The history of St. Mark parish begins in 1922 when Father Alfons Berg was asked by the Archbishop of Milwaukee to call a meeting for the purpose of selecting a committee to charter a parish. With no actual headquarters, the prospective members met at such locations as the front porches of the Richard Snowhook and John Anglim homes to deliberate. The charter was recorded Feb. 28,1924.

Mass was first celebrated at the Knights of Columbus hall. Fr. Berg was pastor, but continued for a time as assistant at St. Mary’s, Racine. Soon a temporary home was established in an old frame Baptist church on 16th Avenue, north of 68th Street. Construction of the frame church on 14th Avenue, site of the present rectory, began in 1924. Progress was disrupted when a tornado destroyed the framework during construction, but the building was completed in 1927.

Fr. Berg firmly believed in Catholic education, and opened St. Mark School in 1931. It was staffed by the School Sisters of St. Francis. When Fr. Berg died suddenly Dec. 3,1942, Fr. Ralph Altstadt was named to succeed him.

Fr. Altstadt began a parish-wide effort to reduce the $200,000 debt. The membership grew and the little wooden church could no longer contain the people, many of whom had to stand on the steps or out on the sidewalk to hear Mass. The excessive load caused the walls of the building to buckle, resulting in its condemnation after a Sunday Mass in September 1947. Meanwhile, plans had been made for a Silver Jubilee celebration to be held Oct. 7. Following condemnation of the frame church, two-thirds of the invitations to clergy and guests had to be rescinded due to lack of space.

Mass was subsequently offered in the basement of the school building, with parishioners sitting on folding chairs. A pair of Quonset huts was erected on the playground to provide space for weddings, dances, special events and storage.

A long-range building program began with the purchase of all available land in the vicinity of the present site. Twenty-nine houses were purchased through the years, and some streets were closed off or extended. Construction of a temporary church, in the school basement, six additional classrooms and a rectory was completed in 1951. An auditorium-gymnasium, additional classrooms and a conference room were housed in the building on Sheridan road, which was dedicated in 1956. The convent, which supplanted a group of homes on 73rd Street as housing for the sisters, was completed in 1964.

The parish continued to grow. Parishioners numbered 1500 families and plans were made for the final phase of the building program, a church to glorify God, The church was dedicated April 11, 1970, with Archbishop Cousins officiating at the celebration for clergy, parishioners and friends. Msgr. Altstadt, whose new title and elevation to the rank of Domestic Prelate had come in 1959, announced his retirement in February, 1972. At his farewell reception, 2,000 people honored him for his service to St. Mark and Kenosha. Fr. Joseph Strenski was named pastor and arrived in March. Fr. Daniel Schroeder continued as associate pastor, and after his ordination the following June, Fr. Norman Oswald joined the pastoral team. The last two years marked a new liturgical chapter in the history of the parish, as the documents of Vatican II were implemented on a broad scale. Growth in the celebration of the liturgy has been evidenced in the family-centered First Communions and Confirmations; communal Penance and communal anointing of the sick; Corpus Christi procession; revival of the folk group for Saturday Mass; and special liturgies of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

At the mandate of the archbishop, a Parish Council was formulated early in 1973 to participate in the decision-making process of the parish. On Nov. 20, 1973, the Council voted to honor Fr. Berg and Msgr. Altstadt for their long years of service to the St. Mark community by renaming two of the parish facilities Berg Hall and Altstadt Auditorium.

During the next 11 years, Father Strenski was joined by other priests as the parish continued to develop. In 1983, Father Joseph Hornacek replaced Father Strenski. One of more important events in his pastorate at St. Mark Parish was the establishment of the Latin American Center at St. Mark. Previously the needs of hispanic Catholics were met at St. James Parish. When that was no longer feasible St. Mark opened its arms to the needs of its fellow believers. Also during his time the convent became available for remodeling into the St. Mark Junior Academy, our pre-school contribution to the community. Just before the completion of his 12 year term, Father Hornacek was called to pastor another parish. In 1995 Father Kenneth Metz came to join the parish after having worked for seven years in charge of International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services in Vatican City.

St. Mark parishioners have every right to feel proud and grateful for more than seventy-five years of marvelous growth, from the small frame chapel to the complex of buildings that now make up St. Mark parish, all of this made possible through the leadership of fine priests and the love, hard work and sacrifice of the St. Mark family. Let us rejoice for the past and hope for the future!

The Five Pastors
who led St. Mark Parish

	Reverend Alfons John Berg Born 1886, Ordained a Priest 1914, Made Pastor of St. Mark Parish 1922–1942, Died 1942
	Monsignor Ralph J. Altstadt Born 1902, Ordained a Priest 1929, Made Pastor of St. Mark Parish 1942–1973, Died 1985
	Reverend Joseph A. Strenski Born , Ordained Priest a priest in 1948, Made Pastor of St. Mark Parish 1973–1984, Died 2006
	Reverend Joseph J. Hornacek Born 1940, Ordained a Priest 1966, Made Pastor of St. Mark Parish 1984–1995, Vicar of Priests
	Reverend Kenneth J. Metz Born 1939, Ordained a Priest 1965, Made Pastor of St. Mark Parish 1995 – Present, Dean of District 1 1995 – 2003

The Associate Pastors
who served St. Mark Parish

Reverend Bernard Scholzen, 1936–1943

Reverend Arthur A. Nickolai, 1943–1947

Reverend George R. Budde, 1945-1947

Reverend Alfred L. Esselman, 1943 – 1947

Reverend Charles J. Verhalen, 1947 – 1961

Reverend Anthony Zukaitis, 1958 – 1959

Reverend Jerome L. Stoll, 1959 – 1966

Reverend Edward F. Sipple, 1961 – 1962

Reverend Gerald W. Brittain, 1962 – 1969

Reverend John J. Theisen, 1966 – 1969

Reverend Daniel W. Schroeder, 1967 –

Reverend Fred A. Smith, 1967 – 1972

Reverend Norman R. Oswald, 1969 –

Reverend Jan M. Keiliszweski, 1980 –

Reverend Mark L. Molling, 1981 –

Reverend Jeffrey Gartman, 1984 –

Reverend Jerome P. Meyer, 1985 –

Reverend Vincent B. Holobowicz, 1990 –

Reverend Pere Cané Gombau, 1993 – 1999

Reverend Lluis Bultó, 1998 – 1999

Reverend Vincent Kobida, 2000 – 2000

Reverend James Vojtik, 2000 – 2001

Reverend Javier Bustos, 2001 – 2003

Reverend Carlos Florez, 2003 – 2005

Reverend Bill Key, 2005 – 2006