History

Holy Apostles Catholic School is supported by the three Catholic Communities of Annunciation, St. Joseph, and St. Jude. Holy Apostles continues the traditions of St. Joseph Catholic School and Trinity Catholic School which merged on July 1, 2006.  Trinity Catholic School began on July 1, 2000 when Annunciation School and St. Jude School merged.

Annunciation
Annunciation School opened its door for the first time in September, 1933. There were eight classrooms. The classrooms were very overcrowded. Classes were held anywhere there was room - in the basement, church, and even in corridors. In 1950 an addition to the rectory and school was done. This addition gave eight more classrooms and increased the size of the convent as well as the rectory.

With 18 classrooms Annunciation School still became overcrowded. It was the custom in most Catholic schools at that time to take in anyone who wanted to come. The enrollment was approximately 900 children averaging 50 children per room. In 1967 and 1968 two classrooms on the 1st floor were remodeled into a library, and into a combination office and meeting room. Previously to this the office was a much smaller room on the 2nd floor, which is currently being used as the school store. In 1965 the decision was made to limit the number of children to 35 per room.

From the beginning the school was served by the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin. There were 21 nuns teaching at Annunciation School until 1951 when teaching sisters were hard to come by. In 1951 the first part-time lay teacher was hired. By 1969 after the Second Vatican Council, with the large exodus of priests, brothers, and sisters from their vocations there were 9 lay teachers on staff. By 1981 the convent was closed.


St. Joseph
 
For over 75 years the people of St. Joseph Congregation have shown a deep faith, willingness to work together, and a sense of pride in their parish community. There is an active Parish Council intent on working for the common good, especially as it plans for the future. There are challenges ahead, especially that of parishioners taking a more active role in shaping the faith community, but endowed with the faith and example of earlier parishioners, good pastoral leadership and the promised guidance of God's Spirit, St. Joseph can continue to be an alive and caring parish, ready for the challenges of this new millennium.





St. Jude
In the late spring of 1957 Reverend Anthony Baier was approached by Bishop Bona to build a new parish on the west side of Green Bay. St. Jude Parish was built to offset the growing, overpopulated Annunciation Parish and School. Father Baier arranged to temporarily hold Sunday masses for his new parishioners at Annunciation Parish. A rectory was built first at 503 N. Platten, the $40,000 house which included a chapel for up to 80 people was used for weekday masses.

Groundbreaking took place on March 30, 1958. The first mass was held on December 14, 1958. The main building combined the school and what was then called the chapel at that time. The actual church was to be built on the far west portion of the property when the parish could afford it. That never happened. The chapel remains today and is used as the church.

Father Baier wanted to keep the chapel-church simple and free from distractions. He planned everything around the Trinity. The triangle design on the back of the sanctuary wall, the crucifix with the dove below, and God the Father looking down from the baldachin above. The altar was Father Baier's very own design to represent a challis covered with a patent. There is only one other church known to have the same altar design and that is in California with Father Baier's permission.

The name St. Jude was selected by Bishop Stanislaus V. Bona. He told Father Baier that by naming his new parish St. Jude all the apostles would then be represented in the Green Bay Diocese.

St. Patrick
(Information coming soon)