Building Design and Artwork

The main body of the church was built in the 19th Century Victorian Gothic design with a Basilica floorplan and a side chapel. The steeple and bell tower with its large bells, reaches a height of 125 feet. These bells could be heard from miles around. The church is 50 wide and 100 feet long while the arched sidewalls are 22 feet high and rise to the peak of the ceiling at a height of 35 feet. The building records show that 325,000 cream-colored bricks were used in the construction. These bricks are uniquely native to eastern Wisconsin. The gifted Bohemian immigrant wood carver, Joseph Svoboda of Kewaunee, crafted the three ornate high Gothic altars out of native oak and butternut. The side altars are over 20 feet tall, while the main altar rises to the height of 32 feet.

The church also includes an extra side chapel that has a hand-carved altar designed and crafted in 1875 by one of the early Bohemian immigrant pastors, Father Adalbert Cipin. It was very unusual in the 1890’s to have this extra spiritual meeting place in a parish church.

The 14 exquisite stained-glass windows (over 15 feet tall) all depict spiritual figures or Bohemian Saints. These were installed in the early 1900’s. These windows are believed to have been created by European master craftsmen.

In 1912 Mr. William Scheer, a German immigrant, created the artwork for the church. In 1957 Kewaunee artisan Louis Shrovnal refurbished and enhanced the 10 beautiful ceiling murals and other ornate artwork. Then in 1993 Joel Stradel repainted the church. Additionally, the apse area has numerous murals and spiritual symbols. Several statues and other church furnishings reflecting the immigrant’s Bohemian roots were added over the years. The church is a testament to the faith, devotion, sacrifice, and fortitude of these fervent Bohemian immigrants.