.  He celebrated the first Mass in their chapel on July 27, 1952.  Masses and devotions were held there and meetings of societies and clubs of the parish were held in neighboring garages and homes.  Fr. Schneider lived in the old Carmelite Home and did the parish census from there, too. 

Permission to build the church was granted in 1957 and James McDonald, rumored to be a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, was chosen as the architect for the project.  Ground was broken on June 1, 1958, and the cornerstone laid in 1959.  Years of hard work and sacrifice culminated with the dedication of St. Therese of Lisieux Church on June 21, 1959.

      Fr. Vincent Schneider

 The years that followed saw the opening not only of the new church building, but also a school, hall, convent, and rectory.

 "Our present rectory was built by the men of the parish in order to keep expenses down," wrote Mrs. Elaine Ziesemer for the 25th Anniversary Parish

Directory in 1974,  ". . .and the ladies of the parish wanted to do their part too, so they cooked meals for the men who were working so busily on Saturdays, brought the meals to the building project. . . in this way men didn't have to 'waste time' going home for lunch.  It would be hard to get better cooperation than that."

In August, 1962, soon after the convent was completed, three School Sisters of St. Francis arrived and the school opened the following September.  Sister SR. M. Herma, OSF  St. Therese School's first principal.

"It would be hard to forget the festivals, turkey dinners, spaghetti dinners, fish fries, box specials, Halloween parties, etc. that were held," Mrs. Ziesemer continued.  "What good, old-fashioned fun was had by all, and at the same time money was being accumulated to help pay for some of the wonderful accomplishments we see now on the property located at 91st Street and 22nd Avenue today."

In the years that followed, the people of St. Therese Catholic Parish worked together as a community to serve God and each other.  Parish membership increased to the current number of 857 registered households and over 2300 Catholics under the guidance of three pastors who succeeded Fr. Schneider.  Father Schneider Retires

             Fr. Russell G. Becker                   Fr. Brian T. Holbus                        Fr. Michael E. Nowak

While St. Therese, like many parishes in this country today, face a myriad of challenges in this world, the people of St. Therese Catholic Church in Kenosha remain inspired by the call to holiness and service as outlined in the Second Vatican Council.  The response to this call is witnessed in the following ways:

• The Parish Council  provides not only advice to the pastor but also leadership to fellow parishioners through its vision, policies, communications, and witnessing the Gospel Message of Christ.

• The Social Justice Ministries  formed in 2007 serve the people through the work of St. Vincent de Paul, Homebound, Community Outreach, and Prayer and Grieving.

• Lectors read the Word of God at weekend Masses.

• Eucharistic Ministers serve as ministers of the Bread and of the Cup and Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound bring Communion to people unable to get to Mass.

• Ushers distribute bulletins, assist with collections, and orderly Communion lines.

• Children of the parish are also actively involved as servers, assisting at weekend Masses, weekday school Masses, and other liturgical celebrations.  They also take turns as readers at school Masses.

• Home and School parents use their energy and enthusiasm for their parish school to create entertaining activities and events for the children and their parents along with other parishioners.  They are a key element in the fundraising work that continues to support the financial life of the school.

Canon Law defines a parish as "a certain community of the Christian faithful, stably constituted in a particular church whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor as its own proper pastor under the authority of the diocesan bishop.  (c.515.1) It (Canon Law) further describes a parish as prayerful, pastoral, representative, discerning, prophetic, empowering, and collaborative.  These words continue to characterize St. Therese parishioners who make decisions in an atmosphere of prayer and openness to the Holy Spirit.  The parish is guided by a firm, faith-oriented value system, both flexible and open. 

St. Therese Parish moves forward into the third millennium fulfilling its mission of being "a welcoming Christian family, committed to Catholic values, responding to the call of Christ revealed in the diversity of human need. . . who ". . .practice a conscious, living, active Faith. . .in a community whose source of strength is the Eucharist."

This is St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church in Kenosha -- past, present, and looking forward to the future.