A Unified Parish in Two Historic Churches
St. Francis Borgia Catholic Parish is the Catholic faith community of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, rooted in this Ozaukee County town since 1844. Today the parish worships, forms its children, and serves its neighbors across two distinct church buildings: the larger North Church on Covered Bridge Road, where weekend liturgies are celebrated, and the smaller historic South Church on Hamilton Road in downtown Cedarburg, home to perpetual Eucharistic Adoration and most weekday Masses. Between them sits the parish's school, parish office, Christian Formation programs, a shrine to Mary, and a parish cemetery in neighboring Mequon.
The parish's motto, Share Christ. Celebrate Christ. Live Christ., is the banner over a vision that calls the community to be welcoming, centered around the liturgy, practicing good stewardship, singing heartily, engaged in joyful service and outreach, served by a great staff, embracing growth, enthusiastically Catholic, unified and harmonious, and filled with volunteers of all ages. The mission statement is meant to give direction to every ministry and to the annual budget.
The North Church on Covered Bridge Road
The North Church, at 1375 Covered Bridge Road, is the parish's larger worship space and the site of the weekend Saturday evening and Sunday liturgies. It also hosts most funerals and weddings. The building stands on the parish's North Campus, which is the unified home of the church, the parish office, the school, and Christian Formation.
In 2005, the North Church was renovated to accommodate the Marianne Huiras Memorial Organ. That project also introduced a new Blessed Sacrament Shrine, a new altar, and a new ambo. Below the worship space, the church hall serves as the gathering place for parish socials, family meals, classes, and committee work.
Worship at the North Church is marked by a particular emphasis on the Mass as the center of parish life. Since the beginning of Lent 2021, the 10 a.m. Sunday Mass and every daily Mass are celebrated ad orientem, with the priest and the people facing the same direction during the parts of the Mass addressed to God. Low-gluten hosts are available for those who need them; visitors can speak with an usher before Mass to request one.
The South Church on Hamilton Road
The South Church, at N44 W6055 Hamilton Road in downtown Cedarburg, is the smaller and beloved of the two. Built in 1870 at the corner of Hamilton Road and Washington Avenue on land donated by local, mostly-Protestant merchants, the stone church remains the heartbeat of the parish's daily prayer. The South Church hosts most weekday Masses, along with a Christmas Eve and Easter Mass, and welcomes weddings and funerals.
The South Church is also where the parish keeps Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. A consecrated host is placed in the monstrance on the altar, making the real presence of Jesus visible beyond the tabernacle. Two scheduled adorers are present every hour, day and night, year-round. The doors are open to the public from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day; visitors are welcome to come for a short visit or to stay an hour, praying the rosary, reading Scripture, sitting in silence, or simply waiting on the Lord.
Mass Schedule and Confession Times
Weekend Masses are offered at the North Church on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 5:00 p.m. The 10 a.m. Sunday Mass is celebrated ad orientem.
Weekday Masses are celebrated Monday through Saturday. Tuesday through Friday Mass is at 7 a.m. at the South Church; Monday and Saturday Mass is at 8 a.m. at the South Church; Wednesday Mass is at 9 a.m. at the North Church. All daily Masses are celebrated ad orientem. Low-gluten hosts are available at the South Church weekday Masses; those needing one should stop in the sacristy before liturgy and let the presider know.
Confession is heard at the North Church on Sundays from 9:00 to 9:30 a.m., on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m., and on Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. The reconciliation room is in the gathering area of the North Church. At the South Church, confession is heard Mondays at 8:45 a.m. and Tuesday through Friday at 7:45 a.m., in the confessional located in the northeast corner of the worship space. During Lent and Advent, the parish offers additional opportunities for individual confession, sometimes with multiple priests. Confession by appointment is also available through the parish office.
Devotions and Prayer Opportunities
The rosary is prayed regularly as a parish. Mondays bring a 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. rosary at the South Church; Tuesdays bring a 6 to 7 p.m. rosary at the North Church, sometimes at the Marian shrine depending on the season and weather. On the first Sunday of each month, the Knights of Columbus lead the rosary at the North Church at 9 a.m.
A Holy Hour of Reparation is held at the South Church every Friday at 2 p.m. Adoration itself continues at the South Church 24 hours a day, with two scheduled adorers covering every hour and the doors open to the public from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A Prayer Chain of parishioner prayer warriors is available to anyone, parishioner or not, who would like prayers offered for themselves or a loved one. The parish bulletin also carries a prayer list of parishioners in need, included for about 12 bulletins at a time. The Marian shrine on the North Campus, the Shrine to Mary, Mother of the Divine Word, is open for private prayer from dawn to 9 p.m. between April 15 and October 15, and is used for rosary devotions, Eucharistic processions, May crownings, and other prayer services.
