Story and photos by Suzanne Weiss | For On Mission
MANITOWOC, WI — Parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church have much to be grateful for this summer.
Not only are they celebrating the 20th anniversary of the parish, they have also broken ground for a new gathering center.
At one time, Manitowoc had six Catholic parishes. That changed on July 1, 2005, when church bells rang out at midnight to announce the establishment of one parish for the entire city.
For the last 20 years, St. Francis of Assisi Parish has been serving the city’s residents at the Grand Avenue, Marshall Street and Waldo Boulevard worship sites.
St. Francis of Assisi Parish has more than 3,000 families, which includes some 9,500-plus active individuals.
The consolidation allowed the parish to “offer more ministry opportunities,” said Fr. Doug LeCaptain, pastor. “We’ve really concentrated in the last three years on discipleship, hospitality and Hispanic ministry.”
The celebration of that historic milestone, called the “20-20-20 Parish Anniversary Celebration,” features more than 20 events in 20 days to symbolize 20 years.
The celebration began June 15 and continues through July 4.
A kick-off Mass at the Waldo Boulevard worship site opened the celebration. In addition to the parish’s three current priests — Fr. LeCaptain, Fr. Matthew Colle and Fr. Jason Blahnik — past parish priests also con-celebrated the Mass.
They included Diocese of Duluth Bishop Daniel Felton, Fr. Mark Mleziva, Fr. Dave Beaudry, Fr. Dave Pleier, Fr. Ben Johnson and Fr. Richard Klingeisen. Unable to attend were former pastors Fr. Michael Warden and Fr. Daniel Schuster.
Several hundred worshipers packed the adjacent Roncalli Elementary School parking lot for the bonfire social that followed Mass.
At the social, John Iannitello said Bishop Felton was pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish when he first attended about 20 years ago.
“He clearly had a vision to unite our community, and he did an awesome job of bringing the parish together,” Iannitello said.
Other scheduled events include community and parish service days, a pilgrimage, procession, rummage and bake sales, socials, game night and more, capped off with a July 4th celebration.
“We wanted to … solidify our identity as St. Francis of Assisi Parish and to rejoice in all the things that God has done over the last 20 years,” said Elizabeth Gruenke, coordinator of youth ministry and a member of the anniversary celebration planning team.
Gruenke praised the “dynamic nature” of the parish.
“There are so many opportunities for people to encounter Jesus, grow in their faith and grow in their spiritual life,” she said. “So many opportunities for community.”
The anniversary celebration activities were designed to capture a wide variety of parish life, involve many parish groups and “focus on prayer, community and service,” she said. “It’s important to have a community service day because any parish is so integrated in the community, and it’s important to be the hands and feet of Jesus outside the parish walls.”
The parish held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 17 for a new building at the Grand Avenue worship site that will house a gathering space, meeting rooms and the parish office.
Funds were raised through the parish’s Rebuild My Church campaign and the diocesan “one by One” campaign managed by the Catholic Foundation. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of January 2026.
“This new gathering center is more than a building,” said Fr. LeCaptain in an April 13 letter to parishioners. “… It is a place where lives will be enriched, relationships deepened, and faith celebrated. A place of hospitality, where we can gather, plus the benefit of a parish office that is attached to one of our worship sites.”
The one-story 14,000-square-foot building, located 30 feet from the existing church, will be connected by two hallways with handicapped access.
“One that will take you to the front of the church and one that will take you to the back of the church,” Fr. LeCaptain said. “It will be a nice, simple building. We wanted a simple building that didn’t detract from the architecture of the church.”
Among those attending the groundbreaking was Jeanne Koenig.
“I am a member of the St. Clare Society,” she said. “We are excited about our new room in this beautiful building.”
The past 20 years is just the latest chapter of the Catholic Church in Manitowoc. It was the 1850s when the first Catholic parish was established in Manitowoc.
For more information about St. Francis of Assisi Parish, visit https://sfamanitowoc.org/.