Regular and stated Catholic services were established in Janesville by Rev. Patrick Kernan (Keenan), the first regular pastor.

The evidence

• “Regular and stated services in accordance with the rites and forms of this church were established in 1850 by Rev. Patrick Kernan.”

  1856-history-of-rock-county/25-city-of-janesville.md, PDF p. 185 / book p. 167

  Guernsey, Orrin, and Josiah F. Willard, editors. History of Rock County, and Transactions of the Rock County Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute. Janesville, Wis.: William M. Doty & Brother, 1856. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871593.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources

  

• “In 1850 the first regular pastor of the Catholic church took charge, being the Rev. Patrick Keenan; prior to this time the services had been held by outside priests.”

  1908-brown-rock-county/26-history-of-janesville.md, Vol. 2, PDF p. 30 / book p. 544

  Brown, William Fiske, editor. Rock County, Wisconsin: A New History of Its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests, from the Earliest Times, Up to Date. Chicago: C. F. Cooper & Co., 1908. 2 vols. archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon01brow, archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon02brow.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources