St Willebrord Parish

A COMMUNITY OF OPENNESS BEGINS

In February, 1864, a group of Holland and Flemish families who had attended a weekly Mass in De Pere became dissatisfied with not having a parish of their own. The 47 families called a meeting with Father William Verboort, who presided at their Sunday Mass, and decided to form their own parish. Five men, the first trustees, William Van den Mosselor, H.J. Busch, P. Quatsoe, H. Heyrman and Bernard M. Berendsen, contacted Bishop Rhode.

The trustees purchased the property and building on the corner of Adams and Doty. The historic landmark had been a school and a town hall before it was moved to the corner site and used as a courthouse. The purchase price of $1200 seemed a great deal of money for so few families who were struggling themselves to make a living. But with the thought that God would provide, they bought the building and proceeded to remodel it to meet the requirements of a church. They also provided a home for a pastor by renting a nearby house.

Father Verboort became the first pastor on March 4, 1864. He was followed by Father H. Hoffen. On August 25, 1867, the church was dedicated to St Willebrord, the Apostle of the Netherlands. By 1879, the congregation had grown to 200 families.

There were giants in those days.

Our ancestors made enormous personal sacrifices for their Catholic faith. Working together, they created space to worship, learn and share Christian fellowship. These giants in the faith give us enduring examples of love, generosity, and faithfulness.

Some of their gifts were of exquisite beauty. Crafters with Old World skills donated special talents in woodcarving, masonry and carpentry. Many gave of their produce from gardens, fields and kitchens. Still others offered necessary contributions of labor and equipment to haul stone, hew logs and saw boards.

Later, as jobs became more available away from homes and farms, parishioners made generous cash donations from their hard-earned family income to build and maintain St. Willebrord’s parish buildings. We still recognize familiar family names here in our parish from these early settlers in the Green Bay area.

That was then …

St. Willebrord’s began its ministry early in 1864. Abraham Lincoln was president … the end of the Civil War was still a year away … and much of Wisconsin was still an unsettled wilderness. Forty-seven Dutch and Flemish families from the De Pere area raised $1,200 to purchase our present location. The building then on this site had been a school, a town hall and a courthouse before being remodeled as our first church.

The church was dedicated to St. Willebrord—Apostle to the Netherlands—and Fr. William Verboort became our first pastor. Within 15 years, the congregation had grown to over 200 families. A school was built in 1879—directly behind where our present church now stands—and staffed by the Notre Dame Sisters.

The cornerstone of our present church was laid on June 14, 1891. Construction cost was $40,000, equivalent to well over $1 million today! Many improvements and updates were added over the years. For example, the lovely stained glass windows we all admire so much were added just before the turn of the century.

Families who could afford to do so were expected to pay an annual ”pew rent”. Their names were printed on a card placed at the end of their pew, but only after the “rent” was paid. However, it was common that families with many children were often forgiven their pew rent obligation. An early parishioner recalled that … “Father never turned anyone away”.

The Norbertine Fathers took charge of St. Willebrord Parish in 1932. “These priests made the difference between imposing, or being generous. In some parishes in those days, the people were isolated from the priests, but the Norbertine Fathers made a point of living the spirit, not the letter of the law.” Today, St. Willebrord’s is admired throughout the area for this tradition and practice of Open Doors and Open Hearts.

Throughout its 138 years, this Church of St. Willebrord has witnessed great events and undergone great change. But the legacy of those who came before us has enabled us to survive and to thrive.

Shortly after celebrating its 125th anniversary in 1989, St. Willebrord’s made a carefully considered decision to invite the Hispanic Community to make this parish their home. Their first Mass was celebrated on the Feast of the Assumption—August 15, 1991. Some 800 Hispanic families currently worship with us.

In 2003, our congregation embraces over 1,600 families of remarkable diversity, talents and age groups. Every month we celebrate the arrival of new members. They tell us they are looking for a faith community that reflects the very same vision shared by our earliest ancestors …embracing our heritage, living our faith and looking to the future.