About Immaculate Conception · New Munich, Minnesota
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a historic parish in New Munich, Minnesota, serving a small rural Stearns County town of about 356 people. Founded in 1857 by Benedictine missionary Father Clement Staub, O.S.B., the parish is the spiritual heart of a community settled largely by German Catholic immigrants. Today it is clustered with Sacred Heart in Freeport and St. Rose of Lima in St. Rosa as a Tri-Parish community, and together they are part of the One in Faith Area Catholic Community within the Diocese of Saint Cloud. The parish is known for its striking 1911 Romanesque-style church, its active lay organizations, and its long tradition of Catholic life in central Minnesota.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father Daniel Walz
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a small-town Catholic parish with deep roots — over 165 years of continuous worship on Main Street in New Munich — and an active lay community that still gathers in traditional parish societies. The parish welcomes everyone to its weekly Saturday Mass at 4:00 PM and offers Saturday confessions at 3:30 PM (or by appointment), adult choir, a Knights of Columbus council, a Christian Women group, a St. Joseph Men's Society, youth ministry, a prayer line, and faith formation that feeds into the growing Sacred Heart School in Freeport. As part of the One in Faith Area Catholic Community, parishioners also share weekday Masses, schools, and ministries with the neighboring parishes of Sacred Heart and St. Rose of Lima.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 pm at Immaculate Conception, New Munich
- Before and after First Saturday Devotion Masses at Sacred Heart, Freeport
- By appointment — contact the Tri-Parish Office at (320) 836-2143
Adoration times
- Thursday 7:00 am – 8:00 am (First Thursdays) at Immaculate Conception, New Munich
Immaculate Conception Parish, New Munich
Immaculate Conception is one of three parishes that make up the Tri-Parish community of Sacred Heart, Freeport; Immaculate Conception, New Munich; and St. Rose of Lima, St. Rosa. All three are part of the One in Faith Area Catholic Community of St. Mary (Melrose), St. Michael (Spring Hill), St. Andrew (Greenwald), and St. John the Baptist (Meire Grove) — an Area Catholic Community formed in 2019 when the Diocese of Saint Cloud clustered surrounding parishes. Each of the three parishes keeps its own identity, its own page on the Tri-Parish website, and its own lay leadership, while sharing clergy and office staff.
- Tri-Parish Office: (320) 836-2143 — [email protected]
- Mailing address: PO Box 155, Freeport, MN 56331-0155
- Tri-Parish Office Hours: Mon–Thu 9 am–3 pm, Fri 9 am–12 pm
- Parishes: Sacred Heart (Freeport), Immaculate Conception (New Munich), St. Rose of Lima (St. Rosa)
Parish Organizations and Lay Groups
Immaculate Conception has a strong tradition of parish societies, several of which date back to the 19th century (the St. Joseph Men's Society was organized in 1875). Today the parish supports active men's, women's, youth, and music ministries, along with a prayer line that ministers to homebound and ill parishioners.
- Knights of Columbus — Richard Sand, (320) 837-5257
- Adult Choir — Calli Mayers, (320) 290-4583
- Youth Ministry — Kasia Van Beck, (320) 218-821-3269
- Christian Women Group — Shirley Worms, (320) 837-5308
- St. Joseph Men's Society — Tom Neal, (320) 837-5446
- Prayer Line — Bernice Zink, (320) 837-5321
Faith Formation and Sacred Heart School
Tri-Parish faith formation is coordinated for the three parishes out of the Freeport office, and Immaculate Conception parishioners are encouraged to enroll their children at Sacred Heart School, the affiliated Catholic elementary school described on the parish website as 'the fastest growing Catholic School in the area.' K–8 faith formation, sacramental preparation (First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, Confirmation), RCIA, and youth ministry are all coordinated through the Tri-Parish program.
- Faith Formation Coordinator (Tri-Parish): Kasia VanBeck — (320) 836-2143 / [email protected]
- Sacred Heart School Principal: Kristie Harren — (320) 836-2591 / [email protected]
- Sacred Heart School Administrative Coordinator: Amy Van Beck — (320) 836-2591 / [email protected]
- Youth Ministry: Kasia Van Beck, (218) 821-3269
Clergy, Staff, and Councils
The Tri-Parish community is shepherded by a pastoral team that shares responsibility across Sacred Heart, Immaculate Conception, and St. Rose of Lima. Day-to-day administration is handled by a parish administrator and secretary, and each parish elects its own Pastoral and Finance Councils under the One in Faith ACC structure.
- Father Daniel Walz — Tri-Parish Pastor; [email protected]
- Father Mitchell Bechtold — Tri-Parish Parochial Vicar
- Father Oswaldo Roche — Tri-Parish Parochial Vicar
- Amy Hoeschen — Tri-Parish Administrator; [email protected]
- Pam Pundsack — Tri-Parish Staff
- Nicole Welle — Tri-Parish Secretary; [email protected]
- Calli Mayers — Music and Choir Coordinator, Immaculate Conception; (320) 290-4583
A Brief History of Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception was founded in 1857 by Father Clement Staub, O.S.B., who visited the German-Catholic settlement and organized the first congregation. For decades the parish was served by Benedictine fathers from St. John's Abbey — Matthew Stuerenberg became the first resident priest in 1864. The first log church was built in 1862, replaced by a frame church in 1873, and then replaced again by the present twin-towered Romanesque church, begun in 1910 and consecrated December 14, 1911. The parish is one of the oldest in Stearns County and continues to serve its rural central Minnesota community today.
- 1857 — Parish founded by Father Clement Staub, O.S.B.
- 1862 — First small log church built (Father Pius Bayer)
- 1864 — Father Matthew Stuerenberg becomes first resident pastor
- 1873 — Larger frame church dedicated by Bishop Thomas L. Grace of St. Paul
- 1882 — Tall steeple added
- 1889 — Calvary Cemetery chapel built
- 1910–1911 — Current Romanesque church with twin towers built; consecrated December 14, 1911 by Bishop James Trobec
Visiting and Accessibility
Immaculate Conception's 1911 church has been updated for today's worshippers: a new gathering space has been added, and the building is handicapped accessible. The parish encourages visitors and new members and invites anyone interested in joining to contact the Tri-Parish Office.
- Handicapped accessible
- New gathering space added
- Visitors welcome — contact Tri-Parish Office, (320) 836-2143
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Clement Staub, O.S.B.1857–1861
Benedictine missionary who founded the parish
- Father Pius Bayer, O.S.B.1861–1862
Built the first log church
- Father Bruno Riss, O.S.B.1862–1864
- Father Matthew Stuerenberg, O.S.B.1864–1867
First resident priest of the parish
- Father Anschar Frauendorfer, O.S.B.1867–1872
- Father Meinulph Stukenkemper, O.S.B.1872 – Nov 1874
- Father Benedict Haindl, O.S.B.Nov 1875 – March 1880
- Father Augustine Brockmeyer, O.S.B.May 1880 – Jan 22, 1885
- Father Conrad Glatzmeier, O.S.B.to Aug 10, 1888
- Father Severin Gross, O.S.B.to Sept 1890
- Father Timothy Vaeth, O.S.B.to Sept 2, 1894
- Father Leo Winter, O.S.B.to Sept 14, 1904
- Father Ludger Ehrens, O.S.B.to 1906
- Father Alfred Mayer, O.S.B.to 1907
- Father William Eversmann, O.S.B.to Sept 1909
- Father Luke Fink, O.S.B.from Sept 1909
Pastored the parish when the present Romanesque church was built and consecrated in 1911