About Holy Trinity · Goodhue, Minnesota
Holy Trinity Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, formed in 2013 by the merger of Holy Trinity Church in Goodhue, St. Columbkill Church in Belle Creek, and St. Mary Church in Bellechester, Minnesota. Each of the three historic church buildings remains active, with Mass celebrated in all three on a weekly rotation. The parish serves the rolling hill country south of Red Wing and is pastored by Fr. Thomas McCabe. Its mission is summed up simply: 'We grow together in Christ,' with a vision to grow closer to Christ and lead others to him while striving to become saints.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- Holy Trinity (the Most Holy Trinity)
- Rector
- Fr. Thomas McCabe
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
Holy Trinity Parish offers a rare small-parish experience with three living, historic worship sites — Goodhue, Belle Creek, and Bellechester — each with Mass at least once a week, plus weekly Confession, Eucharistic Adoration on multiple days, and a robust Faith Formation program from grades 1 through 12. The community is grounded in a clear mission to 'grow closer to Christ and lead others to him,' expressed through catechism classes, retreats (NET Retreat), First Communion and Confirmation preparation, youth service trips (Habitat for Humanity, Dorothy Day House, Sandwich Project), Knights of Columbus family events, and pastoral outreach including Anointing of the Sick, home Communion, and care for the homebound. With bilingual registration materials offered in English and Spanish, the parish also reaches out to the wider Latino Community of Goodhue County.
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:45–5:20 PM at Holy Trinity
- Sunday 8:20–8:40 AM at St. Mary
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 6:30–9:00 PM (St. Mary campus)
- Wednesday 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Thursday 8:00–8:45 AM (St. Columbkill campus)
About Holy Trinity Parish
Holy Trinity Parish is a three-campus Roman Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, formed in 2013 by the merger of Holy Trinity (Goodhue), St. Columbkill (Belle Creek), and St. Mary (Bellechester). All three church buildings remain open, with at least one weekly Mass in each. The parish mission is 'We grow together in Christ,' and its vision is 'to grow closer to Christ and lead others to him; striving to become saints.' The parish office is open Mondays 10 AM–2 PM at the Holy Trinity campus, and Fr. Thomas McCabe serves as pastor.
- Address: PO Box 275, Goodhue, MN 55027
- Phone: (651) 923-4472
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.holytrinitygoodhue.org
- Office Hours: Mondays 10 AM–2 PM at HT
- Pastor: Fr. Thomas McCabe
History
Catholic life in Goodhue County stretches back to 1850, when Fr. Felix Tessot served as resident pastor for Goodhue and Wabasha counties. Holy Trinity in Goodhue was formally established in 1903, with the current church completed and dedicated in 1956 after a building project delayed by the Depression and WWII. St. Columbkill (Belle Creek) traces to 1850s Irish immigrants, with the present brick church built in 1892; St. Mary (Bellechester) traces to 1862 settlers from Luxembourg and Germany, with a stone church built in 1877 and a school opened by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1881.
- 1850 — Fr. Felix Tessot serves Goodhue and Wabasha counties
- 1850s — Irish immigrants found St. Columbkill, Belle Creek
- 1860 — Wooden St. Columbkill church erected
- 1862 — Land donated for St. Mary, Bellechester (Luxembourgish/German settlers)
- 1877 — Stone St. Mary church constructed
- 1881 — St. Mary school opened by School Sisters of Notre Dame
- 1892 — Present brick St. Columbkill church built
- 1903 — Holy Trinity parish established in Goodhue
- 1905 — House purchased as chapel/residence in Goodhue
- 1934 — Plans announced for new Goodhue church; basement dug
- 1956 — Holy Trinity church completed and dedicated
- July 1, 2013 — Three parishes merged as Holy Trinity
The Three Campuses
The merged parish maintains three worship sites, each with its own weekly Mass.
- Holy Trinity — Goodhue (parish office, daily Mass Mon–Wed 8:00 AM, Sat 5:30 PM)
- St. Columbkill — Belle Creek (Sun 10:30 AM, Thu 9:00 AM)
- St. Mary — Bellechester (Sun 8:45 AM)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a full Faith Formation program for grades 1 through 12, with bilingual registration materials offered in English and Spanish. The vision is to help parents be the primary educators of their children by reviewing student work and accompanying them in the celebration of the Holy Mass, the other sacraments, Christian service, and the study of the Catholic faith. Class cancellations for inclement weather follow Goodhue Public School decisions; other changes are communicated by email and Flocknote.
