Holy Cross

History of Holy Cross Parish

Holy Cross Parish was established in the late nineteenth century as a Catholic mission to German immigrant families in Maine Prairie Township, west of Pearl Lake. Joseph Zeis donated twenty acres near the railroad station and a frame church was raised, enlarged, and dedicated by Bishop Seidenbusch in 1876. Missionaries from St. Nicholas and St. Wendelin served the scattered faithful until a resident priest was finally assigned in 1909. The parish as it is known today was formally organized in 1889 with a 36-by-76-foot frame church that Bishop Seidenbusch dedicated on September 26 of that year.

• 1870s — early frame church built on land donated by Joseph Zeis; dedicated 1876 by Bishop Seidenbusch
• 1889 — 36 × 76 ft frame church built in section 9 west of Pearl Lake; dedicated Sept. 26, 1889 by Bishop Seidenbusch
• June 27, 1894 — cyclone destroys the first church
• Sept. 30, 1894 — Rev. Isidore Hengarten celebrates first Mass in the rebuilt church
• Sept. 15, 1896 — Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph P. Bauer dedicates the rebuilt church during Bishop Marty’s final illness
• 1899–1900 — new 60 × 150 ft brick church built; dedicated August 4, 1900 by Bishop Trobec
• 1904/1905 — Holy Cross School founded
• 1909 — first resident pastor, Rev. Henry Leuthner
• 1910 — two-story brick school built
• 1912 — brick parsonage built
• 2021 — Holy Cross School closed by the Diocese of St. Cloud

Patron and Dedication

The parish is named Holy Cross in association with the missionary work of the then-new Diocese of St. Cloud. The church was originally known as St. Lawrence before its title was changed to Church of the Holy Cross. The patronal feast is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14.

Architecture and Buildings

The present-day Holy Cross church is the 1899–1900 brick building, an unusually large rural church measuring 60 by 150 feet with a transept of 84 feet. The diocesan history of Stearns County records that it is heated by steam, lit by electricity, fitted with a large pipe organ, and finished with stained-glass windows. The brick two-story school was built in 1910 and the brick parsonage in 1912.

• Church: 60 × 150 ft brick, transept 84 ft, steam heat, electric light, pipe organ, stained glass (1899–1900)
• School: two-story brick (1910)
• Parsonage: brick (1912)

Clergy and Staff

Holy Cross is served through the Holy Saints Area Catholic Community. The current pastor is Father Erik (Eric) Lundgren, and Father Don Wagner continues to assist the ACC parishes. Parish operations are supported by parish secretary Shelly (320-252-1799), music coordinator Julene Faber (320-685-7211), and trustees Donna Gregory (320-398-7312) and John Wicker (320-249-2400).

• Pastor: Father Erik (Eric) Lundgren
• Assisting priest: Father Don Wagner
• Parish secretary: Shelly — 320-252-1799
• Music Coordinator: Julene Faber — 320-685-7211
• Trustee: Donna Gregory — (320) 398-7312
• Trustee: John Wicker — 320-249-2400

Mass and Sacramental Schedule

Holy Cross currently celebrates its weekly Mass on Saturday evenings at 4:00 p.m. at the historic church on County Road 8 in Marty. As part of the Holy Saints ACC, parishioners may also attend Masses at St. Anne (Kimball), St. Mary Help of Christians (St. Augusta), St. Nicholas, and St. Wendelin (Luxemburg). Specific confession, adoration, and weekday Mass times for Holy Cross were not published on the official pages reviewed; the parish office should be contacted for the current sacramental schedule.

