The Church of St. Mark began as a faith community on July 1, 1960. Bishop John P. Treacy of the Diocese of LaCrosse established the parish under the patronage of Mark the Evangelist. Father Angelo Commoretto was appointed the first parish pastor. A rectory was rented at 111 Grand Avenue, Rothschild and daily Masses were celebrated there. Sunday Mass was celebrated in the basement of St. Therese Church. There were approximately 250 Catholic families within the the boundaries of St. Mark.
A 27 acre parcel of land was purchased and in November of 1960, clearing of the land for future building was begun. The building of St. Mark was a labor of love. Everyone helped to raise the money by holding parties, socials, and many fund raisers. Parishioners were encouraged to go to the construction site whenever they had time, to see where help was needed. This building work helped to draw the people into a new faith community as the people of St. Mark Parish.
On May 28, 1961 Bishop Treacy dedicated the free-standing gym (located east side of the school) as a temporary church and the official ground breaking ceremony took place for the school; it was also the day of First Communion and a day of honoring the parish's high school graduates. While construction was taking place for the St. Mark School, the children in the lower grades were going to St. Therese and the upper grades were going to St. Mary's in Wausau. On September 10, 1962, the new school was open for classes, staffed by the Sisters of the Divine Savior and later by dedicated lay persons.
In June of 1961, the rectory was built on Leon Street for the Pastor and his first assistant, Fr. Thomas McGinnis.
The triangle design of the school was originally planned to accommodate a church in its center. Eventually, due to the growth in the parish population, larger facilities were deemed necessary. It was decided to expand the school by building in the open area that had been designated for the church. In June, 1980, construction began on the gym, boys and girls locker rooms, lunchroom and kitchen. The addition was completed in January of 1981 and was dedicated February 1, 1981 by Bishop Frederick W. Freking. The name of the facility would be "Schumacher Hall" after the pastor, Fr. Charles Schumacher. The Sacraments would continue to be celebrated in what was known as the temporary church.
In 2007, the church interior was reordered. The simplicity of the existing church building enables parish members to understand and live the importance of the assembly and the meaning of being the Body of Christ Jesus in the world. The goal of St. Mark parish members is to build a gathering area that would connect the church to the school in the foreseeable future.
Currently, there are approximately 700 households who have registered their membership in the Catholic Church at the parish.
Newman Catholic School: St. Mark currently houses Preschool through 4 Yr Pre K and Kindergarten through Grade 5.
St. Mark parish is associated with Newman Catholic Schools (NCS) of the parishes of the Wausau area: Kindergarten through Grade 5 at St. Anne Parish; Preschool through 4 Yr Pre K at St. Michael Parish; State Licensed Early Childhood Centers at St. Michael and St. Therese Parishes; Grades 6 through 8 (Middle School) and grades 9 through 12 (High School) at Newman High School in Wausau.
A 27 acre parcel of land was purchased and in November of 1960, clearing of the land for future building was begun. The building of St. Mark was a labor of love. Everyone helped to raise the money by holding parties, socials, and many fund raisers. Parishioners were encouraged to go to the construction site whenever they had time, to see where help was needed. This building work helped to draw the people into a new faith community as the people of St. Mark Parish.
On May 28, 1961 Bishop Treacy dedicated the free-standing gym (located east side of the school) as a temporary church and the official ground breaking ceremony took place for the school; it was also the day of First Communion and a day of honoring the parish's high school graduates. While construction was taking place for the St. Mark School, the children in the lower grades were going to St. Therese and the upper grades were going to St. Mary's in Wausau. On September 10, 1962, the new school was open for classes, staffed by the Sisters of the Divine Savior and later by dedicated lay persons.
In June of 1961, the rectory was built on Leon Street for the Pastor and his first assistant, Fr. Thomas McGinnis.
The triangle design of the school was originally planned to accommodate a church in its center. Eventually, due to the growth in the parish population, larger facilities were deemed necessary. It was decided to expand the school by building in the open area that had been designated for the church. In June, 1980, construction began on the gym, boys and girls locker rooms, lunchroom and kitchen. The addition was completed in January of 1981 and was dedicated February 1, 1981 by Bishop Frederick W. Freking. The name of the facility would be "Schumacher Hall" after the pastor, Fr. Charles Schumacher. The Sacraments would continue to be celebrated in what was known as the temporary church.
In 2007, the church interior was reordered. The simplicity of the existing church building enables parish members to understand and live the importance of the assembly and the meaning of being the Body of Christ Jesus in the world. The goal of St. Mark parish members is to build a gathering area that would connect the church to the school in the foreseeable future.
Currently, there are approximately 700 households who have registered their membership in the Catholic Church at the parish.
Newman Catholic School: St. Mark currently houses Preschool through 4 Yr Pre K and Kindergarten through Grade 5.
St. Mark parish is associated with Newman Catholic Schools (NCS) of the parishes of the Wausau area: Kindergarten through Grade 5 at St. Anne Parish; Preschool through 4 Yr Pre K at St. Michael Parish; State Licensed Early Childhood Centers at St. Michael and St. Therese Parishes; Grades 6 through 8 (Middle School) and grades 9 through 12 (High School) at Newman High School in Wausau.
