SERVING THE DOWNTOWN KENOSHA COMMUNITY: ST. JAMES CHURCH CELEBRATES 180 YEARS

KENOSHA – St. James the Apostle Catholic Church will kick off its 180th anniversary commemoration with a special Mass on Saturday, March 16. The doors to the church will open 30 minutes before the Mass begins at 4:00 p.m.

A ticketed event at the Downtown Kenosha Catholic Ministry Center will follow the ceremony. Parishioners Tim Santelli, Spencer Jury, Lisa DeFazio, and David Galbis-Reig are catering a sit-down multi-course dinner for nearly 200 people. Jonathan Winkle will lead a professional 18-piece big band for musical entertainment throughout the evening.

Rev. Steven Avella, a diocesan priest, author, and award-winning professor in the history department at Marquette University, who is known as a fluid and eloquent speaker, will present a formal talk on the history of St. James after the meal. Avella previously served as an Associate Pastor of St. James the Apostle Church.

St. James Church’s origin story is integral to Kenosha’s history. When the first 51 Irish Catholic families met with Rev. Patrick O’Kelley, a missionary traveling on horseback, in early 1839 to establish a parish in the area, Wisconsin was still a new territory – broken apart from Michigan in 1836 from land ceded by Great Britain following the American Revolution. The Pike Creek still flowed and the settled area remained an important shipping port on the Great Lakes. Moreover, the village of Southport did not take on the name of Kenosha, a derivation of kinoje – the Chippewa word for “pike”, until 1850.

Originally incorporated on March 12, 1844, under the patronage of St. Mark, Rev. Martin Kundig was appointed as the first pastor. Credited with building 22 churches throughout southeastern Wisconsin, Kundig would become the vicar general for the diocese and rector of the initial cathedral parish, St. Peter’s. That church building was later moved to St. Francis Seminary and then finally to the Old World Wisconsin site (Eagle, WI) in 1974 where it remains today. 

The parish was later renamed to St. James by petition of its parishioners to Archbishop Michael Heiss. The namesake is in honor of the Rev. James Cleary, the then-pastor who is credited for overseeing the financing and construction of the current church building, which was dedicated on June 22, 1884.

The church also once possessed the largest collection of books and periodicals before the opening of the Gilbert M. Simmons Library in 1900. Its benefactor, Zalmon G. Simmons, was in attendance at the laying of the current St. James cornerstone 16 years earlier, according to the Kenosha Telegraph. Simmons was a Wisconsin State Legislator, President of First National Bank of Kenosha, President of Kenosha, Rockford, and Rock Island Railway Company, one of the directors of Western Union, and founder of Simmons Bedding Company.

Looking at what is in store for the future of St. James parish, Rev. Sean Granger focuses on service to others. “St. James has made an impact on those in need throughout its 180-year history,” he said. “We continually strive to be that proverbial ‘city upon the hill’ acting as a beacon of hope for our world in downtown Kenosha.”

The Most Reverend Jeffrey Haines, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, will formally install Granger as the 22nd pastor of St. James.

“I am humbled and honored to be named pastor here,” said Granger, who has been the parish administrator since July 2014. “Our parishioners are greatly encouraged by the continuity that this will bring in serving the downtown community.”

According to Canon Law, parish administrators are bound by the same duties and possess the same rights as pastors. The Archdiocesan term of office policy, adopted in 1980, currently establishes 6-year terms for pastorates, which are typically renewed for a total of two terms. Several exceptions exist for extensions beyond 12 years.

Granger has overseen many campus improvements throughout the last decade including the demolition of the old school and convent, the implementation of a new boiler system, the replacement of sidewalks throughout the entire perimeter of the property by Rajon Construction, the creation of new green space and professional landscaping through Tom Nordloh Associates, the upgrade of the bell tower electronics, Semper Fi installed a new roof last summer, and, most recently, the installation of a brand new sound system by McTernan Wireless inside the church. The interior is slated to be repainted in the upcoming year, as well.

A pastor is an official ecclesiastical office in the Roman Catholic Church, providing stability for congregants. Canonically, pastors are “to foster works through which the spirit of the gospel is promoted, even in what pertains to social justice.”

Presently, in cooperation with its neighboring parish, St. Elizabeth, a weekly food pantry operates out of the former St. James rectory garage. 

Pam DeWitt, who spearheads the St. Vincent de Paul ministry for Downtown Kenosha Catholic (DTKC), said, “We are now seeing almost twice the number of families arriving at our doorstep.” 

Funding for foodstuffs is provided by the profits earned at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, 7351 30th Ave. Toiletries, paper bags, and other non-perishable items are provided through parishioner donations and church financial contributions.

“We are meeting the growing need with the help of our Parishes, our parishioners, and the St. Vincent de Paul Kenosha Council,” she said.
Volunteers will bring food and donated items to patrons’ vehicles. Proof of Kenosha County residency is required for clientele.

“Our funds are not unlimited, but we do give each client items of basic needs and simple ingredients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our teams try very hard to give as much as possible to each client,” said DeWitt.

The DTKC food pantry operates every Thursday from 3 - 5 p.m. and is located on the St. James the Apostle property, 5804 Sheridan Rd. 

“Through our works of charity, we Catholics are challenged to put into practice the principles that we have learned from our Church’s teachings and tradition,” said DeWitt.