St. Dominic Pastorate

Benton | Cuba City | Dickeyville | Hazel Green
Kieler | Platteville | Sinsinawa.

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History of St. Rose of Lima

- The first Catholic Church in this vicinity was built on the southwest corner of the present St Rose Cemetery under the leadership of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, the pioneer Italian missionary. It was a brick structure and its cornerstone bore the date 1851. The building was torn down in 1859. In 1861, the new frame church was built in the cemetery. This church was in use until 1895, when a new brick church was built on Madison Street in Cuba City in the block where the present St. Rose School stands. The old church in the cemetery was closed and was later moved to Cuba City, where it was placed on the lot on Clay Street where Loeffelholz Inc. now stands. It was later torn down.
  The new brick church built in 1895 by a congregation of “45 Irish and 20 German families” continued as a mission church, being served by Father J.C. Bergen of St. Patrick’s, Benton. Before his time, the congregation had been served by priests from Benton, Platteville, Hazel Green and Sinsinawa Mound. In 1908, the Rev. S. J. Vaughan was appointed first resident pastor of St. Rose.
  
  By 1966, the congregation had grown to such an extent that the old church, built in 1895, was no longer adequate. The building debt on the new school had by then been liquidated, so in 1966 it was decided to build a new church. It was decided to purchase 10 acres of land from Bartle Rasque with an option on an additional 10 acres. Plans were drawn for a church with a seating capacity of 800, and the bids were opened on March 7, 1967.
  
  The site was blessed and dedicated to St. Rose of Lima on April 2, 1967. Construction began and 14 months later the church was completed. On June 9, 1968, Bishop Cletus O’Donnell presided at the first Mass.
  
  St. Rose School
  
  In 1916, the first St. Rose School was built during Father Maguire’s pastorate. Like the parsonage, it was built of cement block and stood north of the church. It had quarters for teaching nuns, in addition to the classrooms. The school opened in the fall of 1916 with only the first six grades. The next year, the 7^th grade was added, and the 8^th grade the next. The first faculty of Dominican nuns were Sister Mary John, principal, Mary Sarah and Mary Raymond. The enrollment when the school first opened was 100. By 1943 it had grown to 163. There were 153 in 1993 and currently there are 105 students.