The Seven Sacraments
St. Francis Borgia celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
Baptism of infants is celebrated outside of Mass on Saturdays at 5:45 p.m. and Sundays at 11:30 a.m. Parents are asked to pre-register for a Baptism Preparation class and to choose sponsors who are confirmed Catholics at least sixteen years old and practicing members of a Catholic parish. A Christian witness from another Christian tradition may serve alongside a Catholic sponsor. Older children and adults enter the Church through the OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults.
First Eucharist is ordinarily celebrated in second grade during the Easter Season, with preparation beginning in first grade. First Eucharist preparation for children in St. Francis Borgia School is part of the first-grade school curriculum; for those in the parish Christian Formation program, preparation begins in first grade. Low-gluten hosts are available at every Mass.
First Reconciliation is ordinarily celebrated in second grade during Lent, with preparation beginning the year prior.
Confirmation is ordinarily celebrated in the junior year of high school and includes religious education classes, community service, and a confirmation retreat. Confirmation is celebrated during the Easter Season. For baptized Catholic adults who were never confirmed, individual and small-group preparation sessions are offered year-round.
Marriage is prepared over at least four to six months and includes the Archdiocesan Enrichment Program for the Engaged and the FOCCUS pre-marital inventory. Couples are encouraged to register at least six months before the wedding. Because of perpetual adoration at the South Church, nearly all weddings are celebrated at the North Church.
Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone seriously ill, in failing health, preparing for serious surgery, or weakened by old age. The sacrament can be received more than once, and a person does not need to be close to death. Viaticum, Holy Communion given to the dying, is offered as a separate prayer at the end of life.
Holy Orders discernment is welcomed. The parish encourages prayer for vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life, and lay ministry, and the pastor can connect interested men and women with Archdiocesan directors.
Funerals and Christian Burial
When someone dies, the family is invited to call the parish office to plan the funeral liturgy and burial with one of the parish priests and the director of liturgical music. The Rite of Committal at the cemetery is often led by a lay minister from the parish staff. Depending on availability, the Christian Women's Circle hosts a luncheon in the Parish Hall following the funeral, set up and served by parish volunteers.
Cremation is permitted. A funeral liturgy may be celebrated with the body present before cremation, or a Memorial Mass may be celebrated with the family when the body cannot be present. The coffin may be open or closed during the visitation, at the family's discretion. The Mass of Christian Burial may be celebrated on any day except Sundays, Holy Days, and the last three days of Holy Week.
The Parish Cemetery in Mequon
The parish cemetery sits at 7963 Pioneer Road in Mequon, on the original site across from the log cabin that housed the first chapel in 1844. Established in 1847, the cemetery is open to people of all faiths. Ground burials are available, and cremated remains may be buried in ground or placed in the columbarium. The cemetery includes an Infant Section with the graves of babies buried in the 1960s and a monument erected by the Knights of Columbus. The volunteer cemetery staff maintains the grounds, restores older monuments, and produces resin crosses to replace damaged ones.
Current fees (effective January 1, 2026) include a $2,500 columbarium niche (which can accommodate two sets of cremains), a $1,000 cemetery burial space, a $1,100 burial fee, a $550 inurnment opening and closing fee, a $200 urn vault, and a $50 monument marker permit fee. Boulder monuments range from $1,000 to $2,500. Plots and niches can be purchased in advance. Veterans may receive free military service emblems. Arrangements can be made through the Cemetery Coordinator.
St. Francis Borgia Catholic School
St. Francis Borgia Catholic School, the parish's day school, serves students in 3K through eighth grade and is housed in the Education and Activity Center on the parish's North Campus at 1425 Covered Bridge Road. The Education and Activity Center was built in 2014 to 2015 to replace the aging school facility and to bring the school, Christian Formation programs, and parish activities onto one campus. The school offers excellent educational opportunities rooted in the Catholic faith tradition, with the parish describing the school as flourishing.
