The St. Patrick Preservation Fund is a 501.c.3 charitable organization dedicated to protecting and preserving St. Patrick’s Church, rectory and cemeteries located at 1908 Highway 83, in the Town of Erin (Thompson), Hartford, Wisconsin 53027.

St. Patrick’s Church was built in 1855 by Irish immigrants and is one of few churches in Wisconsin built in the shape of a cross, which adds to its historic significance. The original interior of St. Patrick Church has been preserved for over 159 years. Beautiful statutes of St. Patrick and of the Blessed Mother were donated in 1883 and the 1,000-lb. bell and stained glass windows were added in 1904. The St. Patrick grounds also include two cemeteries, Old St. Patrick Cemetery established in 1850 and an additional cemetery site added in 1959 on St. Patrick's Lane. 

The St. Patrick’s Parish was merged with St. Kilian’s Parish in Hartford, Wisconsin on July 1, 1999, with a promise of special occasion Masses allowed at St. Patrick’s Church.  These special occasion Masses have included weddings, anniversaries, funerals and an Annual Mass on St. Patrick’s Feast Day on March 17.

The first meeting of the St. Patrick Preservation Group was held on June 2, 1999. In March of 2000, St. Patrick Church was named to the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation's list of one of the ten most endangered historic properties in the State of Wisconsin due to the possibility of its destruction. On June 30, 2000, St. Patrick Preservation Fund, Inc. was established to assist in the preservation of the history and activities of St. Patrick Church. It has also been our goal to work with the Milwaukee Archdiocese in whatever way possible to find an acceptable Catholic use for St. Patrick's Church and assist in whatever way possible in the maintenance of the church, cemeteries, rectory and grounds of St. Patrick’s Church for the benefit of past, present and future generations not only in the United States but also in Ireland.

Monthly St. Patrick Preservation Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Erin Town Hall, 1846 Highway 83, Town of Erin, Wisconsin. The Rosary is prayed prior to our monthly meetings on the steps of St. Patrick’s Church at 6:40 p.m., May through September (weather permitting). 

What can you do to help? First, please remember the St. Patrick Preservation Group in your daily prayers. If you are interested in financially supporting our cause, tax-deductible donations may be mailed to: 

St. Patrick Preservation Fund, Inc.
c/o Mrs. Joan Coffey
1480 State Highway 83, South
Hartford, WI 53027

 
Reduced Price! $25 picked up, $30 Mailed

The St. Patrick Preservation Fund is a de facto private association of the Christian faithful. It is civilly structured as a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Wisconsin. The Fund has been ruled tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Fund’s primary purpose is to promote the preservation of the Church of Saint Patrick, Rectory and the Old (Est. 1852) and New (Est. 1959) St. Patrick Cemeteries in Erin. An association of the Christian faithful may exist legitimately either with or without ecclesiastical recognition. (Canon 215 of the Code of Canon Law recognizes the right of the faithful to establish associations.) To preserve its independence, the St. Patrick Preservation Fund has chosen not to seek formal ecclesiastical recognition. All of the Fund’s officers, directors, and members are Catholics in good standing, but the Fund does not claim to speak in the name of the Church, the Archdiocese, or the parish.

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