HISTORY OF ST. CLARE
VIEW MORE DETAILED HISTORY WITH PHOTOS
September 10, 1965 - Archbishop William E. Cousins declared St. Clare a congregation in Wind Lake Wisconsin.
September 17, 1965 - Archbishop William E. Cousins appoints Fr. John A. Kapellen the First Pastor of St. Clare Parish (Parish was named after Fr. Kapellen’s Mother, Clara Kapellen).
September 23, 1965 - 1st Baptism after St. Clare was declared a parish- Thomas Allan Drenzek, son of Ronald and Barbara Drenzek.
October 10, 1965 - First Mass offered in Wind Lake at Pagels Resort.
November 8, 1965 - First Death and Funeral- Dennis D. Rutowski (23 years old) - killed in action in Vietnam. Buried at St. Thomas Cemetery November 18, 1965.
February 26, 1966 - First Marriage - Gerald DeGrave and Delilah Wage.
March 27, 1966 - First Communion- Sharon Ann Riffel, 22 and Lyle Joseph Riffel, 17, Converts (both of Sadlers Drive).
April 1966 - Purchase of first Parish Office Building- 20600 Katherine Street, Wind Lake.
July 1968 - Ground Breaking of first church building.
March 1969 - First Mass celebrated in new church building.
September 1969 - Dedication of St. Clare Church by Archbishop William E. Cousins.
September 1970 - Fr. Joseph Baran assigned to St. Clare Parish as the second Pastor.
August 1, 1972 - New Steeple Dedication on the Church.
June 9, 1985 - Ground breaking of addition of Library and Storage area. Church was re-sided with new brick. Work was completed in October 1985.
October 13, 1990 - St. Clare’s Silver Jubilee Celebration.
January 1996 - Fr. Joseph Baran officially retires and moves to Wauwatosa, WI.
March 1996 - Fr. John Hemsing assigned as third Pastor to St. Clare Parish.
May 10/11, 2003 - Campaign “Fulfilling Our Promise” began- Commitment weekend.
April 2004 - Ground Breaking Ceremony for the new St. Clare Church.
April 3, 2005 - St. Clare Church Dedication.
April 2005 - Collaboration talks actively begin with St. Clare and St. Thomas Aquinas, Waterford.
September 23, 2007 - “Faith in our Future” Capital Stewardship Campaign announced for 2008 thru 2010.
August 2007 - Holy Family Hall Dedication
June 2008 - Fr. John Hemsing leaves St. Clare Parish and assigned Pastor of Lumen Christi in Mequon, WI.
June 2008 - Fr. Aurelio Perez assigned as Parish Administrator at St. Clare Parish.
July 2008 - Former worship center torn down and removed from church grounds.
August 2008 - Time Capsule from 1985 opened at St. Clare Feast celebration.
September 2009 - “Generations of Faith” begins.
January 2011 - “Continuing Our Promise” begins for the debt reduction thru the end of 2013.
May 2011 - Pramberger Piano was purchased for the music ministry.
June 2012 - St. Clare first Golf Outing takes place.
September 2012 - St. Clare – Wind Lake Street Fair begins.
October 2012 - Fr. Aurelio Perez goes on medical leave and does not return.
January 2013 - Archbishop Jerome Listecki announces the Archdiocesan Synod will begin in parishes the fall of 2013. District gatherings were held in Spring 2014.
February 1, 2013 - Fr. Eugene Doda is assigned as our Parish Administrator.
August 2014 - Fr. Eugene Doda steps down as administrator.
September 2014 - Fr. William Kohler becomes St. Clare’s temporary administrator.
February 2015 - Fr. Peter Drenzek steps in as the temporary administrator as Fr. William Kohler steps down as Parish Administrator.
March 2015 - Fr. Peter Drenzek is assign as temporary Parish Administrator.
August 7, 2015 - Fr. Al. Veik, Capuchin Franciscan, assigned as assisting parish priest. Deacon Richard Brown (from St. Joseph in Big Bend) assigned as part-time parish director and Fr. William Kohler was supervising priest.
October 2, 3 & 4, 2015 - St. Clare Golden Jubilee Celebration.
August 2018 - Deacon Rick Brown steps down as parish director. Fr. Ed Tlucek is assigned Pastor.