About Mary of the Visitation · Big Lake, Minnesota
Mary of the Visitation is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Saint Cloud serving the communities of Big Lake and Becker in Sherburne County, Minnesota. Formed in May 2012 from the merger of Immaculate Conception in Becker and Our Lady of the Lake in Big Lake, the parish worships across two rotating weekend locations at 440 Lake Street North in Big Lake and 12100 Sherburne Avenue in Becker. Its mission is to be 'a Catholic community bound together by the Word of God, sacramental worship, and the call to service,' living out the motto 'Be Christ for Others / See Christ in Others.'
- Established
- 2012
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Visitation
- Rector
- Fr. Mike Kellogg
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
Mary of the Visitation is a single parish family with two worship locations, where a relatively small staff and a clear mission — to 'Be Christ for Others' and 'See Christ in Others' — shape everything from weekday Mass to youth ministry. The community is large enough to offer faith formation for all ages, RCIA for those entering the Church, an active Youth & Young Adult Ministry, Liturgy & Music, and outreach like the 'Caroling for a Cause' Advent food-shelf collection, yet small enough that the pastor personally walks with parishioners through baptism, marriage prep, and the RCIA journey. With rotating weekend Masses between Big Lake and Becker, weekday Masses shared with neighboring St. Marcus in Clear Lake, and a Pastoral Council that meets monthly to plan the parish's life, belonging here is hands-on and intergenerational.
Mass times at Mary of the Visitation
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 9:00 AM at St. Marcus, Clear Lake
- Saturday 3:45–4:15 PM at the location of that weekend's Mass (Mary of the Visitation, Becker or Big Lake)
- By appointment — contact Father Mike
Welcome & Mission
Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Saint Cloud serving the Big Lake and Becker communities of Sherburne County, Minnesota. Its stated mission is to be 'a Catholic community bound together by the Word of God, sacramental worship, and the call to service,' and through the proclamation of the Word of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit the community seeks 'to be welcoming, to grow spiritually, to see Christ's presence in others, and to offer our care and service to all.' The parish motto, prominently displayed on the home page, is 'Be Christ for Others / See Christ for Others.'
History of the Parish
The parish's story is told in three chapters: the founding of Our Lady of the Lake in Big Lake in 1958, the parallel life of Immaculate Conception in Becker, and the 2012 merger that created Mary of the Visitation. In 1955, 47 Catholic families pooled their resources and purchased land in the rapidly growing Highway 10 corridor, dedicating a new 40 x 100 foot church on November 23, 1958, before 80 founding families — an event remembered as the 'Miracle of 1958.' An annex was added in 1973 with classrooms and social space, the seven-sacraments stained-glass windows filled the nave, a 'pietà' sanctuary window followed in 1977, and a matching shrine was placed in the cemetery in 1987. A 2000 elevator project added a ground-level entry and made both the worship area and lower levels accessible.
- 1955: 47 Catholic families purchase land in Big Lake
- November 23, 1958: Church dedicated — the 'Miracle of 1958'
- 1973: Annex with classrooms, social area, and storage built
- 1977: 'Pieta' sanctuary window installed
- 1987: 'Pieta' shrine added to the parish cemetery
- 1997: Former rectory replaced with new pastor's residence
- 2000: Elevator and ground-level entry project (Jubilee Year)
- 2002: 750 registered families at Our Lady of the Lake
- April 2008: Bishop John F. Kinney announces Sherburne County parish planning
- May 2012: Immaculate Conception (Becker) and Our Lady of the Lake (Big Lake) merged as The Church of Mary of the Visitation
The 'Miracle of 1958'
Looking back on the founding families and the sacrifices they made, the Big Lake community named the beginnings of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church 'the Miracle of 1958.' Construction labor, food, and encouragement poured in from parishioners, and the project — a 40 x 100 foot above-ground structure with a full basement at roughly $100,000 — was approved by diocesan officials and Bishop Peter W. Bartholome. The miracle is still invoked on the parish's history page as a witness to continued growth and blessings 'in the 21st century and beyond.'
The 2012 Merger
In May 2012 the parishes of Immaculate Conception in Becker and Our Lady of the Lake in Big Lake were formally merged into one large faith community and renamed The Church of Mary of the Visitation. The new name, drawn from the Gospel account of Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth, signaled the birth of a single parish family with worship sites in both communities. Fr. Eugene Doyle served as the first pastor of the merged parish (2012–2016), followed by Fr. Mike Kellogg from 2016 onward.
'All Things New' & the Faith Handed Down Project
Through the Diocese of Saint Cloud's 'All Things New' initiative, the Big Lake location no longer houses the Blessed Sacrament and Masses are no longer celebrated there; a team is being formed to look at all options for the property. To mark the transition, the parish is inviting members to share memories, stories, and reflections through the 'Faith Handed Down' project, preserving the legacy of the Big Lake church building through collected writings, photos, and testimonies.
Parish Staff
Mary of the Visitation is served by a small, dedicated staff led by Pastor Fr. Mike Kellogg. The team includes directors for Liturgy & Music, Faith Formation, and Youth & Young Adult Ministry, alongside a Communications Coordinator, Housekeeping, Finance, and a Parish Life Coordinator.
