The Architect
The church was designed by Peter Brust who founded what is now Zimmerman Architectural Studios. Brust designed many other churches in Milwaukee including St. Anne on N. 36th Street, Holy Angels Catholic Church and School on N. 11th Street, St. Rita’s Catholic Church and School on S. 61st Street, and St. Boniface Catholic Church and School on N. 11th Street.
The pews are higher towards the back of the church to help everyone see the front better. Until 1927, the church rented pews to families instead of the collection during Mass that takes place today. The name of the family renting the pew was on a plaque at the end. Some of these original pews are in the choir loft.
The curved feature coming out from the church on the right side is where the Baptismal font used to be located. It is now in the front of the church on the same side.
The original building design had a canvas ceiling. It was removed in either 1951 or 1952, and the ceiling was painted in 1988.
The stained-glass windows tell the story of Biblical events from the Birth of Christ to the Ascension. Unlike most stained glass, which is simply painted on both sides, the windows in the church are dyed all the way through.There are two noticeable mistakes in the stained-glass windows. One, in the Holy Family depiction, there is a single rogue green-colored piece of glass at the top of the window. Likewise, in the image of the Disciples, there is one rogue blue piece of stained glass. Donors made most of these windows possible.
The Stations of The Cross, which are in every Catholic Church, represent 14 specific events in Christ’s last day beginning with Jesus being condemned and ending with Jesus being placed in the tomb. The stations in this parish came from Holy Family which was in Cudahy, WI, and was installed at St. Augustine in 2017. Individual families sponsored these stations to be removed from Holy Family and restored.
The current organ was installed in 2003 replacing an electronic organ. Half of the organ came from a Congregational Church in Burlington, WI. The rest of the organ came from various sources to make a complete instrument.
In the 1940s the church was completely redecorated and the basement was finished into a church hall. The painting above the altar was covered with acoustic tile. Real marble was added to the sides of the church at that time. The walls were white when the church was first built and painted to look like marble in the ‘20s.
At the front center of the church is the high altar with a Baldacchino (canopy sheltering the Eucharist) covering the Tabernacle. The green columns at the front of the church holding up the Baldacchino are wood-painted to look like marble. The word Tabernacle means “dwelling place”. The Tabernacle is where the Eucharist is housed outside of services. The parish also has a cloth Baldacchino that is used for Eucharistic processions (pictured right).
Most Catholic Churches have Christ on the Cross in the center of the high altar and Mary (left) and Joseph (right) on the sides. This church has side altars by Mary and Joseph. On the side altar below Joseph is a representation of the Infant Christ holding the world. His outfits and candles change with the seasons.
Windows on the St. Mary Side
Window #1: The Annunciation (front left)
The young woman kneeling, cloaked in blue, is Mary with the angel Gabriel over her. Pictured is a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The angel Gabriel is telling Mary that she will conceive a son and name him Jesus.
Window #2: The Nativity
This is Christmas! In a Bethlehem manger, Mary is swaddling her son Jesus with her husband Joseph behind her. Around them are the shepherds, the first visitors to the newborn Jesus.
Window #3: Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Depicted in this scene is Mary and Joseph bringing their child for His presentation in the Temple. Baby Jesus is only eight days old.
According to Jewish law, the parents have to bring something to sacrifice, which is why Joseph is holding a cage with two doves. The man who is holding Jesus is Simeon who recognizes Jesus as the promised Messiah and praises God. The woman above Mary is Anna. She hears Simeon’s words and is elated that she has witnessed this event.
Window #4: The Flight into Egypt
Soon after the visit from the Magi (or 3 Kings), an angel appeared in a dream to Joseph telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and the Infant Jesus. King Herod wanted to seek out Jesus and have him killed because he believed Jesus would take his throne as “King of the Jews”. Because of this, the Holy Family fled hundreds of miles through the desert from Bethlehem to Egypt.
Window #5: The Holy Family
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are the Holy Family and are depicted here as a symbol of a loving, strong, and holy family. In this picture, Mary looks lovingly at her son. Joseph is holding a saw and is proudly looking at his son as he teaches him to be a carpenter. The angel is keeping them safe with outstretched arms. The banner above “Ora et Labora” translates to “Pray and Work” which is the motto of the Benedictines.
Windows on the St. Joseph Side
Window #6: The Wedding at Cana (back right)
Mary and Jesus attended a wedding in the town of Cana and the wine ran out. At the request of his mother, Jesus asks the servant to pour water into the empty wine jugs at his feet. As the servant pours the water, it turns into wine as it enters the other jug. Look at the servant pouring in the window. You will see the color change from one jug to the other.
Window #7: Doubting Thomas
Thomas, an apostle of Jesus was not present at the first appearance of the risen Lord. Thomas told the other apostles that he wouldn’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead unless he put his finger into Jesus’ wounds. This window shows Thomas looking at the risen Jesus and Jesus telling Thomas to put his finger into his wounded side as he pulls his tunic away.
Window #8: Peter Receives the Key to the Kingdom
According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asked his disciples “Who am I?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus blesses Peter for this answer saying He gives him the keys to the kingdom of heaven and gives him the role of building the church. Peter becomes the first pope because of this. You can see in this window Jesus is giving Peter a golden key.
Window #9: The Ascension
The Ascension of Jesus is the departure of Christ from the Earth into Heaven 40 days after Easter. Below him are the disciples as they look at him in awe.
Window #10: Sacred Heart of Jesus
This is not a scene taken from the Bible. Jesus stands showing his Sacred Heart to a nun. The Sacred Heart symbolizes Jesus’ divine love for us and His willingness to die for us. Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun with this image and message, she promoted the devotion to the Sacred Heart in the 1600s along with the Jesuits, and she was canonized in 1920.