About Immaculate Conception · Lonsdale, Minnesota
Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic parish in Lonsdale, Minnesota, situated in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Founded in 1903 by Czech immigrants who settled the village along the railroad, the parish has been preaching the Gospel and providing the sacraments in Lonsdale for more than 120 years. Today it serves the community with weekend and weekday Masses in English, Eucharistic Adoration, a regional Catholic school (Holy Cross), collaborative religious education, an active youth ministry, and signature events such as Cor Jesu and the annual AugustFest festival.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Nicholas (Nick) VanDenBroeke
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception offers the warmth of a small, multigenerational parish rooted in 120+ years of Czech-Catholic heritage, balanced with the active ministries of a thriving community. Weekend Masses (Saturday 5pm; Sunday 8am & 10am) and daily Masses are complemented by weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a robust Confirmation and First Reconciliation program for children, a collaborative religious education program shared with neighboring parishes, the parish-school Holy Cross, signature events like Cor Jesu and AugustFest, and a Knights of Columbus council — giving every member real ways to worship, serve, and belong.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
- Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
- Friday: 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
History of Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception is one of the oldest Catholic institutions in Lonsdale. Czech settlers founded the village in 1902 along the railroad, and Archbishop John Ireland formally incorporated the parish on March 11, 1903. The first wooden-frame church was completed by the fall of 1904 at a cost of $6,600, with parishioners themselves raising 40% of the cost. The first resident pastor, Rev. Francis T. Bouska, celebrated his first Mass on September 10, 1905, preaching in both Czech and English — a bilingual tradition that continued for 55 years. The parish grew so rapidly that by 1939 Archbishop John Murray mandated a larger church; the current church was completed in 1941. Over the decades the parish has weathered the Great Depression, the Armistice Day blizzard, parish-school consolidation, and vocations changes — always remaining a center of Catholic life in northern Rice County.
- Incorporated March 11, 1903 by Archbishop John Ireland
- First church completed fall 1904 (cost $6,600, ≈$171,610 today)
- First resident pastor: Rev. Francis T. Bouska (first Mass September 10, 1905)
- Current church begun June 6, 1940; completed 1941 after Armistice Day blizzard delay
- Czech-and-English homilies continued for 55 years until about 1960
Parish Staff
Immaculate Conception's day-to-day ministry is carried out by a small, dedicated staff.
- Rev. Nicholas (Nick) VanDenBroeke — Pastor (since July 1, 2017)
- Mary Rose Rynda — Office Manager / Parish Secretary and Bookkeeper
- Justin Merritt — Music Ministry, Organist
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments and provides age-appropriate preparation for children as well as support for adults.
- Baptism — for infants through adults; registered families meet with the pastor beforehand
- First Reconciliation — prepared in 2nd grade
- Confirmation — for those in 10th grade or older
- Holy Eucharist — preparation begins in 2nd grade; homebound visits available
- Marriage — contact the pastor one year in advance
- Anointing of the Sick — celebrated upon request
- Holy Orders — those discerning a vocation are encouraged to contact the pastor
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Immaculate Conception partners with Most Holy Trinity (Veseli) and St. Nicholas (New Market) in the LNMV Religious Education Program, which provides classroom instruction, prayer, scripture, and sacramental preparation. Classes meet at the Catholic Education Center (the Holy Cross School building).
- Collaborative LNMV Religious Education (Lonsdale, New Market, Veseli)
- Mission: partnership with parents to teach children to know Jesus and His Church
- Classes held at the Catholic Education Center / Holy Cross School
Holy Cross Catholic School
Holy Cross Catholic School in Webster is the regional parish school for Immaculate Conception (Lonsdale), St. Nicholas (New Market), and Most Holy Trinity (Veseli). The current Holy Cross building was completed in 2005, replacing the consolidated Catholic school arrangement that began in 1969 when Immaculate Conception's grade school merged with the Catholic schools in New Market and Veseli.
- Parish school serving Lonsdale, New Market and Veseli
- Built in 2005 in Webster, just north of Lonsdale
- Successor to the 1912 parish grade school (originally staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame)
Liturgical Ministers
Parishioners of all ages serve the worshipping community as liturgical ministers. Training and scheduling are coordinated through the Parish Office.