- Fr. Mike Kellogg — Pastor
- Director of Liturgy & Music
- Margaret Manese — Director of Faith Formation
- Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
- Kevin Sharpe — Communications Coordinator
- Teresa Riebel — Housekeeping
- Emily Adelman — staff
- Gretchen Roe — Finance
- Alexzia DeChene — Parish Life Coordinator
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Faith Formation program, under Director Margaret Manese, is organized under the 'Formation / Youth' section of the parish website. It accompanies parishioners of all ages in growing as disciples, in close coordination with the parish's sacramental and liturgical life.
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
The parish maintains a dedicated Youth & Young Adult Ministry directed by a staff member listed on the parish's Staff page. Youth activities are promoted through the parish website alongside faith formation and RCIA programs.
RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Mary of the Visitation walks with adults who wish to become fully initiated members of the Catholic Church through the RCIA process. The parish describes RCIA as 'a journey' that 'climaxes at the Easter Vigil,' when participants are brought into full communion through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. The journey begins with informational meetings in the fall, continues with weekly sessions through the New Year (expanded from mid-January to include the Liturgy of the Word), and concludes a few weeks after Easter with a shared meal and time for reflection. RCIA is open to the unbaptized, Christians baptized in another tradition, and baptized Catholics who have not yet been Confirmed or received the Eucharist.
- For the unbaptized, the baptized in another Christian tradition, and baptized Catholics seeking Confirmation/Eucharist
- Begins in the fall with informational meetings
- Weekly sessions continue into the New Year
- Mid-January: weekly sessions expand to include the Liturgy of the Word
- Journey continues through Lent to the Easter Vigil
- Ends a few weeks after Easter with a shared meal
- Contact: Fr. Mike
Liturgy & Music
The Director of Liturgy & Music oversees the prayer and musical life of the parish. Gretchen Roe, who has been described in the diocesan press as the parish's liturgist, was instrumental in developing parish-wide devotional and outreach events such as the Advent 'Caroling for a Cause' program.
Pastoral Council
The Mary of the Visitation Pastoral Council functions as a consultative body of representative parish members (per Canon 536). It represents the voice of the parish community to the pastor, helps identify pastoral needs, plans pastoral programs, and evaluates the effectiveness of existing services. Meetings are held at 7:00 PM at the Becker location on the fourth Tuesday of each month, except in July and December.
- Consultative body to the pastor (Canon 536)
- Meets 7:00 PM at the Becker location
- Fourth Tuesday of each month (except July and December)
Parish Outreach & Community Life
Outreach and community events are central to the parish's identity. 'Caroling for a Cause,' an Advent tradition born from the parish's desire to mark the fifth anniversary of the merger, sends families out caroling door-to-door while collecting donations for area food shelves — a single outing brought in 12 large totes of food plus cash gifts. A 'Take-What-You-Need' community event at the Big Lake youth house on May 9 (9 AM–3 PM) passes on unused games, dishes, furniture, decor, and more. The annual Parish Renewal Week is observed May 17–24.
- Caroling for a Cause — Advent food-shelf collection
- Take-What-You-Need event (Big Lake youth house, May 9, 9 AM–3 PM)
- Parish Renewal Week (May 17–24)
- Faith Handed Down memory project
Worship Locations
Mary of the Visitation worships at two locations in Sherburne County, connected by the Highway 10 corridor. The Big Lake site at 440 Lake Street North is the historic home of Our Lady of the Lake; the Becker site at 12100 Sherburne Avenue is the historic home of Immaculate Conception. The Big Lake building's 2000 elevator project provides a ground-level entry and access to both the worship area and lower levels for people with special needs.
- Big Lake location — 440 Lake Street N, Big Lake, MN
- Becker location — 12100 Sherburne Avenue, Becker, MN
- Mailing address: PO Box 100, Big Lake, MN 55309
- Accessibility: elevator and ground-level entry (added 2000)
Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach Mary of the Visitation by mail at PO Box 100, Big Lake, MN 55309, by phone at 763-447-3339, or by email at [email protected]. The parish maintains an active Facebook page and streams Masses online via its website.
- Phone: 763-447-3339
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing: PO Box 100, Big Lake, MN 55309
- Website: maryofthevisitation.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/MaryoftheVisitationCatholicChurch
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Linn1958–1968
Founding pastor of Our Lady of the Lake, Big Lake, leading the parish through the 'Miracle of 1958' dedication.
- Fr. John Kroll1968
Briefly served Our Lady of the Lake.
- Fr. Leo Revering1968–1969
Served Our Lady of the Lake.
- Fr. Ray Ringwelski1969–1981
Long-tenured pastor of Our Lady of the Lake during a period of growth.
- Fr. Richard Wey1981–1995
Served Our Lady of the Lake.
- Fr. Nic Dressen1995–1999
Served Our Lady of the Lake.
- Fr. Ralph Zimmerman1999–2005
Served Our Lady of the Lake during the parish's growth toward 750 families.
- Fr. Eugene Doyle2005–2012
Pastor of Our Lady of the Lake, then led the Immaculate Conception parish (2009–2012) before guiding the merger.
- Fr. Eberhard Schefers2001–2009
Pastor of Immaculate Conception, Becker.
- Fr. Eugene Doyle2012–2016
First pastor of the newly merged Church of Mary of the Visitation.
- Fr. Mike Kellogg2016–present
Current pastor of Mary of the Visitation; in July 2025 was additionally named pastor of St. Marcus, Clear Lake.