Welcome to
St. Maximilian Kolbe Pastorate!
Welcome to the St. Maximilian Kolbe Pastorate website! I am delighted to have you visit to learn more about us.
St. Maximilian Kolbe Pastorate is a community of four Catholic churches and two schools united under one mission: to enthusiastically and whole-heartedly live our Catholic faith, and to freely and joyfully share that faith with others. As missionary disciples we seek to be strengthened by the Sacraments, most especially the Holy Eucharist, and are committed to life-long faith formation, service, and community life.
We invite you to join us for Mass. Those who would like to join our parish are encouraged to register as parishioners, so that we can better serve you and your needs. If you are looking for any information not available on our website, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Thank you again for visiting - may God bless you!
Fr. Joe Baker, Parochial Administrator
Our Churches
St. Michael, Dane
St. Michael Church was established and built in 1875. A school was created in the basement of the first church building the following year. Throughout the late 1800s and into 1900s, religious sisters lived in the parish convent and taught in the school. The current school was built in 1961. The original church was struck by lightning and burned in 1974. A new church, hall, and two classrooms were constructed in 1975. The original St. Michael statue from the old church was preserved from damage in the fire and resides in the current church on the back wall above the entrance.
St. Patrick, Lodi
After the first Catholic Church (St. Kiernan) was built in the Township of Lodi in 1857, the congregation of St. Patrick was established in 1885. The original St. Patrick church was built on Fair Street. At the turn of the century, more property was acquired. The church was moved and a new rectory was built in 1907. In 1963, work on the current church and parish center began. St. Patrick church as we know it today was dedicated in 1964.
St. John the Baptist, Waunakee
St. John the Baptist in Waunakee, WI was established in 1874, with a small building that served as the original school and church. Due to the demands of a growing community, the old church was built and dedicated in 1887. The first part of the current school building was built in 1949 and expanded in 1961. The new church was completed and dedicated in 2007. Learn more about the history of St. John the Baptist Church.
St. Mary of the Lake, Westport
St. Mary of the Lake in Westport, WI was established in the 1867, serving Irish immigrants in the area. A fire in the summer of 1951 completely destroyed the original church, one of the oldest landmarks in the area. The new church was build in 1953 and dedicated in 1954. Learn more about the history of St. Mary of the Lake Church.
Our Schools
St. John the Baptist School
Waunakee
Our Cemeteries
St. John the Baptist
Waunakee
St. Mary of the Lake
Westport
St. Michael
Dane
St. Patrick
Lodi
If you would like information about the cemeteries or purchasing a plot, please reach out to Mary Gantz.
What is a Pastorate?
“Go Make Disciples, our diocesan-wide evangelization initiative, is who we are and what we do as baptized followers of Jesus Christ. It is our participation in the perennial mission of the Church. Into the Deep, meanwhile, is our strategic planning effort to realign our resources so that we can better accomplish and live out this mission, both now and for generations to come.” - Bishop Hying, Diocese of Madison
In the Diocese of Madison, Bishop Hying has launched Into the Deep, the strategic planning effort to better realign our resources with our mission in the local church. As a part of this realignment, the 100+ parishes in the Diocese have been combined into 30 pastorates. These pastorates are the transitional collectives that will become the new parishes in the Diocese of Madison.
As St. Maximilian Kolbe Pastorate is made up of Blessed Trinity parish (St. Michael, Dane and St. Patrick, Lodi), St. John the Baptist parish (Waunakee), and St. Mary of the Lake parish (Westport). Throughout 2024, we will continue to lay the groundwork for for the canonical and legal mergers.