About Holy Cross · Onamia, Minnesota
Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic parish in Onamia, Minnesota, served by the Crosier Fathers and Brothers (Order of the Holy Cross, O.S.C.) since 1910. It is one of four parishes in the WOHVn-in-Faith Area Catholic Community (Wahkon–Onamia–Hillman–Vineland) of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. The parish worships in the historic Holy Cross Priory Church, 102 Crosier Drive North, a building the Crosiers share with their religious community and which also houses the National Shrine of St. Odilia.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- Holy Cross (the title 'Holy Cross' also evokes the Crosier Order's dedication to the Cross)
- Rector
- Reverend Marvin Enneking, O.S.C. (appointed effective June 26, 2024)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
Holy Cross offers a rare opportunity to worship in a historic Crosier priory church, in shared Sunday Mass with the Crosier religious community, and to belong to a small, close-knit rural parish — about 180 baptized Catholics in 129 households — with active traditions like Lenten fish fries, an autumn festival, and a Parish Life Committee. It is part of the four-parish WOHVn-in-Faith cluster supported by the Diocese of Saint Cloud, and visitors are welcomed at the National Shrine of St. Odilia on the same grounds.
Mass times at Holy Cross
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — call the parish office at 320-532-3122
Parish History
Holy Cross was founded in 1910 when Crosier Father Van Dinter, fresh from the Order's mission in Holland, accepted responsibility for the Onamia and Waukon Catholic communities at the invitation of the Johnston Land Company and Archbishop John Ireland's Minnesota Catholic Colonization Society. A first church was built from an old schoolhouse and dedicated on the First Sunday of Advent, 1910. Throughout the twentieth century the parish grew alongside the Crosier priory and seminary on the Onamia campus; at its late-1970s peak the Crosier schools enrolled roughly 300 students. In 2010 Holy Cross marked its centennial with a Mass offered by Bishop John Kinney and Crosier Provincial Father Tom Carkhuff, alongside the U.S. Crosiers' 100th-anniversary and the Order's 800th anniversary.
- First pastor: Crosier Father Van Dinter, 1910
- First church built from a repurposed schoolhouse
- Crosiers arrived in Onamia from Holland via Butler, Minnesota
- Centennial Mass celebrated October 10, 2010 with Bishop John Kinney
- Pastoral cluster (WOHVn in Faith ACC) formalized in 2019
Crosier Priory & St. Odilia Shrine
The Crosiers and the people of Holy Cross worship together in Holy Cross Priory Church at 102 Crosier Drive North. Built and expanded over more than a century, the church is also home to the National Shrine of St. Odilia — a pilgrimage site that holds sacred bone relics of the Crosiers' patroness. The wider campus includes Holy Cross Center (offices, classrooms, dining hall, and kitchen) and is the historic headquarters of the Crosier Fathers and Brothers in the United States.
- Holy Cross Priory Church (1922 and later)
- National Shrine of St. Odilia with relics of the saint
- Holy Cross Center — offices, classrooms, dining hall
- Crosiers' U.S. headquarters campus since 1910
Mass & Sacramental Schedule
The WOHVn-in-Faith ACC publishes a unified Mass and confession schedule across its four parishes. At Holy Cross in Onamia the published schedule is Sunday 9:00 a.m., Monday 8:00 a.m., Tuesday 8:00 a.m., Wednesday 4:30 p.m., Thursday 8:00 a.m., and Friday 8:00 a.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation at Holy Cross is offered by appointment; the cluster's regular Saturday confessions are at St. Rita's (3:15 p.m.) and Sacred Heart (4:15 p.m.). The Crosier religious community also keeps a full Liturgy of the Hours at the priory church.
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 a.m.
- Weekday Masses Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri at 8:00 a.m.
- Wednesday Mass at 4:30 p.m.
- Confession at Holy Cross by appointment only (320-532-3122)
- Morning Prayer 8:15 a.m. weekdays; Evening Prayer 5:00 p.m. Mon–Fri
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Since June 26, 2024, Reverend Marvin Enneking, O.S.C., has served as pastor of Holy Cross together with the other three parishes of the WOHVn-in-Faith ACC. Reverend Jerome (Jerry) Schik, O.S.C., serves alongside him as parochial vicar. At the time of the appointments, Bishop Patrick M. Neary, C.S.C., of the Diocese of Saint Cloud received the presentation of Very Reverend Thomas Enneking, O.S.C., then Conventual Prior of the Crosier Fathers and Brothers. Pastor and parochial vicar together serve Holy Cross, St. Rita (Hillman), St. Therese Little Flower Mission (Vineland), and Sacred Heart (Wahkon).
- Fr. Marvin Enneking, O.S.C. — Pastor (since June 26, 2024)
- Fr. Jerome Schik, O.S.C. — Parochial Vicar (since June 26, 2024)
- Fr. Thomas Enneking, O.S.C. — Crosier Conventual Prior (presented the parish assignment)
- Bishop Patrick M. Neary, C.S.C. — Diocesan ordinary
WOHVn-in-Faith Area Catholic Community
Holy Cross is one of four parishes in the WOHVn-in-Faith Area Catholic Community (ACC) of the Diocese of Saint Cloud — Wahkon (Sacred Heart), Onamia (Holy Cross), Hillman (St. Rita's), and Vineland (St. Therese Little Flower Mission). The four towns were first clustered as the South Mille Lacs Catholic Community in 2004 and reorganized as the WOHVn-in-Faith ACC in 2019. The parishes share a unified bulletin, Mass and reconciliation schedule, and ACC Pastoral Council. Holy Cross represents 180 baptized Catholics in 129 households, with Steve Timmers serving as its ACC Pastoral Council member.
- Cluster formed 2004 (South Mille Lacs Catholic Community); renamed WOHVn-in-Faith ACC in 2019
- St. Rita's in Hillman — served by the Crosiers since 1937
- St. Therese Little Flower Mission in Vineland — on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation
- Sacred Heart in Wahkon — current church completed in 1995; stained-glass window installed in 2004
Parish Life & Ministries
Although small in numbers, Holy Cross sustains a busy parish life. Traditions include Lenten fish fries, an autumn festival, a Parish Life Committee, and shared Sunday Mass with the Crosier community. Knights of Columbus activity at the parish is organized through St. Joseph's Council, which serves both Holy Cross and St. Rita's. The St. Odilia Shrine on the same grounds welcomes pilgrims year-round and is a distinctive form of outreach and hospitality unique to Holy Cross.
- Lenten Fish Fries
- Autumn Festival
- Parish Life Committee
- St. Joseph's Knights of Columbus Council (Holy Cross & St. Rita's)
- St. Odilia Shrine pilgrimage ministry
Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors reach Holy Cross at the Crosier Priory campus at 102 Crosier Drive North in Onamia. The parish office can be reached at (320) 532-3122 or by e-mail at [email protected]. A weekly parish bulletin and shared WOHVn-in-Faith ACC website keep the four parishes connected and informed.
- Address: 102 Crosier Drive North, PO Box 500, Onamia, MN 56359-0500
- Phone: (320) 532-3122
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.wohvn-in-faith.org
- On-campus parking at the Crosier Priory
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Crosier Father Van Dinter1910–
First pastor; came recently from Holland, accepted care of Onamia and Waukon communities.
- Crosier Father Jerry Schik, O.S.C.served through ~2010 and again as parochial vicar from 2024
Listed as the current pastor in the 2010 centennial coverage; reassigned in 2024 as parochial vicar of the WOHVn ACC.