- Grades 1–6: Wednesdays 2:15–3:30 PM at Holy Trinity
- Grades 7–10: Wednesdays 7:25–8:35 PM at Holy Trinity
- Grades 10–12: Wednesdays at The Third Place (led by Regina Poncelet and Jeff Strauss)
- NET Retreat for grades 7–9 (e.g., Sept 20, 2025)
- First Communion rehearsal & First Communion at St. Columbkill
- Confirmation at the Cathedral of St. Paul (June 14, 2026)
- First Confession Workshop in February at Holy Trinity
- May Crowning at all weekend Masses with First Communicants and Confirmation students
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for all the major sacraments through catechesis and personal contact with the pastor and office.
- Baptism: contact office at least 3 months before birth; class required
- First Penance / First Eucharist: register for 1st grade catechism
- Confirmation: register for 8th–12th grade catechism
- Marriage: call Fr. McCabe at least 9 months prior
- Anointing of the Sick: contact office for serious illness, near death, or major surgery
- Pastoral Care of the Sick: visits to nursing homes and home Communion available
- Funerals: contact the office
- Mass Intentions: mailed to office or placed in collection; suggested $10 offering
Liturgical Ministries & Music
A published weekly Ministry Schedule rotates lectors, cantors, musicians, altar servers, and ushers across the three campuses. Cantors and musicians listed in recent schedules include Wanda Schafer, Laural Seither, Eileen Frischmon, Shelly Jacobson, and Cathy O'Reilly; servers include families such as the Fredericks, Schofields, and Eggenbergers; ushers include Mike Zorn, Bruce McNamara, Brian Majerus, and Randy Nardinger.
- Lectors (e.g., Julia Evans, Michael Poncelet, John Huneke)
- Cantors and musicians (Wanda Schafer, Laural Seither, Eileen Frischmon, Shelly Jacobson, Cathy O'Reilly)
- Altar servers (youth and family teams)
- Ushers and greeters
Youth Service & Community Events
Older youth (grades 10–12) meet at The Third Place for ongoing faith discussion and Christian service projects throughout the year, supplemented by parish-wide family events.
- Habitat for Humanity service day
- Sandwich Project at The Third Place
- Dorothy Day House, Rochester
- Zumbrota Food Shelf
- Goodhue Living Sr. Center visit
- Knights of Columbus Family Bowling at Pool and Pins Trailhead, Pine Island
- Mardi Gras at Lions Community Building, Goodhue
Meet Fr. Thomas McCabe
Fr. McCabe is the current pastor of Holy Trinity Parish. He was ordained May 30, 1992, after earning a double major in Philosophy and Theology at St. John Vianney Seminary and a Master of Divinity from the University of St. Thomas / St. Paul Seminary. His ministry has included service as parochial vicar, work at the Church of the Immaculate Conception with Holy Cross Catholic School (named pastor in July 2011), and assignments at St. Michael and St. Albert. In 2018 the archbishop assigned him to the Goodhue cluster to work with Fr. Kasel and serve as chaplain of the Latino Community of Goodhue County. He is known for his devotion to morning offering, Liturgy of the Hours, Holy Mass, Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, retreats, and family time.
- Ordained May 30, 1992
- St. John Vianney Seminary (Philosophy & Theology)
- University of St. Thomas / St. Paul Seminary (Master of Divinity)
- Pastor of Church of the Immaculate Conception / Canonical Administrator of Holy Cross Catholic School, July 2011
- Joined Goodhue cluster in 2018 to work with Fr. Kasel
- Chaplain of the Latino Community of Goodhue County
- Current pastor of Holy Trinity Parish
Contact & Office Information
The parish office is at the Holy Trinity campus in Goodhue. Office hours are Mondays 10 AM–2 PM, with the office/emergency phone answered outside of those hours.
- Address: 211 4th St. N, PO Box 275, Goodhue, MN 55027
- Phone: (651) 923-4472
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.holytrinitygoodhue.org
- Office Hours: Mondays 10 AM–2 PM at Holy Trinity
- Building use requests: call the office
- Bulletin submissions: [email protected] by Wednesday noon
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bruce Petersonretired July 1, 2013
Served as pastor of the previous cluster; became pastor emeritus upon retirement when the merger was finalized.
- Fr. Paul Kubista2013–
Named pastor of the newly merged Holy Trinity Parish when the merger was finalized July 1, 2013.
- Fr. Thomas McCabepresent
Current pastor; joined the cluster in 2018 to work alongside Fr. Kasel as chaplain of the Latino Community of Goodhue County, then began a new chapter as parochial administrator and pastor.