Saint Augustine Church is a former Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 parish located in New Diggings, Wisconsin

New Diggings, Wisconsin

New Diggings is a town in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 473 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Etna and Jenkinsville are located in the town.-Geography:...

. The church is in the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

. It is one of 36 parishes established by Father Samuel Mazzuchelli

Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli

Father Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, O.P. was a pioneer Italian Catholic missionary who helped bring the church to the Iowa-Illinois-Wisconsin tri-state area. He founded a number of parishes in the area, and was the architect for a number of parish buildings.-Background:Father Mazzuchelli was born...

. It was founded in 1835, with the church being constructed in 1844.

The church, a small wooden structure, is a combination of Greek/gothic and classical styles. The plans for the building were drawn up by Father Mazzuchelli. The church had three rooms behind the altar that provided living quarters for the priest whenever he stayed in the village. Father Mazzuchelli opened a school in these rooms in 1847 and staffed the small school with the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters

Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters

Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary of the Order of Preachers is a Catholic religious order for women. The mother house is located in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin in the Diocese of Madison.-Overview:...

.

St. Augustine is no longer an active parish. However because of the special historical connection to Father Mazzuchelli, the church remains a place of pilgrimage. The building is open on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., and a memorial Mass is held annually on the last Sunday of August. A number of historical artifacts, such as account books, records, letters, and other materials are preserved in the archives at Sinsinawa Mound in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin

Sinsinawa, Wisconsin

Sinsinawa is an unincorporated community in Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. The community is in the Town of Jamestown, and the Town of Hazel Green, one mile north of the border with Illinois. The community is 7.5 miles east of Dubuque, Iowa and 6.5 miles west of the village of Hazel Green,...

.

The Historic American Buildings Survey

Historic American Buildings Survey

The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...

 named St. Augustine as worthy of preservation after nationwide interest was expressed in the church. The Father Mazzuchelli Assembly of the Knights of Columbus

Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....

 of Lancaster, Wisconsin

Lancaster, Wisconsin

Lancaster is a city in and the county seat of Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 4,070.-History:...

is currently working to restore the building. The restoration and preservation of St Augustine is expected to be completed by mid-summer 2008.