St. Mary, Burlington

Our Parish Roots:

With the earliest known mass celebrated in 1838, and a parish formally established in 1844 under the name of St. Sebastian, our parish is one of the oldest in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The first church building was built on what is now the State Street parking lot and was consecrated in 1845. The second church building (currently the “Annex”), a Gothic Revival design, was constructed over five years and consecrated in 1859 under the title of Immaculate Conception. In 1890, work began on the current church building thanks to the urging from Fr. Jacobs, and was dedicated in 1891. St. Mary parish grade school began in 1860, just four days after the arrival of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and used the St. Sebastian church for classes. Over time, the school moved to the Annex, the current high school, and eventually into the present grade school building in 1955.

In the 185 years in existence, our parish is proud to say that our congregation has produced 20 priests, 2 brothers, and 20 sisters. Immaculate Conception Parish is blessed with a rich heritage and looks forward to the history its parish members will work together to create in the years to come.

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Our Share

Through much prayer, planning, and conversation, we have identified our greatest needs and initiatives to strengthen our mission and vision for years to come. Our share of the funds raised will be used to replace the rectory and Notre Dame building roofs, renovate the church interior, upgrade the cemetery, and improve the impact of our mission and ministry in the Brulington community.

Original

Parish Goal

$1,187,920

Active Campaign

Wave 3

January 2023 - June 2023

As of 9/20/2024

Total Pledged

$1,319,191

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CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS-$655,000

• Rectory and Notre Dame Buildings: The roofs of the rectory and Notre Dame buildings have been in need of replacement for several years. $77,000

• Church Interior: The interior of the church has not been renovated since the fire of 1977 and rededication in December of 1979. The obvious tasks are cleaning the ceiling and walls and replacing the carpeting or installing new flooring. Considering the tasks, it is only logical to start at the top which means removing all the pews and carpeting and erecting scaffolding to reach the ceiling and walls. Due to the cost of scaffolding (~$100,000), we propose painting the interior so it can last for another 45+ years. $420,000.

• Important Repairs: Replacement of the aging steeple clocks and the grade school fire alarm system and flooring. $50,000

• Cemetery: The wrought iron fence has been in place for many decades. Some sections and the entrance have been restored by insurance and donations but there are 39 sections that need to be sand blasted, repaired if necessary and powder coated to complete the project. The second columbarium cabinet (48 niche) will also be needed in 2023, and a third within 5 years. Other building improvements and significant landscaping are also included. $108,000.

MISSION AND MINISTRY-$57,752

• Adult Formation and Evangelization initiatives are a priority with additional funding annually over five years. This includes social events in local venues, semi-annual keynote speakers, after-mass socials, special events for evangelization, training and retreats for catechists, and marketing expen