Fr. Scott Emerson, JCL

Fr. Scott Emerson has served as Parochial Vicar at Pastorate 20, which includes St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church and St. Christopher Catholic Parish, since July 1, 2023.

He was named Pastor at St. Maria Goretti on January 10, 2021 by Bishop Donald Hying. Prior to that, he served St. Maria Goretti faithfully as the Parochial Administrator.

Fr. Scott grew up in Spring Green, Wisconsin on a dairy farm and attended St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Spring Green, St. Luke Catholic School in Plain and River Valley High School in Spring Green. He has a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University in Milwaukee. He attended seminary at the American College of Leuven in Belgium and the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 26, 2015, by Bishop Robert Morlino at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church. Following his ordination, he served as Parochial Vicar at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Wisconsin Dells. Later, he was appointed Parochial Administrator at the linked parishes of Holy Family in La Valle, St. Boniface in Lime Ridge, and St. Patrick in Loreto. While serving those parishes, Fr. Scott initiated and oversaw the interior demolition and renovation of the entire parish rectory, along with a new landscaping plan of the grounds, as well as updating the parish's sacramental records and rectifying the parish's finances. Fr. Scott has also served as Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Reedsburg.

Following that assignment, Fr. Scott returned to Rome to continue his graduate studies in Canon Law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. In 2018, he served as the Priest Secretary and Master of Ceremonies to Bishop Morlino before his passing in November 2018. He currently serves as a Judge on the Tribunal for the Diocese of Madison.

In his free time, Fr. Scott enjoys reading, cooking, hunting, and gardening.