Parish of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Viroqua, WI. The Parish, known also as Saint Mary’s, celebrates its centennial anniversary in the year 2006.

Father Gabriel Momo, the pastor of Rising Sun at the start of the 20th century, discovered a small group of Catholics in the Viroqua area. Several times each year, he traveled by horseback to celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments with the faithful in Viroqua. Then, on 25 March 1906, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father Edward E. O’Reilly, a native of Ireland, celebrated Mass in a rented hall over the Proctor Bank, the present First National Bank on Main Street. After Mass a meeting of those present was held under the direction of Father O’Reilly. The small assembly requested of Bishop James Schwebach permission to incorporate as a parish. Permission was granted, and the parish was dedicated to Mary under the title of the Annunciation. Construction of the church was started on 1 March 1907 and dedicated on 9 June 1908.

Our new church was dedicated in 1961 by Bishop John Patrick Treacy and is pictured above. Now, the parish is a community of faith that includes 411 families. Join us for worship on Sundays; walk with us on the journey where we strive to recognize Jesus in our sister and brother. As the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we have discovered that always Jesus is at our side. Each evening we can speak their reflective words, “Were not our hearts burning within us as he spoke with us along the way!”