Our History
Riverside Cemetery was established by the City of Oshkosh in the 1850’s. Soon thereafter, the Pastor of St. Peter Parish established Riverside Catholic on September 10, 1855 by purchasing land from the City immediately north of Riverside Cemetery. As city owned Riverside was extended to the north of the Catholic section cutting off future growth, the purchase of land across Algoma Blvd. was made in 1915 to be called Calvary Catholic Cemetery.
In 1906, Sacred Heart Parish was established on the south side of Oshkosh, with its own cemetery on land further south that is now adjacent to Wittman Regional Airport. In the 1970’s, the Catholic Parishes of Oshkosh - St. Peter, St. Mary, St. Josaphat, St. Vincent and St. John - gave up control of Riverside Catholic and Calvary Catholic to the Diocese of Green Bay. |
In July 2007, the Diocese of Green Bay merged six of the Catholic Parishes in Oshkosh into two new parishes. Most Blessed Sacrament Parish on the north side of Oshkosh was created out of the three former parishes of St. Peter, St. Mary and St. Josaphat. St. Jude the Apostle Parish was created out of the former south side parishes of Sacred Heart, St. John’s and St. Vincent. St. Raphael the Archangel Parish, on the west side of Oshkosh, was not included in the merger.
In 2010, Green Bay Bishop David Ricken wrote to the Oshkosh Pastors requesting their consideration of moving control and operation of Riverside Catholic and Calvary Catholic Cemeteries back under local parish control. Catholic Cemeteries of Oshkosh Inc. was established in Nov. 2010 to control, manage and maintain the three Oshkosh Catholic Cemeteries of Riverside, Calvary and Sacred Heart, with the Pastors of Most Blessed Sacrament, St. Jude the Apostle, and St. Raphael as Directors. Full operation of the cemeteries by the parishes began on January 1, 2011
In 2010, Green Bay Bishop David Ricken wrote to the Oshkosh Pastors requesting their consideration of moving control and operation of Riverside Catholic and Calvary Catholic Cemeteries back under local parish control. Catholic Cemeteries of Oshkosh Inc. was established in Nov. 2010 to control, manage and maintain the three Oshkosh Catholic Cemeteries of Riverside, Calvary and Sacred Heart, with the Pastors of Most Blessed Sacrament, St. Jude the Apostle, and St. Raphael as Directors. Full operation of the cemeteries by the parishes began on January 1, 2011