St. Paul's History

The first Episcopal Church service in what is now the Diocese of Eau Claire was held in 1846 in the county of St. Croix in the city of Hudson originally called Willow River. At that time Willow River (later Hudson) was the county seat. The county then consisted of most of Northwest Wisconsin and all of present Minnesota, from the mouth of the St. Croix River to the Canadian Border and running east of the Mississippi to Lake Superior. The original  St. Paul's Church  located at Fourth and Orange Streets was dedicated in 1884 and was built for a total cost of $3,000.  The present church located at 502 County Road UU was dedicated in May, 1999 and built for a cost of $1.3 million.

St. Paul's has provided much leadership and many firsts in the Diocese of Eau Claire.  The Herald, the newspaper of the diocese of Eau Claire, was started by Fr. Francis P. Keicher in 1928. Fr. Stanley Atkins served St. Paul's as rector from 1955-1961. Fr. Atkins left to become Archdeacon for the Diocese of Milwaukee and then Bishop of the Diocese of Eau Claire in 1970.

St. Paul's church has been notable for the leadership of its women.  Addie (Mrs. John L.) Quarnes was appointed to the first board of the Diocese of Eau Claire in 1928 and served until she was 70 years of age.  Jane (Mrs. Everett) Rusch was the first woman elected to serve on a vestry within the Diocese of Eau Claire in 1969. Katherine (Mrs. David) Kelly was the first woman to serve as a warden within the diocese, in 1973. Judy (Mrs. Donald) Kadidlo was the first woman delegate to be seated in the general council of the Diocese of Eau Claire. Janeth (Mrs. John) Taylor was elected a diocesan delegate to the General Convention of the Episcopal church in 1976 in Minneapolis.

In 1982 the church set a precedent for the entire diocese when the vestry voted to give $2000 of a bequest from Alice Livingstone (Mrs. J.W.) to the Church of St. Thomas at New Richmond, which was in need. The New Richmond mission had been linked to St. Paul's since 1953.  The vestry also approved a donation from the Livingstone funds of $5,000 to Bundy Hall, the diocesan conference and summer camp facility in Menomonee, for kitchen and dining room renovation and voted to in- vest the remainder, then $14,400, the interest to be used for the needy in the church or the community.  Any interest not so used by the end of a calendar year is given to the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Hunger.  The people of  St. Paul's to this day take an active part in the maintenance and upkeep of the Bundy Hall facility through numerous work weekends scheduled throughout the year.

At the present time St. Paul's has a membership of over 100 families.  Situated as it is in one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Wisconsin, St. Paul's future looks bright. Lead by the people in the congregation together with their pastor, Rev. John Rasmas, it is expected that membership will double in the next five years.

For questions about the Episcopal Church in general...See also:

www.ecdiocese.org

www.mit.edu/~tb/anglican/

www.ecusa.anglican.org

www.saintpauls.org/glossary.htm