Holy Trinity

Parish Identity & Mission

Holy Trinity is a Roman Catholic parish in Royalton, Morrison County, Minnesota, committed — together with its sister parishes in the Cross Rock Area Catholic Community — to being 'a rural and welcoming faith community called by God's Word to worship together, grow in our faith, share our gifts, and build the Body of Christ.' Worship and the Eucharist are central to the community's life, and the parish invites all to join in giving praise and thanksgiving to God.

History of Holy Trinity, Royalton

The parish was organized in 1896 by Bishop Torbec of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. Its first pastor was Rev. Urbanka. A modest frame church was built west of the railroad in 1896 — that original structure still stands, now repurposed as a storehouse. The present, much grander church was erected in 1912 and was hailed at the time as 'one of the finest church buildings in this part of the state.' Under Monsignor August Plachta, pastor from 1907, the parish grew rapidly. A century later, Holy Trinity entered a new era as one of five parishes that formally combined into the Cross Rock Area Catholic Community, sharing a single Central Office, bulletins, and ministry staff.

• 1896 — Parish organized by Bishop Torbec of St. Cloud; first pastor Rev. Urbanka.
• 1907 — Rev. August Plachta takes charge (later Monsignor Plachta); the parish grows rapidly.
• 1912 — Present church building erected west of, and replacing as the worship site, the earlier frame structure.
• Late 2010s/early 2020s — Parishes of Bowlus, North Prairie, Opole, Rice and Royalton combine into the Cross Rock Area Catholic Community.
• 2020s — Cross Rock communities participate in the Diocese of Saint Cloud's 'All Things New' pastoral planning process.

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Faith formation for the Cross Rock parishes is coordinated centrally. Jean Skroch serves as ACC Faith Formation Resource and parish secretary, and Nicole Koll is the Director of Religious Education for Holy Trinity. Programs cover the typical parish-school-of-religion curriculum, sacramental preparation, and youth ministry. Parents and students are directed to the parish office (320-393-2725) or to [email protected] for information about registration, classrooms, and schedules.

• Faith Formation Resource: Jean Skroch — [email protected]
• HT Religious Education Director: Nicole Koll — 218-230-3482
• Central parish office phone: 320-393-2725

Youth Ministry

Holy Trinity maintains an active youth-group ministry that brings together the young people of the parish and its Cross Rock sister communities. The HT Youth Group is led by Neil Zimmerman, while other Cross Rock parishes (Holy Cross, North Prairie) operate their own youth groups — Holy Cross's 'Guardian Angels' Youth Group is led by Peter Borash, and the St. Stanislaus (Bowlus) Director of Religious Education is Cindy Fussy. Activities are coordinated through the central parish office.

• Holy Trinity Youth Group — Neil Zimmerman
• Holy Cross 'Guardian Angels' Youth Group — Peter Borash
• St. Stanislaus (Bowlus) DRE — Cindy Fussy

Adult Faith & Bible Study

A weekly Bible Study is offered at Holy Trinity on Wednesday evenings, providing ongoing adult faith formation rooted in Scripture. The group meets from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Anyone interested is welcome to attend; questions can be directed to Catie Daly at 584-8171.

• Bible Study — Wednesdays, 7:00–8:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity
• Contact — Catie Daly, 584-8171

Parish Staff & Leadership

Holy Trinity is led by Father Gregory (Greg) Sauer, pastor of the Cross Rock Area Catholic Community. The parish shares a central office located in the basement of Immaculate Conception Church in Rice, MN (P.O. Box 189, Rice, MN 56367), with a buzzer system for accessibility and an elevator in addition to stairs. Patti Krystosek serves as ACC Bookkeeper and Office Manager, and Jean Skroch as ACC Secretary and Faith Formation Resource.

• Pastor — Father Gregory (Greg) Sauer ([email protected])
• ACC Bookkeeper & Office Manager — Patti Krystosek
• ACC Secretary / Faith Formation Resource — Jean Skroch
• Parish Nurse — Janelle Maciej
• HT Religious Ed — Nicole Koll
• HT Youth Group — Neil Zimmerman
• Central Office — 130 1st Ave NE, P.O. Box 189, Rice, MN 56367

Sacraments

Arrangements for Baptism and Marriage at Holy Trinity are made through the parish office. Couples and families are asked to call ahead so preparation can be scheduled with the pastor. Confession times are not published as a regular weekly slot; the parish directs the faithful to call the office (320-584-5484) to arrange the sacrament.

• Baptism — call the parish office to arrange preparation.
• Marriage — call the parish office to arrange preparation.
• Confession — by appointment; call 320-584-5484.

Parish Outreach & Pastoral Care

Pastoral care at Holy Trinity extends beyond the church walls through a Parish Nurse program led by Janelle Maciej. As part of the broader Cross Rock Area Catholic Community, the parish also participates in the Diocese of Saint Cloud's 'All Things New' pastoral planning process, which since the early 2020s has brought together pastors and parishioners across central Minnesota to respond to clergy shortages, demographic change, and the long-term sustainability of rural parishes.

• Parish Nurse — Janelle Maciej
• Diocesan pastoral planning — Diocese of Saint Cloud's 'All Things New' process under Bishop Patrick Neary.

Becoming a Member

Anyone who attends Holy Trinity or Holy Cross Church and is not yet registered is encouraged to contact the parish office to begin a simple registration process; the office staff can also set up a meeting to help new members get acclimated to parish life. Registered members who do not receive contribution envelopes can request them by calling 320-584-5484 or e-mailing [email protected], while members who contribute in other ways can ask to be removed from the envelope mailing list.

• Registration — call the parish office (320-584-5484).
• Contribution envelopes — call the office or email [email protected].
• New-member meeting — arranged through the office staff.

Bulletin & Communications

A single weekly parish bulletin serves the Cross Rock ACC. The bulletin deadline is Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.; submissions are accepted by email to [email protected]. Bulletins and announcements cover Mass intentions, parish events, faith-formation schedules, and sacramental notices across the five-parish community.

• Bulletin deadline — Tuesday 4:00 p.m.
• Bulletin email — [email protected]
• Bulletin design and central printing — Patti Krystosek / Jean Skroch.

Visiting Holy Trinity in Royalton

Holy Trinity sits in the heart of Royalton, a small Mississippi River village in Morrison County in central Minnesota, just southwest of Little Falls. The 1912 church at 216 N 2nd Street is one of the most recognizable buildings in town and remains an active place of worship more than a century after it was built. Visitors are welcome to attend Sunday Mass, weekday Mass on Thursday, or spend time in weekday Eucharistic Adoration; for parish records, donations, or sacramental questions, callers can dial 320-584-5484 (parish) or 320-393-2725 (Cross Rock Central Office in Rice).

• Church — 216 N 2nd St., Royalton, MN 56373
• Parish phone — 320-584-5484
• Central Office phone — 320-393-2725
• Parish email — [email protected]
• Websites — crossrockacc.org; holytrinityroyalton.org