About Saint Mary’s Oratory in Wausau, Wisconsin:
Originally Staint Mary’s Church, this building was built in 1892 to serve the original Catholic “mother” parish of Wausau. Saint Mary’s was formerly a German-speaking parish where the Sunday sermons were delivered in German, and remained so into the 1930s. The church is one of the most exquisite examples of neo-Gothic architecture in Wisconsin, but in 1953, a devastating fire completely destroyed the interior of Saint Mary’s.
In the following years it was restored in a more modern style, combining the taste popular at that time with some elements taken from the original neo-Gothic design. In 1999, the Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke, then-bishop of La Crosse, announced that what was, at that time, an empty building would be entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest as a center for the traditional Latin Mass.
The Scholz Family Foundation obtained a long-term lease from the diocese for St. Mary’s and immediately began a complete restoration of the entire church. Through a singularly generous donation, the Scholz Family Foundation was able to bring St. Mary’s back to an even greater splendor than its original beauty. Walking through the doors of St. Mary’s now reveals the magnificence of authentic High Gothic architecture; the three altarpieces reproduce original works of art from the fifteenth-century Blutenburg Chapel in Bavaria, and the high altar features a statue of the Madonna and Child dating to the 1480s, just before the discovery of the Americas. The tasteful stained-glass windows, depicting the life of the Virgin Mary, were retained from the renovation of the 1950s. Painted rib vaults and new, traditionally carved statues of the Apostles complete the interior decoration.
American and European artists, craftsmen and architects collaborated to bring this unique project to a successful conclusion. On May 31, 2003, Bishop Burke consecrated Saint Mary’s in a solemn ceremony, one of the most impressive rites in the Catholic liturgy.
Shortly after the consecration of the restored church, Bishop Burke elevated St. Mary’s to the status of a public Oratory – which functions like a parish, featuring the full range of sacramental life, but without geographical boundaries. Saint Mary’s Oratory of the Immaculate Conception, as the church is now called, continues to celebrate the sacred liturgy in the traditional Latin rite for the diocese of La Crosse, in implementation of Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio Summorum pontificum.
Saint Mary’s is currently a thriving apostolate within the larger family of the Institute of Christ the King, with the number of faithful continually growing. The canons of the Institute resident at Saint Mary’s assure the daily celebration of Holy Mass and the Divine Office, as well as providing daily confession and regular faith formation classes for children and adults. Recognizing the priority of the sacred liturgy, the Oratory has an excellent choir and a large team of well-trained altar boys; the work of passing on the faith to the next generation is advanced through our young adults group, as well as youth groups for boys and girls.
Traveling to Saint Mary’s Oratory in Wausau, Wisconsin:
Physical Address: 325 Grand Avenue
Wausau, Wisconsin 54403
Mailing Address: 408 Seymour Street
Wausau, Wisconsin 54403
Phone: 715-842-9995 Fax: 715-848-5615
Email: stmarywausau@institute-christ-king.org
Click here for the official website of Saint Mary’s Oratory in Wausau, Wisconsin