• Saturday — 4:00 p.m. Mass at Holy Cross (Marty)
• Other HSACC parishes: St. Anne (Kimball), St. Mary Help of Christians (St. Augusta), St. Nicholas, St. Wendelin (Luxemburg)

Holy Saints Area Catholic Community

Holy Cross is one of five parishes in the Holy Saints Area Catholic Community (HSACC), together with St. Anne (Kimball), St. Mary Help of Christians (St. Augusta), St. Nicholas (St. Nicholas), and St. Wendelin (Luxemburg). The ACC shares pastoral care, faith formation, and ministries across the cluster. Collaboration through the ACC has been credited with an increase in youth participation, especially through a shared religious-education program. The community is led at the diocesan level by Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C., of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

• Holy Cross — Pearl Lake / Marty
• St. Anne — Kimball
• St. Mary Help of Christians — St. Augusta
• St. Nicholas — St. Nicholas
• St. Wendelin — Luxemburg
• ACC website: holysaintsmn.org

Faith Formation and Religious Education

Faith formation is delivered at the ACC level. The Holy Saints ACC has reported that collaboration across the five parishes has yielded an increase in youth participation, particularly through a shared religious-education program. Holy Cross School, founded in 1904/1905 and a part of parish life for more than a century, was closed by the Diocese of St. Cloud in 2021.

• Shared ACC religious-education program
• Holy Cross School (1904–2021)

Community Life and the 'Meet Me in Marty' Festival

The parish's signature community event is the annual 'Meet Me in Marty' festival, formerly the Holy Cross Parish Festival, organized by the Holy Cross–Marty Community Preservation Corporation together with Pearl Lake Lodge. It is typically held on the Saturday nearest the parish feast and includes a special 4:00 p.m. Mass, live music, food stands, a raffle, bean bag tournament, pull tabs, horse races, and the chicken drop game.

• Special 4:00 p.m. Mass
• Live music (e.g. Leon Laudenbach and the Mitch Gordon Band)
• Food stands, raffle, bean bag tournament
• Pull tabs, horse races, chicken drop game

Preservation Effort: HCMCPC

In response to the diocesan 'All Things New' plan, parishioners organized the Holy Cross–Marty Community Preservation Corporation (HCMCPC) to seek the canonical transfer of the Holy Cross property so the church can be preserved as a sacred space. The HCMCPC has met with the Vicar (canon lawyer) from the Diocese of St. Cloud and Father Erik, and the diocese has expressed a willingness to work in good faith on a transfer with appropriate oversight and periodic review. Ballots regarding the future of the Holy Cross School Endowment also showed overwhelming support to transfer control of the endowment to the HCMCPC.

• Holy Cross–Marty Community Preservation Corporation (HCMCPC)
• Goal: preserve the historic church as a sacred space
• Engagement with Diocese of St. Cloud Vicar and Father Erik
• Holy Cross School Endowment transfer to HCMCPC supported by ballot

All Things New — Diocesan Restructuring

Under Bishop Patrick Neary's diocesan 'All Things New' initiative, each ACC was directed to propose a sustainable structure. The Holy Saints ACC planning committee submitted its proposal by December 2025. On February 13, 2026, the diocesan Committee for Affirming Plans voted to affirm the so-called 'Blue Plan': merging the five HSACC parishes into one parish and corporation, and closing the Holy Cross, St. Nicholas, and St. Anne church buildings. A separate decree subsequently merged Holy Cross, St. Wendelin (Luxemburg), and St. Mary Help of Christians (St. Augusta) into one new parish. Because only one priest is expected to remain assigned to the ACC after Father Don's retirement, the merger was seen as the most sustainable path given declining Catholic populations across the region and the condition of some buildings.

• Diocesan 'All Things New' initiative under Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C.
• ATN planning committee proposal submitted December 2025
• CAP vote (Feb. 13, 2026) — Blue Plan affirmed
• Merger of Holy Cross, St. Wendelin, and St. Mary Help of Christians into one new parish
• Closure of Holy Cross, St. Nicholas, and St. Anne church buildings

Visiting Holy Cross

The parish church sits in the hamlet of Marty on the western shore of Pearl Lake in Maine Prairie Township, Stearns County. From Highway 23 take Rockville, then go 5 miles south on County Road 8; the church is on the right. Saturday Mass is celebrated at 4:00 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to confirm the current schedule with parish secretary Shelly at (320) 252-1799 before traveling.

• 10651 Co. Rd. 8 (Pearl Lake / Marty), Kimball, MN 55353-9722
• Directions: Hwy. 23 to Rockville, 5 miles south on Co. Rd. 8
• Parish office: (320) 251-6944
• Parish secretary: Shelly — (320) 252-1799