From immigrant faith to enduring parish life
Story and Photos by Michael Cooney | For On Mission
CASCO — Holy Trinity Catholic Church marked its 125th anniversary on Sunday, June 15, with a joyful Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop David Ricken, followed by a reception in Holy Trinity Parish Hall.
In keeping with the congregation’s long-standing Marian devotion, parishioners gathered before Mass for the communal recitation of the rosary, honoring a tradition passed down through generations.
“This is your history,” Bishop Ricken said. “This is something to be proud of. It’s a beautiful witness to how faith took root in this land and has been passed on through generations with love and perseverance.”
Casco’s earliest 19th-century Catholic settlers were predominantly Bohemian (Czech), with strong representation of Belgians, Germans from Baden and Irish from County Cork. Worship originally took place in the nearby church in Slovan, established in the 1860s.
With the arrival of the railroad and, as a result, Casco’s rapid growth, the decision was made to establish a parish in town.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church was dedicated on Oct. 24, 1900, with Fr. Emo Kabot as its founding pastor. The Slovan church then became a mission named St. Adalbert and Casco retained the name Holy Trinity.
“I’m learning every day,” said Fr. Daniel Schuster, who has served as pastor of Holy Trinity Parish for the past six years.
“I’m Bohemian myself, but I don’t know a lot about that heritage,” he said. “What I’ve come to know is the deep devotion of the people — to the Blessed Mother, to their parishes and to each other. They are hardworking — farmers, laborers, hospital workers and educators — and they come to church. That’s the biggest thing. For generations, they’ve come to church.”
Fr. Schuster emphasized the vitality of both Holy Trinity and its sister parish, St. Mary’s in Luxemburg.
“We have baptisms, we have weddings — a dozen weddings a year between our two parishes,” he said. “Some city parishes don’t see that. People are looking for that safe haven in a chaotic world, and we’re here to receive them.”
“As a pastor, what brings me the most joy is the Mass, the liturgy — gathering people in prayer,” he said. “And what’s beautiful is that I didn’t have to start it. I just got to join in. That’s awesome.”
Over the years, Holy Trinity has been led by many pastors, but none more memorable than Fr. Rudolph Hodik, who served for 35 years (1935–1970). He launched the Casco Parish Picnic, the first of which was held in 1936 and reportedly attended by 6,000 people.
“The following year, the 1937 picnic drew 12,000 people,” Bishop Ricken told the congregation. “Five bands, amateur performers — it was called the biggest church picnic in the state at the time. Isn’t that amazing?”
One of its most historic moments was the 1964 visit of Cardinal Josef Beran of Czechoslovakia.
Cardinal Beran had survived years in both Nazi concentration camps and communist prisons before his visit to Holy Trinity Parish.
Now officially recognized as a Servant of God, Cardinal Beran is a candidate for sainthood, honored for his heroic virtue and steadfast faith under persecution.
Holy Trinity Parish has nurtured many vocations — seven priests, numerous sisters (especially with the Bay Settlement Franciscans) and generations of faithful families. Among them is Norbertine Fr. Dennis Burke, who became the second president of St. Norbert College in De Pere.
Looking ahead, Fr. Schuster shared his hopes for the 150th anniversary.
“I think we’ll be celebrating a resurgence of the Catholic faith, especially in places like this,” he said. “A stronger family, stronger community. The need for each family to be a school of prayer will only grow.”
With a smile, he added, “I’m spoiled. We work hard, get tired, wake up and do it again. But we have excellent volunteers and the right spirit for flourishing. No matter how hard we all work, we keep faith forward, faith first.”
Click here to see more photos from the 125th anniversary event: https://onmiss.io/holytrinity125pics