The school's office can be reached at (262) 377-2050. The principal is Marissa Narlock.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Christian Formation
The parish's child faith formation is built around the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a Montessori-style approach in which children work in a sacred space called an atrium with materials designed to nurture their relationship with God. St. Francis Borgia opened its first Level I atrium (ages 3 to 6) in the fall of 2021 and its first Level II atrium (ages 6 to 9) in the fall of 2023. CGS is a wonderful complement to religious education in the Catholic school. Sessions are offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at various times throughout the week.
Children in grades 3 through 5 attend Christian Formation on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., using the Spirit of Truth program. The third grade studies the Kingdom of God and the Church; the fourth grade focuses on the moral life and being made in God's likeness; and the fifth grade explores the seven sacraments. Family Masses and parties, a May Crowning, and a Corpus Christi procession are part of the formation rhythm. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is ordinarily in second grade, with parent-and-child meditations in the weeks leading up to First Reconciliation, and a First Holy Communion Retreat before First Communion.
Edge and Life Teen
Middle schoolers in grades 6 through 8 meet through Edge on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Edge uses interactive activities to help young people grow in faith and prepare to live their Catholic faith as disciples.
High school teens are part of Life Teen, an Eucharist-centered movement that leads teenagers and their families into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church. The Life Night gathering follows the Sunday Evening Mass at 5 p.m. at the North Church, with dinner and a topic for the night. Confirmation preparation takes place within Life Teen, ordinarily in the junior year of high school, and includes a Confirmation Retreat. Life Teen offers a middle school camp and high school summer camp, as well as mission trips.
Becoming Catholic and Adult Formation
The parish welcomes new members into the Catholic Church each year through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). The OCIA journey begins with a period of inquiry in August and September, then regular meetings from October through April, with participants received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. OCIA is for the unbaptized, for Christians from other traditions preparing for Communion and Confirmation, and for baptized Catholics who have not received Communion and Confirmation. Baptized children over the age of 7 may also participate.
Adult Confirmation preparation is available year-round for baptized Catholics who have made First Reconciliation and First Communion but were never confirmed. Adult formation also includes occasional Healing the Whole Person series, a men's group and women's group. The parish maintains a recommended list of Catholic resources for growth, including websites, podcasts, videos, and retreat centers, in prayer, evangelization, and the relationship of faith and science.
Parish Life, Hospitality, and Outreach
The Christian Women's Circle supports the parish, school, and religious life through charitable works, and hosts funeral luncheons. The Knights of Columbus offer the ideals of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism, and lead the monthly rosary at the North Church. Cub Scouts meets at the parish. Mom's Groups offer fellowship and prayer for busy mothers. Coffee and doughnuts are served after the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Masses at the North Church. Natural Family Planning is presented as a natural, scientific, holistic approach to fertility care.
The parish's outreach stretches from Cedarburg to inner-city Milwaukee to East Africa. The Inner City Ministry collects gently used clothing and toiletries in a shed in the North Church parking lot, delivered to Repairers of the Breach, House of Peace, and the McCannon Brown Homeless Sanctuary. The House of Peace Christmas Brunch is a December tradition in which the parish youth serve a Christmas meal and gifts to those in need. The Respect Life Ministry proclaims the Catholic Church's teaching on life issues. Mercy's Mission tends to the spiritual needs of elderly and homebound parishioners and brings them Holy Communion. The Substance Addiction Ministry (SAM) offers faith-based hope, healing, and reconciliation to those touched by addiction. The Knit and Crochet Ministry creates items for those needing support. The St. Vincent de Paul Society builds relationships with people in need.
The parish also keeps twinning relationships with two inner-city Milwaukee parishes, St. Michael and St. Rose of Lima, and with St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Mukono, Uganda, in East Africa.
The Parish Properties
The unified parish is blessed with several properties. The North Church and Parish Office share Covered Bridge Road. The Education and Activity Center stands a short distance north of the church on the North Campus. The South Church stands at the corner of Hamilton Road and Washington Avenue in downtown Cedarburg. The Shrine to Mary, Mother of the Divine Word, sits among the trees south of the plaza and circular parking area on the North Campus. The Parish Cemetery stands on Pioneer Road in Mequon.
The Patron Saint: St. Francis Borgia
The parish is named for St. Francis Borgia, born Francisco de Borja y Aragon in 1510 in Gandía, Spain. The great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI, he became the fourth Duke of Gandía and served in the court of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. After his wife's death in 1546, he joined the Jesuits in Rome in 1550, was ordained a priest, and eventually served as the third Superior General of the Society of Jesus. He is credited with writing the book of rules that gave the Jesuits their spiritual, intellectual, and apostolic character, and with re-establishing sacred music in the Church. He was canonized by Pope Clement X in June 1670, and his feast day is celebrated on October 10. St. Francis Borgia died on September 30, 1572, in Rome.
