A worker cleans a mosaic in the historic St. Joseph Chapel in Milwaukee as part of a restoration project. Workers cleaned every individual piece of tile and glass in the mosaics and stained-glass windows of the chapel. (Submitted photo)
The St. Joseph Chapel, located within the convent of the School Sisters of St. Francis on Layton Boulevard in Milwaukee, is a beloved spiritual home for the 150-year-old order.
But it’s also a historic landmark — a place of wonder, prayer and music that welcomes thousands of visitors each year. This majestic jewel of the Romanesque revival style was designed by renowned Milwaukee architects Peter Brust and Richard Philipp, and dedicated in 1917.
For decades, the sisters — whose charism is marked by a dedication to the arts and sacred music — have welcomed members of the public to the space for concerts, liturgies, retreats and more.
When the order decided to undertake the restoration of the chapel in 2024, the project was more than just a meaningful way to mark their 150th anniversary. It was a gift to the whole community.
“The chapel has been a daily center of prayer for our sisters at every stage of life,” said Amanda Ferguson, Director of Mission Advancement for the School Sisters of St. Francis. “I think that’s why they feel so happy and privileged to share its beauty and peace with people from throughout the Milwaukee area and beyond.”
“We wanted to bring this jewel back to its full wonder and beauty,” explained Dan Tretow, Facilities Director for the School Sisters of St. Francis. It had been more than 50 years since the chapel saw a major restoration. “We knew we had patching work to do. We knew that there were years and years of candle soot that clings to things. It was really a decision point of, well, this is our 150th: let’s make it happen.”
The sisters hired Chicago-based Daprato Rigali Studios for the job, which included repair and restoration to the chapel’s iconic mosaics as well as to its plaster, marble and windows. Ellie Robinson, project manager for Daprato Rigali and a fifth-generation member of the family business, called working on St. Joseph Chapel “an amazing opportunity for us all.”
“St. Joseph’s is a hidden gem,” Robinson said.
Work began in June. The chapel remained closed for nine months, during which time the sisters attended Mass in St. Joseph Hall.
“I don’t know how many thousands of pieces of glass are in these mosaics, but every piece of glass was touched and cleaned,” said Tretow, who praised the detailed work of Daprato Rigali’s team, saying they went “above and beyond.”
“If (the glass) was loose, it was cemented in again,” Tretow said. “If we were missing a chip, they found a color to match and put it in.”
The result is “absolutely beautiful,” said Tretow. “The blues just pop right out of the window.”
In addition to Daprato Rigali’s team, Badger Scaffold LLC, Lemoncello Installations, Sound Planning Associates and NESKO Electric Company collaborated on the project.
The chapel, which measures almost 14,500 square feet, can seat up to 350 on just the main floor and up to 500 if the balcony is utilized. The sisters returned for their first Mass in the renovated space in the last week of February.
“They are just so happy,” said Tretow. In addition to the other restoration work, a new sound system and new lighting were installed. All historic lighting fixtures of the chapel were retained, but indirect lighting was added to better illuminate the ceiling.
The order celebrated the chapel reopening with a Mass, tours and a reception March 16.
The restorations to the chapel were completely funded as of January 2024, said Ferguson.
“Everyone is thrilled and extremely grateful,” Ferguson said. “We were blessed early on in the chapel project with an anonymous donor who generously gave $1 million to the project. Another of our donors, Martin Gregorcich, covered the entire cost of our restorations in the Relic Chapel, in memory of his wife, Maureen Mueller. These two donations really helped launch our year-long fundraising campaign.”
In the end, hundreds of donors supported the campaign. “The community support of this historic chapel was overwhelming,” said Ferguson. “I had a donor call yesterday, and when she learned the campaign was funded, she still chose to give to our St. Joseph Center maintenance fund set up to help with ongoing upkeep. Going forward, that is what our focus will be on, the St. Joseph Center Maintenance Fund.”
Contact Tretow at 414-944-6021 or dtretow@sssf.org to arrange visits by indivividuals, families, school groups or other groups.
