About Divine Mercy · Faribault, Minnesota
Divine Mercy Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Faribault, Minnesota, part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. It was formed in 2002 through the consolidation of three long-standing Faribault parishes — Sacred Heart (the historically French-Canadian parish), St. Lawrence (the German parish), and Immaculate Conception (the Irish parish) — whose combined Catholic roots in the community go back to 1847. The parish worships at a purpose-built church dedicated in 2009 on a 40-acre campus at 139 Mercy Drive, south of town, and also operates Divine Mercy Catholic School (PreK–5). Today it serves a bilingual (English/Spanish) congregation with weekly Sunday Masses, a 12:00 PM Spanish Mass, an ASL-interpreted Sunday Mass, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, a robust Council of Catholic Women, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, and active youth and outreach ministries.
- Established
- 2002
- Patron
- Divine Mercy
- Rector
- Fr. Cory Rohlfing
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
Divine Mercy is a unified, bilingual parish with deep Faribault roots going back to 1847, now gathered on a single campus that pairs a contemporary church with the parish school. Worshippers can attend a weekly Spanish Mass, an ASL-interpreted Sunday Mass, and pray before the Blessed Sacrament in perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. A parish school (PreK–5), an active Council of Catholic Women, a St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and thrift outreach, youth groups, and ministries for every age make it a place where families can plug in across the week, not just on Sundays.
Mass times at Divine Mercy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
- Friday: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Parish History
Divine Mercy is the present-day expression of nearly 180 years of Catholic life in Faribault. St. Lawrence was founded in 1847 to serve German Catholic families; Sacred Heart (French-Canadian) and Immaculate Conception (Irish) followed. The schools merged in 1969; Sacred Heart and St. Lawrence merged as a parish in 1996; and in 2002 Immaculate Conception joined them to create Divine Mercy. The parish relocated to its current 40-acre Mercy Drive campus in 2006–2009 and finished a major school expansion in fall 2024.
- 1847 — St. Lawrence founded (German parish)
- Sacred Heart (French-Canadian) and St. Lawrence shared a pastor as early as 1886
- 1969 — three parish schools merged into Consolidated Catholic Schools
- 1996 — Sacred Heart and St. Lawrence formally merged
- 2002 — Immaculate Conception joins to form Divine Mercy
- 2006 — 'New Beginnings' capital campaign; new 40-acre campus south of town
- 2009 — new church dedicated on Mercy Drive
- Fall 2024 — new PreK–5 education center and gymnasium completed on the church campus
Sacraments
Reconciliation is offered four times a week. The parish prepares families for Baptism and Marriage and provides ongoing faith formation for children and adults through the school, Religious Education, and RCIA.
- Reconciliation: Mon 5:00 PM, Tue 8:00 AM, Fri 8:00 AM, Sat 9:00 AM
- Baptism preparation and baptismal blanket ministry
- Marriage preparation
- First Eucharist, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, care for the homebound
Faith Formation & Parish School
Divine Mercy Catholic School (dmcs.cc) is a PreK–5 parish school whose mission is to form the whole child — mind, body, and soul — guided by Christian values. Students in K–5 attend weekly Mass on Wednesdays or Fridays; preschoolers attend Mass several times a year and take turns planning liturgies. Religion is taught daily and integrated into the life of the school. The school welcomes children of all faiths but expects participation in religious instruction and weekly Mass. The school moved onto the church campus with the completion of a new education center in fall 2024.
- PreK–5 curriculum with religion, reading, math, language arts, science, social studies, spelling, phonics, music, art, PE, and library/media
- Licensed teachers; small class sizes with differentiated instruction
- Weekly school Mass for K–5; several Masses per year for Preschool
- New education center with classrooms, dining commons, kitchen, specialty rooms (art, music, science), and a high-school-size gymnasium (fall 2024)
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The parish offers a wide range of ministries for adults, families, and youth. The Council of Catholic Women is a long-standing organization affiliated with the Minnesota SW Deanery CCW, the Archdiocesan ACCW, and the National CCW; it meets the first Monday of the month at 6:15 PM in the St. Faustina Commons following the 5:30 PM Mass. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Divine Mercy Conference operates an extensive food pantry and free-store outreach to Rice County families.
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — Patti Gartner, President; quilting, funeral lunches, Meals on Wheels, Sharing and Caring Hands, Appalachian Mission Project, parish retreat
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Divine Mercy Conference (food pantry, free store, direct financial aid; phone 507-334-2100)
- High School Youth Group
- Knights of Columbus
- Choir / Chorale (9:30 Mass Choir)
- Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Ushers, Altar Servers
- Homebound Ministers
Outreach & Charity
Outreach flows through several organized groups. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference distributes groceries and operates a free store for families at or below 200% of the Minnesota poverty level. The CCW coordinates Meals on Wheels drivers, delivers flowers and cookies to parishioners in senior and nursing facilities, supports Sharing and Caring Hands, runs the Appalachian Mission Project, and hosts Lenten soup suppers.
- SVdP food pantry and free-store for Rice County families
- Meals on Wheels coordination
- Sharing and Caring Hands
- Appalachian Mission Project
- Lenten Soup Suppers benefiting parish ministries
- Flowers and cookies to parishioners in local senior living and nursing homes
Clergy & Staff
Divine Mercy is led by Pastor Fr. Cory Rohlfing, with Fr. Erik Lundgren serving as Parochial Vicar (also assisting in school administration at Divine Mercy Catholic School). The parish staff can be reached through the parish office.
- Fr. Cory Rohlfing — Pastor
- Fr. Erik Lundgren — Parochial Vicar (also assistant principal at Divine Mercy Catholic School)
- Parish office: 507-334-7706
- Fax: 507-334-3895
Safety & Pastoral Care
The parish maintains a pastoral page for abuse victims and survivors, sharing the Archdiocese Victim Assistance Hotline (651-291-4475) and the Canvas Health 24-hour Hotline (651-291-4497), along with the parish pastor's invitation to come forward for help and healing.
- Archdiocese Victim Assistance Hotline: 651-291-4475
- Canvas Health 24-hour Hotline: 651-291-4497
- Pastoral message from Fr. Cory Rohlfing posted on the parish site