- Eucharistic Ministers (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion)
- Altar Servers — open to boys grade 3 and up
- Ushers
- Lectors
- Gift Bearers
- Greeters
Youth & Family Ministry
Immaculate Conception maintains an active youth and family ministry founded by Rev. Thomas McCabe in 2012 and continued under Rev. Nicholas VanDenBroeke. Highlights include the parish youth group (faith, food, fun and service gatherings started by Fr. Troy Przybilla), the annual Extreme Faith Camp for grades 6–8, and signature Cor Jesu evenings of Eucharistic Adoration, candles, and praise music open to all (including non-parishioners).
- Parish Youth Group — monthly gatherings with faith, food, fun, and service
- Extreme Faith Camp — Catholic summer camp for grades 6–8 with high-school leadership opportunities (9th grade Extreme Prayer Team; 10th–12th grade Extreme Team)
- Cor Jesu — evening Eucharistic Adoration with music and candles
Parish Events & Festival
Immaculate Conception's signature community event is AugustFest, the annual parish festival featuring bucket drawings, Big Wheel, Bingo, and a raffle with cash prizes (top prize $1,500). Sponsorship levels include Kolacky ($500), Pale Ale ($250), and Chocolate Truffle ($100). The parish also hosts an Annual Apple Cider event and seasonal Encounter evenings with Adoration, Stations of the Cross, and Benediction.
- AugustFest — first weekend of August (next: Sunday, August 2, 2026)
- Raffle prizes: $1,500, $1,000, $500, $250 ×2, $100 ×5
- Annual Apple Cider event
- Encounter evenings — Adoration, Stations of the Cross, Benediction
Getting Involved / Volunteering
The parish welcomes new volunteers for ministries, events, and liturgical roles. Volunteers can also sign up for parish updates through Flocknote by contacting the Parish Office.
- Contact the Parish Office at 507-744-2829 or [email protected] to volunteer
- Flocknote email updates available through the parish office
- Liturgical ministry roles available for confirmed men and women, and altar serving for boys grade 3+
Visit Us / Contact
Immaculate Conception is located at 116 Alabama Street SE in Lonsdale, with a mailing address of 202 Alabama Street SE, Lonsdale, MN 55046. The parish office is open Tuesday–Thursday 9am–Noon and Friday 9am–4pm; the parish fax is (507) 744-2826. Parish Trustees are Dave Stepka and Milton Trnka. From I-35, take Exit 69 and follow Highway 19 west for 8 miles into Lonsdale; the church will be on the left after passing gas stations on each side.
- Parish Office: 507-744-2829
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish Trustees: Dave Stepka and Milton Trnka
- Altar Flowers contact: Betty Vosejpka (744-2130)
- First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association: Milton Trnka (744-2655, [email protected])
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis T. Bouska1905–
First resident pastor; celebrated first Mass September 10, 1905 with sermon in Czech and English.
- Rev. Stanley Skluzacek1946–1947
Abolished the practice of renting pews; absorbed members from the dissolved St. Luke's (Wheatland) parish.
- Rev. Michael Skoblik1947–
Followed Rev. Skluzacek for about a year.
- Rev. Charles Jirik17 years
Purchased the rectory site in 1957 for $9,000; oversaw construction of the $90,000 parish house for the teaching sisters.
- Rev. Troy Przybilla2007–
Assisted in completion of Holy Cross School; reinstated color in the sanctuary, inscribed a Czech saying on the balcony header, commissioned the Immaculate Conception painting; started the parish youth group; later called to serve as archdiocesan director of vocations.
- Rev. Thomas McCabe2011–2015
Established Youth and Family Ministry in 2012 with events including Prayer-A-Thon, Family Movie Night, Blessing of the Pets, Christmas Caroling; supported the founding of the parish Knights of Columbus council; co-led a pilgrimage to Rome with Fr. Patrick Barnes.
- Rev. Nicholas VanDenBroekeJuly 1, 2017 – present
Started Cor Jesu (Eucharistic Adoration), the Annual Apple Cider event, and classes including Theology of the Body.