Church: Neillsville - St. Mary’s Catholic (New Pastor - 1974)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Henseler, Brady

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) /1974

St Mary’s Catholic (New Pastor - 1974)

The Rev. Joseph Henseler, new pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Neillsville, will be the guests of honor at a welcoming reception Sunday, June 30, at 8 p.m. in the parish hall.

Rev. Henseler, who began his administrative duties at St. Mary’s June 26, comes to Neillsville from Immaculate Conception parish, Alma Center, which he served for six years.

Since his ordination in 1952, Fr. Henseler has also been associated with St. Stanislaus parish, Stevens Point; St. Mary’s parish and St. James parish, Wausau; St. Lawrence parish, Wisconsin Rapids; and St. Theresa’s parish, Schofield.

While in Wausau, he was an instructor at Newman High School, where he was also vice principal and, at times, acting principal. During his pastorate at St. Lawrence parish, he taught at Assumption High School.

A native of Bakerville, the new St. Mary’s pastor is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Henseler of Marshfield. He has three sisters and a brother.

Mr. Henseler graduated from St. Mary’s Parochial School at Bakerville, then attended high school at St. John’s (now Columbus) in Marshfield for two years, and completed his secondary education at the Pontifical College Josephinum, Worthington, Oh, in 1944. He spent his undergraduate college years at the same school, and took four years of theological training there as well.

He was ordained in 1952 by the Apostolic Delegate Amleto Gioganni Cicognani, who later became the Cardinal secretary of state at the Vatican.

At St. Mary’s Fr. Henseler succeeds the Rev. Charles D. Brady.