About Church of Our Lady of Manannah · Grove City, Minnesota
The Church of Our Lady (often called Our Lady of Manannah) is a small, rural Roman Catholic parish in Grove City, Minnesota, in the Diocese of New Ulm. The parish was organized in 1876 by Rev. Father John McDermott of Darwin and has served the Manannah farming community for nearly 150 years. Today it is part of the Shepherd of Souls Catholic Area Faith Community, which links it with St. John (Darwin), St. Philip (Litchfield), and St. Anthony (Watkins). The parish gathers weekly for Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM and is known for its strong agricultural ties.
- Established
- 1876
- Patron
- Our Lady (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Jeffrey Horejsi
- Diocese
- Diocese of New Ulm
Why belong here
Our Lady of Manannah offers the warmth of a small rural parish with deep agricultural roots, where generations of farming families have worshipped since 1876. As part of the Shepherd of Souls Area Faith Community, members also benefit from shared clergy, faith formation, and ministries across four linked parishes. Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM is followed by a strong community life including a Parish Administrative Council, religious education led by Director Deb McCann, Knights of Columbus involvement, and opportunities to serve through the local parish council.
Mass times at Church of Our Lady of Manannah
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15 PM at St. Philip, Litchfield (or by appointment)
About the Church of Our Lady
The Church of Our Lady is a small, rural, Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota. According to the parish's own description, it is 'a vibrant parish with strong agricultural ties' and is part of the Shepherd of Souls Area Faith Community. The parish mailing address is 57482 CSAH 3, Grove City, MN 56243, and it sits in the unincorporated community of Manannah in Manannah Township, Meeker County. Parish office hours are Monday and Friday, and the parish can be reached at (320) 453-7526 or (320) 693-8900 (fax 888-404-1952). The parish email is [email protected].
History of the Parish
Catholic life in Manannah began with a funeral Mass celebrated by Father Anthony of St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, on August 3, 1866, in the home of Frank McIntyre. The parish itself was organized in 1876 by Rev. Father John McDermott of Darwin; the church site was donated by Anthony Kelly of Minneapolis. The church was completed under the pastorate of Father Kinney, while Manannah was still attached to the Litchfield parish. A parochial residence was built in 1885, and the present church building was erected in 1889. The twenty-acre tract of land that holds the church and cemetery was donated by Louis Maher and Michael McGraw. A 125th anniversary history of the parish was published in 2001 by Francis J. Garvey.
- First Catholic Mass in Manannah: August 3, 1866 (Father Anthony, St. John's Abbey)
- Parish organized: 1876 by Rev. Father John McDermott of Darwin
- Land for church site donated by Anthony Kelly of Minneapolis
- Parochial residence built: 1885
- Present church building erected: 1889
- 20-acre tract with church and cemetery donated by Louis Maher and Michael McGraw
- '125th Anniversary, Church of Our Lady of Manannah, 1876–2001' by Francis J. Garvey, Lifetouch Publishing, 2001
Shepherd of Souls Area Faith Community
The Church of Our Lady is one of four parishes that together form the Shepherd of Souls Catholic Area Faith Community in the Diocese of New Ulm. The partner parishes are St. John in Darwin, St. Philip in Litchfield, and St. Anthony in Watkins. Through this affiliation the four parishes share clergy, staff, faith-formation programs, and sacramental preparation, while each individual parish keeps its own identity, worship space, and parish council. Weekend Mass times across the AFC include Saturday 5:00 PM and Sunday 8:00, 10:00, and 12:00 PM (Spanish) at various sites, with Our Lady's Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM.
- St. John — Darwin
- St. Philip — Litchfield
- Our Lady — Manannah (Grove City)
- St. Anthony — Watkins (includes a Spanish Mass)
Clergy and Staff
The Shepherd of Souls Area Faith Community is served by Pastor Fr. Jeffrey Horejsi and Senior Associate Pastor Fr. Mike Doyle, with Deacon Roger Osborne assisting in the diaconate ministry. At Our Lady specifically, Julie Schmitz serves as Parish Secretary, Deb McCann is the Director of Religious Education, and Jerry Moudry is the custodian/maintenance lead. AFC administrator Brenda Grates also supports the parishes. Fr. Horejsi can be reached at (320) 693-3313 ext. 101.
- Fr. Jeffrey Horejsi — Pastor
- Fr. Mike Doyle — Senior Associate Pastor
- Deacon Roger Osborne — Deacon Ministry
- Julie Schmitz — Parish Secretary
- Deb McCann — Director of Religious Education
- Jerry Moudry — Custodian/Maintenance
- Brenda Grates — AFC Administrator
Our Lady Parish Administrative Council
The Parish Administrative Council at Our Lady includes ex officio members (Fr. Jeff Horejsi, Deacon Roger Osborne, Julie Schmitz, and Brenda Grates) along with elected trustees and council members. The council helps guide parish life, finances, and ministries in Manannah.
- Fr. Jeff Horejsi (ex officio)
- Dcn. Roger Osborne (ex officio)
- Julie Schmitz (ex officio)
- Brenda Grates (ex officio)
- Pat Becker — Trustee
- Barb Laabs — Trustee
- Joe McCarney
- Trent Raddatz
- Wayne Henfling
- Terri Drange
- Paul McCarney
- Tyler Wallace
Faith Formation and Ministries
Religious Education at Our Lady is led by Director of Religious Education Deb McCann and is coordinated across the Shepherd of Souls Area Faith Community so that children and families from Manannah, Darwin, Litchfield, and Watkins share programs and sacramental preparation. The parish is also home to a Knights of Columbus council, listed by the Minnesota Knights of Columbus with its own parish contact and a link back to the Shepherd of Souls website.
- Religious Education / Faith Formation — Deb McCann, DRE
- Knights of Columbus — Church of Our Lady Council (mnknights.org listing)
- Sacramental preparation coordinated across the Area Faith Community
Contact and Location
The parish is located in the unincorporated community of Manannah in Meeker County, Minnesota, with a Grove City mailing address. The parish office can be reached by phone at (320) 693-8900 or (320) 453-7526, with fax 888-404-1952, and by email at [email protected]. Office hours are Monday and Friday. The mailing address is 57482 CSAH 3, Grove City, MN 56243. The parish is part of Deanery 3 in the Diocese of New Ulm and is listed at GCatholic under Church ID 32256.
- Mailing address: 57482 CSAH 3, Grove City, MN 56243
- Phone: (320) 693-8900 or (320) 453-7526
- Fax: 888-404-1952
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish office hours: Monday & Friday
- Deanery: 3, Diocese of New Ulm
- GCatholic Church ID: 32256