Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

Gesu Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Country
  
United States

Founded
  
1887 (Gesu Parish)

Status
  
Parish church

Phone
  
+1 414-288-7101

Denomination
  
Roman Catholic

Founder(s)
  
Society of Jesus

Opened
  
1894

Architect
  
Henry C. Koch

Gesu Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Location
  
1145 W. Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Address
  
1145 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA

Architectural styles
  
Gothic Revival architecture, French Gothic architecture

Similar
  
St Joan of Arc Chapel, Old St Mary's Church, Basilica of St Josaphat, Cathedral of St John the Evan, St Stanislaus Catholic

Gesu Church is a Jesuit parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a Milwaukee Landmark in 1975.

Although the church is not affiliated with Marquette University, through a 1991 partnership, it ministers to the downtown campus of Marquette and surrounding neighborhood.

Description

Gesu, founded 168 years ago in 1849 as St. Gall's Parish, initially served English-speaking Irish Catholics from the near south and west sides of Milwaukee in what was the neighborhood of Tory Hill. As the parish grew, it built Holy Name Church in 1875, and by 1887 Jesuit officials combined the two parishes into one church. The Gesu name was chosen in 1893 to honor the Church of the Gesu in Rome, where St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, is buried.

Architect Henry C. Koch designed the French Gothic building, drawing inspiration from the Cathedral of Chartres in France. It features landmark spires of unequal height and stained glass windows. The cornerstone was laid on May 23, 1893, with over 20,000 in attendance. A dedication ceremony followed on December 17, 1894, to mark the formal completion of the church.

Actor Pat O'Brien (1899–1983) served as an altar boy at Gesu while growing up near 13th and Clybourn streets. He attended Marquette Academy (a preparatory department that later became Marquette University High School) with Spencer Tracy (1900–1967), and later attended Marquette University.

Gesu Church holds daily Masses and attracts over 2,500 worshipers on weekends.

In late 1954, the church held the funeral for Miller Brewing Company president Fred Miller and his son, Fred, Jr., attended by thousands.

References

Gesu Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Wikipedia