History of St. Boniface Parish
St. Boniface is about 20 minutes north of downtown Milwaukee, on Hwys. 57/167 (Mequon Rd.), 2 miles west of Interstate 43, in Mequon, Wisconsin.
St. Boniface Episcopal Church started humbly in 1950 in Lewis Alan Smith’s living room. His home soon became too small for these gatherings. Services then moved to the second floor of the Thiensville Village Hall (Fire Station). From there, the congregation later moved to larger quarters at the Jahn School House at Wauwatosa and Freistadt roads.
In 1953, the congregation purchased the current five acre site, which included a large farm house (the Place home). The house was remodeled for use as St. Boniface Church.
In October 1958, ground-breaking ceremonies were held for the current church building, with the first services held on June 28, 1959. A rectory was constructed in 1966.
St. Boniface achieved independent parish status in 1974. The west wing was added in 1976 to provide classroom and office space. Eleven years later further renovations included remodeling of the kitchen, enlargement of the sanctuary and the building of the Cleaver room. The choir loft was also expanded for a larger organ and a newly-purchased piano.
In 1994, we took a leap of faith and voted to tithe our annual parish income for outreach. This became a wonderful spiritual renewal in many ways. Our outreach has helped many local, state, and national entities. It also nearly doubled giving in the congregation.
Most recently, a building maintenance fund and a building fund were established with seed money, and two generous contributions have done much to help the seed to grow. A fundraising campaign in 2000 for construction of a new nave netted a staggering $1.4 million in pledges.
Groundbreaking on the new nave was held on March 25, 2001. Construction was completed in December, and we transferred from the 1959 sanctuary to the new sanctuary in an emotional service on December 23, 2001. The new nave seats 400 people, with a ceiling that is 52 feet high. A new bell tower stands alongside the new nave, and that is 80 feet in height!
A formal dedication ceremony was held on Sunday, January 27, 2002.
