About Immaculate Conception · Minot AFB, North Dakota
Immaculate Conception Catholic Community is the Roman Catholic worship community serving the military and civilian personnel of Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. Liturgies are celebrated by Catholic chaplains assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing Chaplain Corps, with Sunday and daily Mass offered in the Northern Lights Chapel (NLC) and faith-formation programs held at the North Plains Chapel (NPC). Although it sits on an active military installation, the community welcomes active-duty service members, retirees, and their ID-card-holding family members for worship, sacraments, OCIA, and religious education from preschool through eighth grade.
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Diocese
- Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (Military Ordinariate); geographically within the Roman Diocese of Bismarck
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception Catholic Community is a parish that moves with the people it serves: Air Force families, missileers, bomber crews, and retirees attached to Minot AFB. Catholic chaplains offer daily noon Mass Monday through Friday, a Sunday morning Mass with fellowship afterwards, Sunday-morning Reconciliation, by-appointment Baptism and Marriage preparation, OCIA for adults, and weekly Religious Education for preschool through 8th grade — all coordinated through a single chapel office. It is an unusually intimate Catholic community where faith, service, and the rhythm of military life meet under one roof.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:00–9:45 AM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel (Northern Lights Chapel)
About Immaculate Conception Catholic Community
Immaculate Conception Catholic Community is the Roman Catholic congregation that worships at the Northern Lights Chapel on Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. It is served by Catholic chaplains of the 5th Bomb Wing Chaplain Corps, who also care for service members of the 91st Missile Wing. The parish exists to bring the sacraments, formation, and pastoral care of the Catholic Church to the airmen, civilian employees, retirees, and families of the installation, and it falls under the Military Ordinariate of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA — the same canonical jurisdiction that covers Catholic ministry at every U.S. military base.
Catholic Clergy & Chaplain Corps
Catholic ministry at Minot AFB is staffed by uniformed U.S. Air Force chaplains assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing. The Team Minot Chaplain Corps serves both the 5th Bomb Wing and the 91st Missile Wing, and chaplains are on call around the clock for pastoral emergencies.
- Ch, Maj. Mario Rosario — Deputy Chaplain, 5th Bomb Wing (Roman Catholic)
- Ch, Capt. Bartlomiej Gadaj — Roman Catholic
- Ch, Lt. Col. Ron Feeser — Wing Chaplain (United Methodist Church)
- Ch, Capt. Kelli Williamson — United Methodist Church
- Ch, Capt. Joshua McCormick — Southern Baptist
- Ch, Capt. Brian Harris — Southern Baptist
- Duty phone: 701-723-2456 (DSN 453-2456)
- Chaplain On-Call (emergency): 701-509-4230
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Catholic formation is offered year-round for children and adults, with the structured academic-year programs running September through May.
- Religious Education (Preschool–8th grade): Wednesdays 6:00–7:00 PM, North Plains Chapel Basement
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (Sept–May): contact the Chapel Staff at 701-723-2456 for details
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation is completed on an individual basis through the Catholic chaplain
Sacraments
The Catholic chaplain team prepares and celebrates the sacraments for the Minot AFB community. Because the chapel is on an active installation, arrangements are coordinated through the chapel office.
- Baptism — preparation by appointment
- Marriage — preparation on an individual basis; Catholic weddings should be arranged approximately six months in advance through the chapel (three months for Protestant weddings)
- Reconciliation — Sundays 9:00–9:45 AM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel
- First Communion and Confirmation — coordinated through Religious Education and OCIA
Lay Groups & Community Life
Beyond the liturgy and the classroom, the Catholic community sustains a small lay fellowship program. A Catholic Women's Group gathers on the base for prayer and mutual support and is presently seeking volunteer leadership.
- Catholic Women's Group — contact the Chapel Staff at 701-723-2456
- Home blessings for newly-arrived families in base housing (request through the Chaplain Corps)
- Fellowship after Sunday Mass in the Northern Lights Chapel Annex
Where to Worship on Minot AFB
Minot AFB has two chapel facilities serving the installation. The Catholic community's regular Masses, Reconciliation, and chaplain offices are at the Northern Lights Chapel; Religious Education and the Catholic Women's Group currently meet at the North Plains Chapel basement.
- Northern Lights Chapel (NLC): 230 Missile Ave, Minot AFB, ND 58705 — Sunday Mass, daily noon Mass, Reconciliation, chaplain offices
- North Plains Chapel (NPC): 290 Peacekeeper Pl, Minot AFB, ND 58705 — Religious Education (Preschool–8th grade), Catholic Women's Group
Visiting & Contact
As a chapel on an active military installation, Immaculate Conception Catholic Community is open to active-duty, reserve, and retired service members and their ID-card-holding family members. Civilians wishing to attend should contact the chapel office in advance to confirm base-access procedures.
- Chapel duty hours: 701-723-2456 (DSN 453-2456)
- Chaplain On-Call (emergencies, 24/7): 701-509-4230
- Find the Catholic Community on Facebook by searching "Minot AFB Catholic Community"
- Official information: minot.af.mil Chaplain Corps page
- GCatholic parish ID: 36423