Gesu Parish

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The foundation of Gesu Parish stretches back to the year 1849, three years after Milwaukee was incorporated as a city. Bishop Martin J. Henni built St. Gall's Church on Second and Sycamore (present-day Michigan) Streets. This parish community was primarily English-speaking people of Irish heritage living on the near south and west sides of the city. In 1848, Bishop Henni received a gift from a Belgian benefactor for the endowment of a Jesuit college in Milwaukee. In 1855, Henni offered St. Gall's to the Jesuits. Bishop Henni was impressed by the world-wide accomplishments of the Jesuits and their strong commitment to education as well as ministry. He hoped that by offering St. Gall's to the Jesuits, that much-needed schools and colleges would soon follow. The Society of Jesus accepted Bishop Henni's offer, and began a thriving parochial ministry in Milwaukee. In 1857, St. Aloysius Academy, the predecessor of Marquette University High School, opened. Seven years later, St. Aloysius was renamed St. Gall's Academy and moved to a larger building. The charter for Marquette College was secured by 1864. St. Gall's parish grew so rapidly that in 1869, they built a brick church. Within 10 years that church exceeded its capacity and in 1875 a second Jesuit parish, Holy Name Parish, was built at 11th and State Streets, next to Marquette College. Within fifteen years, Holy Name Parish had grown so much that it too, built a second church. ...

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