Early Catholics
Madison's first Catholic church, St. Raphael's, served a congregation that was two-thirds
Irish and one-third German & Austrian. In 1857 the German members, wishing to worship in
their native language, founded Holy Redeemer. In 1888 St. Raphael's split again, with
some of it’s Irish families departing to form St. Patrick's parish. In 1905 members of
Holy Redeemer formed St. James.
