By 1880 native German immigrants comprised 27% of the population of the city of Milwaukee. In Milwaukee’s early days, churches were formed by immigrant groups from the same country and served as a community and religious center for the area.

Until 1887, there was only one Catholic parish in Bay View: Immaculate Conception. This parish consisted mostly of English-speaking members. The German-speaking Catholics had to go to St. Anthony’s (9th and Mitchell), Holy Trinity (now Our Lady of Guadalupe on 4th and Bruce), Sacred Heart Parish in St. Francis or St. Stephen’s in New Coeln (near present-day Mitchell International Airport– St. Stephen’s Cemetery can still be seen from Howell Ave), to hear a German sermon.

The need for a new German-speaking parish prompted an informal meeting early in 1887. This was held in August Hermes’ hardware store. They sat on nail kegs or leaned against the walls while the groundwork was laid for St. Augustine Parish. August Hermes, Adam Krill, Elias Stollenwerk, and John Risch were prominent in setting up the organization. Initially, 47 families agreed to form a new  parish, and that year, 23 lots on Howell Avenue and Graham Street were purchased. On February 7, 1888, Father Peter Schumacher was appointed by the Archbishop to oversee the formation of a new parish and serve as its first pastor.

It was decided to build a single building for the church and school, with classrooms on the first floor and church services held on the second floor. This combined church/school building is next to current church building on Homer and Graham. It is now Downtown Montessori. The first Mass was said on a portable altar there on August 25, 1888. The church was located on the second floor of the combined church/school building and classes were on the first floor along with 2 rooms for the sisters, who taught at the school, to live in. The building stopped being used as the parish school in 2000, when Immaculate Conception and St. Augustine combined into St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Academy.

The church was completed in September. Archbishop Heiss, assisted by 12 priests, consecrated the new church on September 23, 1888. Two days later, the school opened with an enrollment of 80 pupils. Before this, area children had to walk to St. Anthony on 9th and Mitchell. Classes at the school were held in German for half of the day and taught in English for the other half of the day. The language of the parish changed to English during World War I because German Americans were forced to hide their ethnicity to avoid discrimination and harassment. During WWI German churches, schools, publications, and societies were thought to be instruments of German imperialism. As a result, the parish stopped printing bulletins, saying homilies, and making announcements in German.

Continued growth of the parish necessitated a separate church, and on December 30, 1906, it was decided to build a new church at a cost of no more than $36,000. The Romanesque revival building was designed by Brust & Philipp. On Palm Sunday, April 12, 1908, the cornerstone of the current church was laid.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1908, the new church was dedicated. Archbishop Messmer, Bishop Chalbahl of LaCrosse, Bishop Fox of Green Bay, Monsignor Keogh, and 40  other priests were present. The Archbishop dedicated the church, while Bishop Chalbahl celebrated the Pontifical Mass. The Archbishop preached in German, exhorting the people to make frequent use of this new house of God. On Sunday, November 29, 1908, the Blessed Sacrament was carried in procession from the old church to the new edifice.

In 1910, the first pipe organ was purchased. On Saturday, June 6, 1914, the blessing of three new bells took place. The large bell was named “Mary and Augustine” and the two smaller bells were named “Joseph” and “Peter.” These same bells continue to ring out over Bay View today.

During this same time, the present stained glass windows were donated to the church and installed. The Christ Noll family donated the two side altars in July 1922 and the main altar in October 1935. The Stations of the Cross were installed in December 1922. In 1924, the church was redecorated and a new tabernacle was installed.

A loudspeaker system was added to the church in 1936. On September 9, 1939, a small fire occurred on the communion rail. During the 1940’s, the church was completely redecorated, and the basement was excavated to accommodate the parish hall. The old tunnel between the church and the school exists to this day, although it is not open to the public.

In 1965, following the Second Vatican Council, Mass underwent major changes. The Liturgy was changed from Latin to English. Air conditioning was added to the church and hall in 1967. In 1970, a new forward-facing altar was installed. During the 1960’s and 70’s, the parish continued to grow. In 1973, St. Augustine had 5,000 parishioners from 1,300 families.

A major renovation occurred in 1986 which moved the main altar closer to the congregation. Side pews were added and turned, the kneelers and communion rails were removed, and the church was redecorated. In 1988, the bells were automated. A large pipe organ replaced the smaller one in 1999. Up until 2006, the steeple tower had spaces for a clock on each side. Clock mechanisms were finally put in place in 2006. In 2007, lights were installed to illuminate the steeple at night. Stations of the Cross were purchased from the Holy Family Church in Cudahy and  installed in 2017. Kneelers were salvaged from St. John Kanty (located at 9th and Dakota) when it closed in 2018 and reinstalled in 2021. 

Over the past 130 years, St. Augustine has seen over 8,600 Baptisms, 5,700 Confirmations, 2,800 weddings, and 3,000 funerals. St. Augustine continues as a strong and vibrant church in the Bay View community.