St. Joseph’s Parish- Rhinelander

A dedicated group of 60 families, all of Polish descent, in 1909 received permission from the Most Rev. Augustyn Shinner, then Bishop of Superior to form a second parish in Rhinelander.  The group purchased the former Methodist Church, so that they might now gather and hear sermons preached in Polish.  In 1955, Most Rev. Joseph Annabring, decreed a territorial division so that St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s Parishes would be parishes of equal size and population.  Membership would be based no longer on one’s nationality, but rather on where one resided.  The territorial division added a heavy burden to St. Joseph’s and plans were quickly made for the building of a new church and school.  By 1957, a new church and school were fully operational with over 200 students divided among the eight grades.  The students were taught mostly by the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross whose Motherhouse is in Merrill, Wisconsin.  In 1969, the school at St. Joseph’s merged with St. Mary’s School to form Rhinelander Catholic Central.  By 1998, the Parish needed additional space so nearly one million dollars was raised to expand the building and renovate existing space.