About Holy Rosary · Graceville, Minnesota
Holy Rosary Catholic Church is a small rural parish in Graceville, in far western Minnesota near the South Dakota border, and is part of the Diocese of New Ulm. It is one of three linked parishes that together form the Spirit of Life Area Faith Community, alongside St. Michael in Madison and St. John in Ortonville. Worshiping at 511 Studdart Avenue in a church built in 1897, the parish is rooted in the surrounding farming community and is served by Fr. Shawn Polman with the help of deacons, religious education coordinators, and parish staff. It offers weekend and weekday Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, faith formation, Knights of Columbus and CCW groups, and a Mercy Center outreach ministry.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- Holy Rosary (Our Lady of the Rosary)
- Rector
- Fr. Shawn Polman
- Diocese
- Diocese of New Ulm
Why belong here
Holy Rosary is a welcoming rural parish with deep roots in the Graceville farming community and a present-day church built in 1897. Parishioners can worship in a reverent space with weekday and weekend Mass, regular Eucharistic adoration on Thursdays, and confession several times a week. The parish is supported by active groups including the Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, a faith-formation program for children, and the Mercy Center outreach in Graceville — making it easy to find fellowship, formation, and service close to home.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 4:00 PM (Holy Rosary)
- Saturday 6:15 PM (Holy Rosary)
Adoration times
- Thursday 4:00 PM (Holy Rosary)
History of Holy Rosary
Catholic life in Graceville goes back to 1879, when the first Catholic church in the town — dedicated to St. Joseph — was built. That early parish was later incorporated into the Church of the Holy Rosary. The original Holy Rosary church was constructed in 1891 but was destroyed by fire in 1895. The present church was built in 1897 and has remained in continuous use, with major renovations during 1969–1975 shaping much of the interior parishioners see today. A parish grade school and high school once served local Catholic families; the final high school class graduated in 1959 and the grade school closed in 1969.
- 1879 — first Catholic church in Graceville (St. Joseph) built
- 1891 — original Church of the Holy Rosary built
- 1895 — original church destroyed by fire
- 1897 — present church constructed
- 1959 — last high school graduation
- 1969 — grade school closed
- 1969–1975 — major church renovations
Spirit of Life Area Faith Community
Holy Rosary is one of three parishes that make up the Spirit of Life Area Faith Community in western Minnesota, a collaborative structure shared with St. Michael in Madison and St. John in Ortonville. The three parishes share a pastor — Fr. Shawn Polman — along with deacons, religious education staff, and administrative support. Weekend Mass times rotate among the three parishes every four months, and weekday Mass, confession, and adoration are distributed across all three churches so that parishioners throughout the area have regular access to the sacraments.
- Holy Rosary — Graceville (511 Studdart Avenue)
- St. Michael — Madison (412 W 3rd St)
- St. John — Ortonville (421 Madison Avenue)
- Pastor: Fr. Shawn Polman
Staff & Leadership
Holy Rosary and its sister parishes are served by a small team of clergy and lay staff. Fr. Shawn Polman is pastor of the Spirit of Life Area Faith Community. Permanent Deacon Paul Treinen assists with liturgy and pastoral care. Lay staff include an administrative assistant/outreach coordinator, a bookkeeper and bulletin editor, a Mercy Center coordinator, custodians for each parish site, and a Director of Religious Education.
- Fr. Shawn Polman — Pastor (507) 828-6493, [email protected]
- Dcn. Paul Treinen — Permanent Deacon, [email protected]
- Katie Jenson — AFC Director of Religious Education (320) 808-6067, [email protected]
- Pam Stueve — Education Coordinator, Graceville (320) 808-3050, [email protected]
- Kris Radermacher — Education Coordinator, Madison
- Leonard Cosby — Mercy Center Coordinator
- Dennis Justison — Custodian, Holy Rosary
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Parishioners at Holy Rosary are involved in a number of long-standing lay organizations and ministries. The Graceville Knights of Columbus council meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM in the Parish Center and welcomes any men interested in joining. The Council of Catholic Women (CCW) gathers in the former school building, which also houses religious education classrooms and meeting space. The Mercy Center, located at the Graceville parish, provides outreach to those in need and is open Tuesday afternoons and Thursday afternoons.
- Knights of Columbus — Graceville Council, 3rd Thursday, 7:00 PM, Parish Center
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW)
- Religious Education classes (in former school building)
- Mercy Center — Graceville outreach, Tuesday 4:00–6:00 PM and Thursday 1:00–3:00 PM
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith formation for the Spirit of Life Area Faith Community is coordinated centrally and delivered locally. Chad Olson (also listed as Katie Jenson on the staff page) serves as AFC Director of Religious Education, and Pam Stueve is the Education Coordinator for the Graceville (Holy Rosary) site. Classes meet in the former parish grade school building, which has been repurposed for religious education classrooms, the Parish Center, and parish offices since the school closed in 1969.
- AFC Director of Religious Education
- Graceville Education Coordinator — Pam Stueve
- Classes held in the former parish school building
Outreach: Mercy Center
The Mercy Center is the parish's outreach hub in Graceville, providing material assistance and a welcoming presence to those in need. It is staffed by parish volunteers and coordinated by Leonard Cosby, and operates from the Holy Rosary parish campus with regular open hours during the week.
- Tuesday 4:00–6:00 PM
- Thursday 1:00–3:00 PM
- Coordinator: Leonard Cosby
Visiting Holy Rosary
Holy Rosary is located at 511 Studdart Avenue, Graceville, MN 56240, with a mailing address of PO Box 7, Graceville, MN 56240. The parish phone number is (320) 748-7313 and the pastor can be reached at [email protected]. The parish office is open Wednesday mornings from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Visitors with hearing needs can borrow one of four personal hearing aid devices (with earbuds and transmitter) hanging on the coat hooks by the east-side front entrance; parishioners are asked to return the devices after Mass.
- Address: 511 Studdart Avenue, Graceville, MN 56240
- Mailing: PO Box 7, Graceville, MN 56240
- Phone: (320) 748-7313
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Wednesday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Hearing assistance devices available at the east-side front entrance