St Rita Church at 1601 N Cass St began in 1933 as a “mission” outpost of the old Italian parish, the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Church in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. Its basement church was blessed as a new independent parish in 1937, then a building was erected and blessed in 1939. From the beginning, the Sisters of Charity of St Joan Antida Thouret tended to children’s needs in this parish, and by 1937 were operating a school. In 2018, the church was demolished with plans to build St. Rita Square, a 6-story senior housing campus operated by Capri Senior Communities, along with a new St. Rita Church. The new church was completed in the spring of 2020. To see a virtual tour and photos, visit The New St. Rita Church page.
Read more about the history of St. Rita in this online flipbook.