History

The Story of Saint Sebastian Parish

As the Washington Heights area was booming with new home construction in the 1920’s, St. Sebastian Church was right in the middle of it - the parish booming along with the neighborhood. From humble beginnings in 1911 of 15 families and a few acres of underdeveloped prairie, St. Sebastian parish grew dramatically over the next 20 years. With the new church building completed in 1930, parish membership was 1,000 families and school enrollment over 650 children. St. Sebastian became one of the largest parishes in the archdiocese. With the beautiful church on the hill, its tower visible for miles around and exquisite workmanship throughout - the people of St. Sebastian were proud and thankful. The phenomenal growth and status of the parish continued unabated for decades.

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1909 - Foreseeing the need to establish a new congregation on Milwaukee’s West Side sometime in the future, Archbishop Sebastian Messmer bought five acres of land between 54th and 55th streets and between Vine Street and Washington Blvd. In 1911, with the pledges of a few scattered families in the area, Archbishop Messmer commissioned Father Frances Kleser to establish a new congregation. The land that the Archbishop had purchased was announced as the chosen location for the new church. Saint Sebastian was to be the Patron Saint and the name of the new parish was in honor of Archbishop Sebastian Messmer.

Occupying the land west of 60th St. on Washington Blvd. was the Pabst Farm, which at this time grew hops for the brewery and held the Pabst family’s summer home. This land was developed as a unique and beautiful subdivision known as the Washington Highlands. The area surrounding St. Sebastian Church known as the Washington Heights developed in part because the streetcar line Frederick Pabst had built along Pabst Avenue (Lloyd Street) connected the center of Milwaukee with his family farmland. The ‘Heights’ neighborhood was originally part of the Town of Wauwatosa, but was annexed to the City of Milwaukee in parts between 1906 and 1921. German workers built most of the homes in the area between 1915 and 1925.

August 15, 1911. The first St. Sebastian Mass was celebrated in a store flat on the corner of 55th and Vliet Streets, where Father Kleser was temporarily living. The first parsonage was built in 1912 on the northeast corner of 55th and Washington Blvd. for approx. $6500. Father Kleser used the living and dining rooms as a chapel and office.

The cornerstone of the new St. Sebastian Church/School building was set in place in August of 1912. The center unit of the building consisted of four classrooms and a chapel on the lower level. On Christmas Day 1912, the first Mass was celebrated in the new chapel. The first organization of the Parish was called the I.C.U. (In Charity United) Club, a social club to which all parishioners were affiliated.

In January of 1913 the school opened with an enrollment of 32 children. The first teachers were of the Order of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi whose living quarters were in the upper center classroom - partitioned off into living, dining, bedroom, and
kitchen space. At that time some streets were cut through but there was no such thing as paving or sidewalks. Planks were laid as walks.

Late in 1918, the congregation began to build a new upper chapel in the school building. It was completed in 1919 with the former chapel being used as hall and kitchen. Also, as school enrollment rose quickly, the classroom space provided was inadequate. In 1921 a south wing was added to the school and in 1924 a north wing was erected adding four more classrooms to each wing.

As the parish grew to 750 families, larger facilities were needed. Plans for a new rectory and new church were set in motion in 1925. The parsonage was removed from its foundation on the corner of 55th and Washington Boulevard and moved to 54th Street, next to the school where it was reconstructed and remodeled as the new convent. The ground was broken for the new rectory on the corner of Washington Boulevard and 54th Street. The basement portion of the new church also began to be built on the corner of 55th and Washington Boulevard. This new basement chapel served as worship space until the church could be completed above it. It was completed in 1926 with seating for 900.

October 6, 1929 - The cornerstone of the new church is laid. The congregation had secured a bond issue, but needed to come up with $85,000 in cash and pledges. Within one week of the canvassing campaign, the total was raised. This was the beginning of the Great Depression. After nearly one year of construction, St. Sebastian Church was completed. The solemn opening of the new church took place on September 28, 1930. The seating capacity was over 1100. The magnificent stained glass windows of the church were installed in 1930. Parish membership reached 1500 families in 1941, at the same time 655 men of St. Sebastian were listed as serving in the US Armed Forces.

In 1952 St. Sebastian Bishop Roman Atkielski was appointed pastor. Bishop Atkielski initiated many facilities improvements during his time at St.Sebastian. In the mid-1950’s, the church interior was cleaned and redecorated, the worship space given a richly ornamental look. By the late 1950’s, St. Sebastian had four assistant priests, a group of housekeeping nuns who lived on the third floor of the rectory and a convent of over two dozen Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi.

By 1960, the parish realized that the school was no longer meeting the needs of its students. It was overcrowded with 900 plus children (it was originally intended to accommodate 500). The decision was made to raise the school and build a new modern building in its place. When completed in 1960, the new school housed 1,000 students with approximately 40 children per classroom. In 1965 the sanctuary is altered in accordance with Vatican II recommendations. A new altar is installed that faces the congregation. In the mid-1960’s St. Sebastian School enrollment swelled to an all time high of nearly 1500 students.

By the late 1960’s to early 1970’s parish membership leveled off and the school enrollment began to drop. Many families had moved out to the suburbs. The St. Sebastian Parish Council formed in 1971 continues as an advisory body guiding the Parish and its many committees in accordance with directives of the Second Vatican Council.

1980 - 1981 - The interior of the church is refurbished and major changes are made to the worship space. The St. Sebastian School Foundation formed in the 1980’s continues to financially support the school and its mission. In 1987, The parish adopted a modified tithing concept to financial stewardship (doing away with school tuition for parish members). A full time liturgical musician is hired, the church computer system is installed, and PAL (Parents’ Alternative for Latchkey) before and after school child care program begins.

In 1999 a major $3.4 m Building Campaign entitled “Giving Faith Room to Grow” was launched to support the growth of the parish, and included (but not limited to) a new gathering space, meeting and administrative rooms, handicap accessibility, church air conditioning church, a tot lot and much more.

The St. Sebastian Adult Choir traveled to Austria, Italy and Rome in 2001. In November 2003, over 600 St. Sebastian Alumni came back to celebrate the school’s 90th Anniversary.

As St. Sebastian Parish approaches its 100th Anniversary in 2011, we look back in gratitude for the journey we have taken. The people of St. Sebastian have met many challenges along the way and proceed confidently into the future with faith and trust in Christ.