About Good Shepherd · Jackson, Minnesota
Good Shepherd Catholic Church is a parish in Jackson, Minnesota, rooted in the Bohemian Catholic settlement of southwestern Minnesota. Founded in 1892 as St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church by Czech (Bohemian) immigrant families, it is now the Jackson member of the Tri-Parish Community, clustered with St. Joseph's in Lakefield and St. Luke's in Sherburn within the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. The parish maintains a thriving Faith Formation program for children, an active Knights of Columbus council (Council 3259), and a Council of Catholic Women, and also serves as the Catholic presence for Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Jackson. Today the community is served by Father Dharmendra Pasala as Parochial Administrator, and Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:30 a.m. in Jackson year-round.
- Established
- 1892
- Patron
- Good Shepherd (originally St. Wenceslaus of Bohemia)
- Rector
- Father Dharmendra (Dharma) Pasala — Parochial Administrator
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Why belong here
Good Shepherd is the Catholic home for Jackson-area families who want a parish grounded in more than 130 years of Bohemian-Catholic heritage and still rooted in small-town, rural southwestern Minnesota. The parish pairs a year-round Sunday Mass (8:30 a.m.) at the Sverdrup Avenue church with a thriving Faith Formation program for children, a Council of Catholic Women, and an active Knights of Columbus council (Council 3259) that regularly hosts parish fundraisers such as the pancake-and-omelet breakfast supporting Faith Formation. As part of the Tri-Parish Community with St. Joseph's in Lakefield and St. Luke's in Sherburn, Good Shepherd welcomes new members, students and staff from Minnesota West Community and Technical College, and anyone seeking to grow in faith in a tight-knit rural setting.
Mass times at Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (contact the parish office), or check the bulletin for scheduled times
Welcome & Parish Identity
Good Shepherd Catholic Church welcomes visitors to 311 N. Sverdrup Avenue in Jackson. The parish is rooted in the Bohemian Catholic settlement of southwestern Minnesota and proudly calls itself 'home to Jackson area worshippers,' with an open invitation to visit, worship, and register as members.
- Address: 311 N. Sverdrup Ave., Jackson, MN 56143
- Parish office phone: (507) 847-2504
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Wed 3–5 p.m., Thu 3–5 p.m., Fri 3–6 p.m.
- New Member Sign-up form available for download on the Good Shepherd page
History of the Parish
Good Shepherd was founded in 1892 as St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church by Bohemian settlers in and around Jackson, Minnesota. Pioneer families such as the Pribyls were among the organizers of the original congregation. Over time the parish was renamed Good Shepherd and was clustered with neighboring rural parishes to form today's Tri-Parish Community. The current church building's 100th anniversary was marked in September 2021.
- Founded 1892 by Bohemian (Czech) settlers
- Originally named St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church
- Pioneer Catholic organizer Albert Pribyl emigrated from Bohemia in 1885
- Building 100th anniversary commemorated September 2021
The Tri-Parish Community
Good Shepherd belongs to a single Tri-Parish cluster with St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Lakefield and St. Luke's Catholic Church in Sherburn. The three share one Parochial Administrator, coordinate sacramental life across the rural area, and rotate weekend Masses among the parishes on a seasonal schedule.
- Good Shepherd • Jackson — 311 N. Sverdrup Ave., (507) 847-2504
- St. Joseph's • Lakefield — 410 Broadway Ave., (507) 662-5819, [email protected]
- St. Luke's • Sherburn — 303 S. Lake St., (507) 764-7831, [email protected]
- Shared Parochial Administrator: Father Dharmendra Pasala
Clergy & Staff
The Tri-Parish Community — and Good Shepherd in particular — is currently led by Father Dharmendra 'Dharma' Pasala, Parochial Administrator, who was installed on March 1, 2021. Father Pasala is a native of India and was ordained before joining the Diocese of Winona-Rochester; he previously served as associate pastor in Fulda, Currie, Westbrook, Slayton, Iona, and Lake Wilson. He can be reached at the parish office number or by cell at (507) 461-5249 and by email at [email protected].
- Parochial Administrator: Father Dharmendra Pasala
- Office: 311 N. Sverdrup Ave., Jackson, MN 56143
- Office phone: (507) 847-2504 | Cell: (507) 461-5249
- Email: [email protected]
- Installed at Good Shepherd March 1, 2021
Sacraments
Good Shepherd celebrates the Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, and Reconciliation in cooperation with the Tri-Parish Community. Couples are asked to contact the Pastor at least six months before their intended wedding date, and families seeking Baptism are asked to contact the Church Secretary of the church where the baptism will take place. Confession is offered by appointment and at times listed in the parish bulletin.
- Baptism — contact the Church Secretary of the parish where the baptism will be held
- Marriage — contact the Pastor at least six months in advance
- Reconciliation — by appointment or per bulletin schedule
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Good Shepherd describes itself as having a 'thriving Faith Formation program' for children and youth of the parish. The Knights of Columbus have actively supported Faith Formation through fundraising events held at Good Shepherd Hall, such as the pancake and omelet breakfasts offered in both sit-down and drive-through formats.
- Children's Faith Formation program
- KC fundraising breakfasts at Good Shepherd Hall support Faith Formation
Parish Organizations
Lay leadership is central to parish life at Good Shepherd. Two long-standing Catholic organizations are active locally: the Knights of Columbus (Council 3259, affiliated with Good Shepherd in Jackson) and the Council of Catholic Women. Both groups serve the parish through service projects, fellowship, and fundraising that benefits parish programs.
- Knights of Columbus — Council 3259 (Good Shepherd, Jackson)
- Council of Catholic Women
- Tri-Parish Community-wide parish project program (funded by excess 2023 Catholic Ministries Appeal funds)
Campus Ministry at Minnesota West
Good Shepherd identifies itself as the Catholic presence for Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Jackson and welcomes students, faculty, and staff to join the parish community.
- Catholic presence for Minnesota West Community and Technical College – Jackson
- Students, faculty, and staff invited to join the parish
Cemetery
The historic parish cemetery south of Jackson is listed by the Diocese of Winona-Rochester as St. Wenceslaus Cemetery and is also historically known as Good Shepherd Cemetery. It continues to serve as the burial ground of the original Bohemian Catholic families of the parish, including pioneers such as Albert Pribyl.
- Listed in Diocese of Winona-Rochester cemetery directory as St. Wenceslaus Cemetery
- Also historically known as Good Shepherd Cemetery
- Located south of Jackson
Becoming a Parishioner
Good Shepherd warmly invites new members. A downloadable 'New Member Sign-up' form is posted on the parish's page; the form can be returned to the church office or placed in the drop box by the bulletin board inside the church. Visitors are also welcome to contact the parish office directly.
- Downloadable New Member Sign-up PDF on the Good Shepherd page
- Return to the church office or use the drop box by the bulletin board
- Or contact the parish office at (507) 847-2504
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Jonathan Fasnachtapproximately 2015 – February 2021
Served the Tri-Parish cluster of Jackson, Lakefield, and Sherburn for five-and-a-half years before being reassigned to parishes in St. Charles and Eyota.
- Father Dharmendra (Dharma) PasalaMarch 1, 2021 – present
Native of India; ordained 11 years at time of assignment. Previously associate pastor serving Fulda, Currie, Westbrook, Slayton, Iona, and Lake Wilson before becoming Parochial Administrator of the Tri-Parish Community.