american hauntings ghost hunts
HAUNTED BERLIN SANTUARY
CHURCH, SCHOOL, RECTORY & CONVENT
BERLIN, WISCONSIN 54923|
TWO-NIGHT EVENT:
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JULY 31 AND AUGUST 1
8:00 PM TO 2:00 AM BOTH NIGHTS
Join American Hauntings at the Haunted Berlin Sanctuary for a two-night event of a historic church, rectory, church, and convent that has quickly become known as one of the most haunted places in Wisconsin. The mysterious events that have been reported here have become so unsettling that many visitors have simply left the buildings, never to return. If you’ve got the nerve to join us, we’d like to invite you along to one of the spookiest locations you have ever experienced!
As anyone with an interest in ghosts can tell you, churches are often known for becoming infested with restless spirits. Add in a long, rich history and the chances of finding evidence of spirits increases greatly – which explains the haunting at this place!
THE HISTORY….
Only three years after the establishment of a post office in Berlin in 1848, there were enough Catholics in the immediate area that a parish was formed. The first Catholic mass was held in 1851 at Badger Hall, a theater in town that was once located at the present-day site of the Farmers and Merchants Bank. By the following year, Father Godfrey had built a small chapel on the south side of Noyes Street, and Father Gray became the first resident pastor in 1857. It was during his time at the church that property was purchased on East Park Avenue, and the chapel was moved there. That building became a rectory when a brick church was constructed next door in 1860.
Father Francis Fiss, who was responsible for the construction of the original church.
Several other priests served as the church pastor, including Father Timothy Ryan. A new rectory was constructed during his tenure. Other pastors followed through the 1890s. During the leadership of Father Clifford, many improvements were made to the building, including the addition of stained-glass windows, a furnace, electric lights, and a bell for the church’s tower. The next pastor was Father Francis Fiss, who arrived in Berlin in 1896 and helped to build a new church, which opened in 1909. He also supervised a renovation of the rectory before retiring in 1925.
Father David Regan took over as pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in September of that year. He had been ordained as a priest in 1912 and became a pillar of the Berlin community. He was only 63 years old on March 19, 1945, when he passed away suddenly in the rectory at 2:00 A.M. He had performed mass that afternoon but had become ill in the evening. He didn’t survive the night, but there are many believe he has never left…
In 1951, Father Charles D, Monroe became the pastor of the church and just one year later, he announced that a school and convent would be added to the property. Classes began in September 1953, staffed by the Sisters of Agnes.
The church continued to serve parishioners until 2007. Seven years later, it re-opened as an antique mall and then in 2025, the property was purchased by the current owners.
…. and the hauntings!
Since the church, rectory, school, and convent have been opened to the public as a place known for its eerie atmosphere, there have been scores of authentic reports of strange happenings. Even the current owners had eerie encounters in the building that dates back to 2011, when they heard voices and whispers in the attic.
Their experiences have not stopped – but now they’re inviting others to see the place for themselves.
According to those who have visited, witnesses have seen shadows move in the choir loft, chairs have moved, and organ keys have been pressed by invisible hands. Throughout the church, they’ve heard whispers, voices, singing, prayers, footsteps, and have felt cold chills they couldn’t explain in the aisles, the sacristy, and the confessionals. The rope in the bell tower has been seen moving on its own, without the assistance of wind, and many have heard heavy footsteps pacing the floor in the upper reaches of the tower – but only when no one else was there.
In the rectory, more cold spots occur, footsteps are heard, doorknobs rattle and twist, doors open and close, and apparitions have been spotted in the hallways and bedrooms. From the rectory’s attic, visitors have heard the sound of voices below – but when the building is otherwise empty – unexplained whispers and even the sounds of shattering glass, although, of course, nothing has been broken.
The school and the convent have lingering spirits of their own and experiences have included footsteps, lights turning on and off, doors slamming, banging noises, mysterious knocks, loud voices in empty rooms, children’s laughter and cries echoing in the hallways, According to one witness, she was visiting the school one night and heard the distinct sound of someone writing on a chalkboard. However, when she entered the room where the sound came from, she saw no one – at first. A moment later, she claimed to catch a glimpse of a nun in a traditional habit standing at the back of the room. She quickly vanished.
So, consider joining us for this two-night adventure in Berlin, Wisconsin, to explore these historic structures and seek the spirits alleged to linger here. Is it as haunted as so many people claim? This is your chance to find out for yourself!