Holy Family

Welcome to Holy Family

Holy Family Catholic Church in East Chain, Minnesota is a historic parish of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, originally founded in 1897 by Polish Catholic families on the shore of East Chain Lake. For nearly 125 years the parish served as a weekly worship site, and even after the 2022 merger it remains a cherished oratory used for weddings, funerals, and special celebrations. The merged parish is administered together with St. John Vianney in Fairmont, and the parish website is www.sjvhf.org.

Parish History

Conversations about founding a Catholic church in East Chain began in 1880 when several Polish families settled in the area. In 1892, nine acres on the lakeshore were purchased and a first church was built; the parish was canonically organized on June 23, 1897, under the patronage of the Holy Family. The original wooden church later burned down. The current brick church was constructed in 1924–25 and has been in continuous use ever since.

• 1880 — Polish families begin settling the East Chain area
• 1892 — Nine acres purchased on East Chain Lake
• 1897 (June 23) — Parish officially organized under the patronage of the Holy Family
• 1924–25 — Present brick church built after the original burned
• 1980s — Holy Family begins sharing a pastor with St. John Vianney in Fairmont
• 2013 — Diocese of Winona-Rochester launches pastoral planning process
• May 8, 2022 — Last regular Sunday Mass at Holy Family
• July 10, 2022 — Community celebration Mass with former members, past priests, and the Bishop
• December 1, 2022 — Parish formally merged into St. John Vianney Parish; Holy Family becomes an oratory

The Church Building and Setting

The Holy Family church is a brick building erected in 1924–25 after the original wood-frame church burned. The interior features a long, straight center aisle that parishioners say brides love to walk down, 14 large statues of the Stations of the Cross, and many distinctive stained glass windows. The church sits directly on the shore of East Chain Lake, and its lakeside setting is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful features of the building.

• 1924–25 brick construction
• Long, straight central aisle
• 14 large Stations of the Cross statues
• Stained glass windows
• Located on the shore of East Chain Lake

Clergy and Pastoral Staff

At the time of the 2022 transition, Holy Family's cluster was served by Father Andrew Beerman (who also serves as principal of St. John Vianney School) and Father Greg Parrott. The 2013–2014 Diocesan Directory lists Father Peter L. Schuster as pastor of Holy Family when it was being served from Fairmont, with Phyllis Salz as Coordinator of Liturgy and Music. Earlier in the parish's history, Holy Family had its own resident priest living in the parish house next door to the church.

• Father Andrew Beerman — pastor of the merged cluster (2022)
• Father Greg Parrott — co-served the four-parish cluster (2022)
• Father Peter L. Schuster — pastor (2013–2014 diocesan directory)
• Phyllis Salz — Coordinator of Liturgy and Music (2013–2014)
• Parish house — historically housed the resident priest next door to the church

Parish Ministries and Community Life

Holy Family was known locally for its active choir and a strong tradition of volunteerism among parishioners. Today, ministry and formation opportunities for Holy Family members are offered through the merged St. John Vianney parish in Fairmont, including retreats, Bible study, adult faith formation, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and faith formation with the students of St. John Vianney School.

• Parish choir
• Volunteerism
• Bible study
• Adult faith formation
• Retreats
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul
• Faith formation with St. John Vianney School students

The 2022 Merger and Oratory Status

In 2013, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester launched a pastoral planning initiative that, over nearly a decade, looked at priest availability, demographics, and parish resources across the diocese. With the number of priests declining (the diocese had eight priests past retirement age still serving) and small-town populations shrinking, the diocese moved to consolidate parishes. Holy Family's last regular Sunday Mass was May 8, 2022. On December 1, 2022, Holy Family formally merged with St. John Vianney in Fairmont and was reclassified as an oratory. The building remains available for weddings, funerals, and special celebrations, and its future status is reviewed annually. The transition was part of a broader diocesan consolidation that merged 21 parishes in total.

• 21 parishes merged across the diocese in the same process
• Locally grouped with St. John Vianney (Fairmont), SS. Peter & Paul (Blue Earth), and St. Mary's (Winnebago)
• Holy Family's oratory status is reviewed yearly
• Three weddings were already scheduled at Holy Family in the year of the merger