About Holy Family · Lake Crystal, Minnesota
Holy Family Parish is a small Roman Catholic community in Lake Crystal, Minnesota, located at 201 N. Hunt Street. It is clustered with St. Joseph the Worker Parish in nearby Mankato under the pastoral leadership of Monsignor Thomas (Tom) Melvin, and belongs to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. The parish offers Sunday Mass at 8:30 a.m. and a weekday Mass on Tuesday morning, with Sunday confessions heard just before Mass. Holy Family shares online giving and ministry pages, including a bell choir and Holy Orders discernment resources, with its sister parish in the cluster.
- Patron
- Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Thomas (Tom) Melvin
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Why belong here
Holy Family is a welcoming small-town Catholic family that shares its priest, ministries, and online resources with neighboring St. Joseph the Worker Parish through their official cluster site. Parishioners can worship Sunday and Tuesday mornings, receive Reconciliation before Mass, give online through Parishsoft Giving, and participate in music ministry including a bell choir. For those discerning a vocation, the parish provides direct contact information with the pastor and the diocesan Vocation Director.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00–8:30 AM (immediately before the 8:30 AM Mass)
About Holy Family Parish
Holy Family Parish is a small Roman Catholic community serving the city of Lake Crystal in southern Minnesota. The parish takes its name from the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, whose feast is celebrated in the Roman liturgy on the Sunday between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1 each year. Holy Family shares pastoral and administrative resources with St. Joseph the Worker Parish in neighboring Mankato, and the two communities maintain a combined web and outreach presence under sjwhf.org.
Parish Cluster with St. Joseph the Worker
Holy Family is administratively clustered with St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Mankato. Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester appointed Rev. Msgr. Thomas (Tom) Melvin as pastor of both parishes effective July 1, 2024. The cluster model allows the two faith communities to share a pastor, staff contacts, online giving platform, music ministry (including a bell choir), and sacramental preparation resources published at sjwhf.org.
- St. Joseph the Worker Parish – Mankato, MN (sister parish)
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Thomas (Tom) Melvin
- Cluster website: www.sjwhf.org
Clergy and Staff
The current pastor of Holy Family Parish is the Reverend Monsignor Thomas (Tom) Melvin, who also serves as pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Mankato under a cluster arrangement. The diocesan directory of parishes and the official cluster site both list Msgr. Melvin as the priest in charge of Holy Family. Parishioners can reach Fr. Tom by phone at (507) 388-3766 or via the 'Click here to email Fr. Tom' link published on the cluster website.
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Thomas (Tom) Melvin
- Phone: (507) 388-3766
- Diocesan Vocation Director (referral for Holy Orders): Fr. Jason Kern, (507) 858-1253
Music Ministry and Bell Choir
Music at Holy Family is coordinated as part of the broader St. Joseph the Worker & Holy Family Music Ministry. The cluster website lists a Bell Choir page (sjwhf.org/bell-choir) which is described as a branch of the shared Music Ministry; the page notes that further details are 'coming soon.' Members of the Lake Crystal community interested in ringing are encouraged to contact the parish office at (507) 388-3766.
- Bell Choir – a branch of the SJW/HF Music Ministry
- Shared Music Ministry with St. Joseph the Worker
Sacraments
Holy Family offers the regular Sunday and weekday Eucharistic celebrations and hears confessions before Sunday Mass. The parish website includes a page on Holy Orders that explains the three degrees of ordained ministry (episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate) and provides direct contact information for anyone discerning a vocation. Couples preparing for Holy Matrimony and those wishing to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation or be baptized are invited to contact the parish office.
- Holy Mass (Sunday and Tuesday)
- Confession / Reconciliation (Sunday before Mass)
- Holy Orders / Vocations discernment (contact Fr. Tom Melvin)
- Holy Matrimony (contact the parish)
Online Giving and Stewardship
The parish uses Parishsoft Giving to accept online donations and to provide parishioners with end-of-year contribution statements. The sjwhf.org 'Make a Donation' page explains the simple steps to register as a new user, set up one-time or recurring gifts, split donations across multiple funds, and review giving history. Separate giving links are provided for St. Joseph the Worker and Holy Family.
- Parishsoft Giving platform
- Recurring and one-time gift options
- Multiple funds available (regular collections, second collections)
Contact and Visit
Holy Family Parish is located at 201 N. Hunt Street in Lake Crystal, Minnesota 56055, and is open to visitors and new parishioners. The parish phone line is (507) 388-3766 and the office can be reached by email at [email protected]. Visitors are encouraged to check the official cluster website, sjwhf.org, for the most up-to-date Mass and confession schedule and to learn about opportunities to get involved.
- Address: 201 N. Hunt Street, Lake Crystal, MN 56055
- Phone: (507) 388-3766
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.sjwhf.org
- Facebook (cluster page): https://www.facebook.com/SJWmankato
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Timothy Reker
Listed as pastor of Holy Family on third-party church directories prior to the July 2024 diocesan reassignment.
- Rev. Msgr. Thomas (Tom) Melvin2024–present
Appointed Pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Mankato and Holy Family Parish in Lake Crystal by Bishop Robert Barron, effective July 1, 2024.