The Cedarburg parish was named for St. Francis Borgia because some of its early pastors, including the famous Jesuit missionary Fr. Martin Kundig, were Jesuits. Both churches hold a statue of St. Francis Borgia.
The Parish's Story
The parish's roots go back to 1844, when Fr. Martin Kundig, a Jesuit priest assigned as a Milwaukee pastor in 1842, founded the parish as a log cabin chapel on Pioneer Road, north and west of Wauwatosa Road, across from what is today the parish cemetery. In 1852 the log cabin was replaced by a frame church; in 1870 the present stone South Church was built at Hamilton Road and Washington Avenue on land donated by local, mostly-Protestant merchants who even made the mortgage payments. Fr. Leo Zingsheim was appointed pastor in 1943, and the school was built in 1951 on Hamilton Road.
By 1970 the parish had outgrown the stone church. Land was purchased just north of Five Corners in the Town of Cedarburg, and the Church of the Divine Word was built and dedicated that year. The Cedarburg Catholic community worshipped at two parishes for the next three decades. As the shortage of priests deepened and the archdiocese projected only one priest for Cedarburg beginning in 2002, the two parish councils asked Archbishop Weakland to merge the parishes. The request was granted in 1999 and the parishes formally joined in September 2001. The merged parish took the name St. Francis Borgia; the larger church was renamed the North Church, and the stone church on Hamilton Road became the South Church.
In 2014 construction began on the North Campus Education and Activity Center, which was dedicated in the summer of 2015. The South Church remains an integral part of the parish. Fr. Patrick Burns was appointed parish administrator in June 2017 and named pastor in December 2018.
Clergy, Staff, and Parish Leadership
The pastor is Fr. Patrick Burns, who grew up in Fox Point, studied philosophy at Cardinal Stritch University and Loyola University Chicago, completed a Master of Divinity at Sacred Heart School of Theology and St. Francis de Sales Seminary, and was ordained in May 2013. After serving at St. Charles Parish in Hartland, he joined St. Francis Borgia as associate pastor in 2016, was named administrator in 2017, and became pastor in 2018. The associate pastor is Fr. Arul Antonysamy. Andrew Beine, a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee currently studying theology in Rome, joins the parish for summers when he is back from Italy.
Parish operations are led by Director of Administrative Services Leif Nygaard. Catie Weasler directs Child and Family Formation (3K through Grade 5); Brian Bottei directs Youth Ministry (Grades 6 through 11); Cecilia Luke directs Sacred Music. The parish sacristan is Karen Baehler, who has served since 1988. David Kautzman supervises buildings and grounds. Brian Willbrandt coordinates the cemetery. Marissa Narlock serves as principal of St. Francis Borgia Catholic School.
Parishioners shape the life of the parish through the Pastoral Council, a nine-member advisory body nominated by parishioners and chosen through prayerful discernment, with three-year staggered terms. The pastor, the parish trustees (Joe Carlson and Chris Frommell), and the standing committees, school commissions, and parish commissions all work together to support the mission.
Stewardship and Giving
The parish encourages stewardship of time, talent, and treasure. The Annual Parish Stewardship and School Annual Fund Campaign takes place each fall and is the opportunity for parishioners to make a financial pledge along with commitments of time, talent, and prayer. The Catholic Stewardship Appeal in February supports Archdiocesan Catholic ministries. Combined Collections in April (US Catholic Ministries) and November (World Catholic Ministries) extend the reach of the parish's giving. The Love One Another campaign supports the parish capital needs. Volunteer needs range from funeral servers, to North Church grounds, to cemetery care, to ushers at every Mass.
Becoming Part of the Parish
Newcomers to Cedarburg, Catholics returning to the faith, and those exploring Catholicism for the first time are warmly welcomed. Registration materials are available by contacting the parish office, by visiting the parish office during business hours, by filling out the online New Member Registration Form, or by stopping at the Information Station in the North Church Gathering Space before or after weekend Masses. The parish office, just east of the North Church on Covered Bridge Road, is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
To reach the North Church from I-43, go west on State Highway 60 for four miles to Covered Bridge Road and turn right (north) for a quarter mile. To reach the South Church from I-43, go west on Highway C (Pioneer Road) to Washington Avenue and turn right (north) to Hamilton Road.