ROXBURY — Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison celebrated Mass for the faithful at St. Norbert Church in Roxbury on June 6, the day marking Corpus Christi and the Feast Day of St. Norbert, but also special this year as St. Norbert celebrates its 175th Anniversary.
Recognized as the oldest parish in Dane County, St. Norbert has a continuous history dating to 1846, back when James K. Polk was the 11th President of the United States and two years before Wisconsin officially became a state.
The current church building saw its cornerstone laid in 1856.
Although one of the smaller parishes in the Diocese of Madison, the St. Norbert faithful responded mightily when a capital campaign was needed to pay for critical infrastructure repairs and renovations for the church’s spire, masonry, and roof.
Spearheaded by former parish priest, Fr. Jerry Zhanay, now on assignment for the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest in Spain, the campaign was completed just last year and surpassed its initially daunting goal of $1.2 million, thanks also in large part to the special bond parishioners have to their beloved St. Norbert Church.
A foundation of faith
St. Norbert Parish community roots go back to some of the earliest pioneers in Dane County.
The Bavarians and Prussians that settled in this fertile land had strong faith and a spirit of self-sacrifice.
Out of great love for God, and facing untold challenges, they built and established a church that would become the heart of their community.
Many of these families have descendants that attend St. Norbert to this day.
Any historical and faithful context of St. Norbert’s would be incomplete without mention of the parish’s founding priest Fr. Adalbert Inama from Austria, who is buried in the church’s cemetery.
Appointed by the first bishop of the Milwaukee Diocese, Bishop John Henni, Father Inama was Dane County’s first priest.
He became known as “The Apostle of the Four Lakes Region” as he was the first to hold services and do missionary work across much of south-central Wisconsin.
St. Norbert’s external beauty surrounds a classically traditional interior, itself stunning, that has provided a sanctuary of prayer and peace for generations of families called to the embrace of the Catholic Church’s most important sacraments.
This beautiful interior is not without historical significance either, as it is home to what at one time was considered one of the finest paintings in America.
Rising above the altar is a massive oil painting, 10 feet high and six feet wide depicting the Virgin Mary and Child, St. Jerome, St. James, and St. Norbert.
The painting was done by 19th-century German master Wilhelm Von Kaulbach in 1848 and was a gift to St. Norbert’s from King Louis I of Bavaria in 1849.
Ushering in a new era
Urgent repairs and renovations now complete, although still with the usual character and challenges of a church building itself well into the twilight of its second century, the future is bright for St. Norbert Church.
Led now by another devoted, dedicated and vibrant young priest, Fr. James Kotch, also a member of the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest, St. Norbert offers parishioners and visitors an opportunity to experience prayerful peace in the midst of old-world architecture and charm.
Rising above the surrounding countryside, the St. Norbert spire is visible from miles around.
The church continues to serve as a source of inspiration, comfort, and stability for the faithful of today as much as it did for the first settlers who arrived in the Roxbury area almost two centuries ago.
While the uncertainty of the future sometimes seems to grow by the day, those who have come to know and cherish St. Norbert recognize the importance and strength this anchor of faith provides.
You are invited to experience the history and beauty of St. Norbert Church for yourself.
Make plans to visit for a weekday mass at 8 a.m. or weekend Mass Saturdays at 4 or 8 p.m. or Sundays at 8 a.m.
Traditional Latin Mass is offered weekdays at 6:30 a.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m., until Sept. 5; and at 11 a.m. after Sept. 5.