St. Mary Parish
in Briggsville:
Celebrates 150th anniversary

By Kat Wagner
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF - Sept. 27th (see page 7 for special tribute to Fr. Jim Murphy)

BRIGGSVILLE -- People filled the pews at St. Mary Help of Christians Church September 8 for a Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert C. Morlino and a dinner following, carrying on the 150-year tradition of parish life.

Fr. James Murphy, pastor at St. Mary Parish, linked with St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Portage, as well as former pastor Fr. George W. Fox, retired, concelebrated the Mass. Deacon Dennis Sutter served as deacon.

The parish was founded in 1851, originally in what would become the Diocese of Green Bay before the Diocese of Madison was founded in 1946. The church building to house the congregation was not built until 1857. Some of the family names listed in the early history of the parish are still on the roster today, 150 years later