St. Mary Parish, Lyndon Station, celebrates 175 years in 2026
Story by Amy Eichsteadt
Long before the Diocese of La Crosse existed, before railroads reached Juneau County and only three years after Wisconsin became a state, a priest traveled by stagecoach to celebrate Mass for a small community of Irish settlers near the Lemonweir River. What began as a small gathering in a family home in 1851 became St. Mary Parish in Lyndon Station, the oldest parish established within the present diocese that remains active today. Its 175-year history is more than a record of buildings, pastors and anniversaries. It is the story of generations who built, sacrificed and preserved a place of worship for Catholics they would never live to meet.
“Go up to the hill country; bring timber and build the house that I may be pleased with it and be glorified.” (Hg 1:8)
Simple Beginnings, Strong Roots
The community was originally known as Kildare, named by its Irish settlers for County Kildare in their homeland. In 1851, Father Maximilian Gaertner traveled from Sauk City on the Old Troy stagecoach to celebrate Mass in the home of Patrick Casey, where 12 people were baptized.
That same year, a small plot of land was acquired from the McIntee family and a log mission church was planned. Completed in 1853 under the patronage of St. Bridget, it became the first Catholic church built in what is now Juneau County and the first between Milwaukee and La Crosse. A cemetery was established beside it.
In 1865, St. Bridget’s welcomed its first resident pastor, Father James Stehle. Stehle purchased 30 acres of land to accommodate further expansion of his growing congregation. The church building and the graves of those buried by St. Bridget Church were moved to this new land.
Same Places, New Names
With the establishment of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad stop in the area and the arrival of Irish settlers from other counties, the name Lyndon Station was given. The settlement began to expand, and in 1863, parishioners of St. Bridget’s decided to build a new church in town. The new church was a framed building, 60 by 30 feet, while the cemetery stayed at the old church site and is still in use today.
Pope Pius IX declared the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854, bringing great joy to the Universal Church. During this time, many parishes throughout the United States were named or renamed to express this joy. The faithful of Lyndon Station shared this excitement and renamed their beloved parish St. Mary’s.
Later, Father John Mears, who served as pastor of St. Mary’s from 1876 to 1892, established the first parochial school, which was staffed by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration from La Crosse.
A Grand New Church
By 1894, St. Mary Parish had grown to 900 members, so the congregation needed a bigger church. Planning began the next year, when Father James Nevin arrived and served until 1911.
Many parishioners helped with construction to keep costs down. Father Terry Zinkle’s parish history reads: “The stone for the church was cut and hauled from the Lemonweir Mills area. The river-washed sand was brought from the John Dougherty farm along the Wisconsin River. Over a two-year period, men with teams of horses pulling wagons and stone boats worked countless hours hauling materials for the masons and carpenters.” With the fundraising and labor of hundreds of parishioners, their dream came to fruition as the cornerstone of the present magnificent church was laid on Sept. 28, 1899. Upon completion, the new church building cost $13,300.
On May 6, 1900, the Most Reverend James Schwebach, bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, dedicated the new church, with an attendance of 13 priests, the entire St. Mary Parish faithful, and many townspeople.
St. Mary Church was designed without columns or pillars so nothing would obstruct the view of Mass. Unique trusses in the arched ceiling support the roof instead. The church is often called “The Upper Cathedral of the Dells,” a name that captures the grandeur and history of the beautiful structure where decades of sacraments have marked the passage of both time and generations.
St. Mary’s School Memories
Beside their beautiful new church, the parish built a new school in 1909. The building had two classrooms, with dormitories for student boarders upstairs. When boarding ended, a third classroom was added.
Rita Hall, a 93-year-old parishioner, recalls her childhood in Lyndon Station. She remembers, “My parents didn’t have a car, and they couldn’t drive, so my older sisters boarded at the school during the week so they could attend there. They came home on the weekends to help tend the garden and care for the animals we kept to feed our big family.” Rita also attended St. Mary School, but by then boarding had been discontinued.
A convent was added to the church campus for the teaching sisters in 1951. But as times changed, it closed its doors in 1968. The school and convent remain on the property. While the school has been sold to a private owner, the parish maintains the convent and both are used as rental residences.
Preserving and Celebrating their Legacy
The St. Mary Parish community takes great pride in maintaining its beautiful property and preserving its rich history. In 2013, a window restoration project was undertaken to restore and preserve the stained-glass artistry. Eleven large windows were removed, releaded, repaired, replaced and fitted with outer protective coverings. In 2018, Father Clayton Elmhorst and parishioners completed a floor renovation project, removing carpet and replacing it with hardwood, beautiful wood medallions imported from Poland and retiled the entryway.
In 2024, new glass doors were added to the church as St. Mary Parish marked the church building’s 125th anniversary with a great jubilee celebration. They created a 144-page history book full of photos, articles and memories, and organized a parish trip to Holy Hill.
On Sept. 22, Bishop Battersby joined the community to gather for Mass and a fellowship meal to mark the occasion. In his jubilee bulletin message, Father Cryton Outschoorn, the pastor, thanked the parishioners, saying, “Your faithfulness, generosity and steadfast support have been instrumental in nurturing this community into what it is today.”
Restoration for Future Generations
Along with painting the inside, the pew benches will be replaced, and the original pew ends will be refinished and reused. With funds raised, Masses will be held in St. Bridget Hall this fall until the project is finished. On December 20, Bishop Battersby will join the parish for a celebration in the newly renovated space. At that time, the parish will also celebrate its 175th Jubilee, commemorating the first Mass for the Catholic community in 1851.
A Parish Still Growing
St. Mary’s is currently home to 156 families and maintains a strong Irish population. Mass attendance swells in the summer months with seasonal visitors and campers who are heartily welcomed.
As Father Outschoorn prepares to return to his native Sri Lanka following the jubilee celebration, he shares, “From the moment I arrived, I have felt truly at home here. That is no small gift for an international priest serving far from his homeland. The warmth and welcome of this community have made St. Mary’s not just a place of ministry, but a place of belonging.
“I am deeply grateful to the pastors who came before me and to the lay faithful, past and present, who have sacrificed and committed themselves to keeping the faith alive for those who come after us. May God reward their faithfulness, and may the coming years be even richer in grace.”