About Oratory of St. Walburga · Rogers, Minnesota
The Oratory of St. Walburga is the historic Rogers, Minnesota worship site of Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church, one of the oldest Catholic congregations in northwest Hennepin County. Founded in 1857 by Bavarian-immigrant settlers who gathered for the first Mass in the home of John and Walburga Fehn, the parish built a small log chapel in 1858, the present white clapboard church in 1883, and operated its own Catholic school until the 1970s. In 2003 St. Walburga merged with neighboring St. Martin of Tours to form Mary Queen of Peace, and in 2022 Archbishop Bernard Hebda formally redesignated the 1883 building as the Oratory of St. Walburga — a sacred space set aside for prayer, the annual Feast of St. Walburga, funerals, weddings, and other special liturgical celebrations. The oratory sits on Fletcher Lane in Rogers and is used alongside the main St. Martin Campus about 1.5 miles away.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- St. Walburga (Saint Walpurga)
- Rector
- Father Mark Pavlik (Pastor of Mary Queen of Peace since 2019)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
The Oratory of St. Walburga and its sister St. Martin Campus form Mary Queen of Peace, a parish where more than 165 years of Catholic life in Rogers meets an active, multigenerational community. Visitors and parishioners can worship in English at the 1883 historic chapel or the modern St. Martin church, with seven weekly Masses, Tuesday and Saturday confessions, and a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel open weekday mornings and evenings. The parish runs a pre-K through grade 5 Catholic school at the St. Martin Campus, a Faith Formation program, a Cemetery Committee that maintains both historic burial grounds, and a new columbarium installed at St. Walburga in 2024 — making it a place that honors its roots while still growing.
Mass times at Oratory of St. Walburga
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the Adoration Chapel, Monday–Friday 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM (coordinated by Jan Hofford, 763-428-8356, [email protected])
Our Parish History
Mary Queen of Peace was formed in January 2003 from the merger of two Rogers-area parishes, St. Walburga and St. Martin of Tours. In 2022, the historic 1883 St. Walburga church was redesignated as an oratory under Archbishop Bernard Hebda — keeping its name, patron, and sacred use while regular weekend and daily Masses are now primarily celebrated at the St. Martin Campus. Together the two campuses continue to serve as one parish family with one school.
- St. Walburga parish founded 1857 — first Mass in the home of John and Walburga Fehn
- Log chapel built 1858; replaced 1880; present church built 1883
- St. Walburga Catholic School closed in the 1970s
- St. Martin of Tours parish founded 1912; grade school begun 1950
- January 2003: merger forms Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church
- 2022: St. Walburga redesignated as an Oratory by Archbishop Bernard Hebda
- 2024: columbarium installed at St. Walburga Cemetery
The Oratory of St. Walburga
Set on Fletcher Lane in Rogers, the Oratory of St. Walburga is the 1883 white clapboard chapel that anchors Mary Queen of Peace's original worship site. The interior — original altar, pews, communion railing, stained glass and statuary — has been carefully preserved. Today the oratory is reserved for the annual Feast of St. Walburga, funerals, weddings, and other special liturgical celebrations, with the small adjoining parish cemetery and a new columbarium serving as further links to the parish's 168-year history.
- White clapboard church completed 1883
- Original altar, pews, communion railing, stained-glass windows, and statuary preserved
- Interior repainted and recarpeted circa 2007–2010
- Used for Feast of St. Walburga, funerals, weddings, and special liturgies
- St. Walburga Cemetery on site; columbarium added 2024
Pastoral Leadership & Staff
Mary Queen of Peace is led by Pastor Father Mark Pavlik, ordained in 2003, who has served the parish since 2019 after pastorates at St. Richard's in Richfield and St. Olaf in downtown Minneapolis. A pastoral and administrative team supports parish operations, school administration, faith formation, and music ministry.
- Pastor: Father Mark Pavlik (763-452-2085, [email protected])
- Parish Business Administrator: Carol Warner ([email protected], 763-452-2081)
- Faith Formation Director / Safe Environment Coordinator: Cyndi Stifter ([email protected], 763-452-2082)
- Director of Music: Jennifer Krueger ([email protected], 763-452-2083)
- Office Assistants: Lisa Burton (763-452-2086) and [email protected] (763-452-2080)
Parish Office & Visiting
The Mary Queen of Peace parish office is at 21304 Church Avenue, Rogers, MN 55374 (St. Martin Campus). Office hours run Monday 12:00–4:00 PM, Tuesday through Thursday 9:00 AM–4:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, and the office is closed on weekends.
- Parish Office: 21304 Church Avenue, Rogers, MN 55374
- Phone: 763-428-2585
- Email: [email protected]
- Monday 12–4 PM; Tue–Thu 9 AM–4 PM; Fri 9 AM–12 PM; closed weekends
Cemeteries & Columbarium
The parish Cemetery Committee tends two historic burial grounds that have served the community since the late 1800s: St. Walburga Cemetery, located in Fletcher next to the oratory, and St. Martin Cemetery in Rogers north of Interstate 94 and Highway 101. In 2024 a columbarium was installed at St. Walburga Cemetery, giving families a new inurnment option at this historic site. Committee responsibilities include flag display, snow removal, lawn care, monument leveling, and seasonal cleanup.
- St. Walburga Cemetery — in Fletcher next to the Oratory
- St. Martin Cemetery — Rogers, north of I-94 and Highway 101
- Columbarium added at St. Walburga Cemetery in 2024
- Volunteer opportunities through the Cemetery Committee (763-428-2585)
Mary Queen of Peace Catholic School
Located at 21201 Church Avenue, Rogers (St. Martin Campus), Mary Queen of Peace Catholic School serves preschool through Grade 5 with a mission rooted in the teachings of Christ and a philosophy summed up as "Christ is the reason for our school." The school is pursuing its first Lumen Accreditation through the Institute for the Transformation of Catholic Education at The Catholic University of America in November 2025.
- Pre-K through Grade 5 (plus preschool and extended-day program)
- Principal: Ann Marie Zeimetz ([email protected], 763-428-2355)
- Accreditation: pursuing Lumen Accreditation (Catholic University of America / ITCE)
- Mission: "a Catholic education rooted in the teachings of Christ"
- Core values: respect, responsibility, compassion
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Faith Formation, religious education, and Safe Environment coordination are led by Cyndi Stifter ([email protected], 763-452-2082). Sacramental preparation for baptism, First Communion, confirmation, and marriage is coordinated through the parish office. Weddings and funerals may be celebrated at the Oratory of St. Walburga, and confessions are heard Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
- Faith Formation / Safe Environment: Cyndi Stifter, [email protected], 763-452-2082
- Baptism, Marriage, and other sacraments through the parish office (763-428-2585)
- Weddings and funerals at the Oratory of St. Walburga by arrangement
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Mark Pavlik2019–present
Current pastor of Mary Queen of Peace; ordained 2003; previously at St. Richard's in Richfield and at downtown Minneapolis's St. Olaf Church.
- Father Kaluza
Predecessor of Fr. Pavlik as pastor of Mary Queen of Peace; per Fr. Pavlik's bio, the two met at St. Paul Seminary and have been friends for almost 20 years.