About Our Lady of Fatima · Garrison, Minnesota
Our Lady of Fatima is a small Catholic parish in Garrison, Minnesota, on the south shore of Lake Mille Lacs, belonging to the Diocese of Duluth. It is clustered with the much larger St. Joseph's parish in Crosby (the administrative hub) and Holy Family in Hillman, sharing one pastor and one parish staff. The faithful of Garrison gather most Saturday evenings for the Vigil Mass, with additional weekday Masses on Wednesdays and First Fridays.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- Our Lady of Fatima
- Rector
- Fr. Elias (Eli) Gieske
- Diocese
- Diocese of Duluth
Why belong here
Our Lady of Fatima is a tight-knit rural Catholic community along Lake Mille Lacs, clustered with two neighboring parishes but with its own building, its own Saturday Vigil Mass, and its own traditions. Parishioners here benefit from the resources of a larger cluster — strong Family Faith Formation, OCIA, youth choirs, Totus Tuus, Encounter Nights with adoration and confession, and small discipleship groups — while keeping the personal, small-church feel of a Garrison worship site. The pastor, Fr. Eli, makes a point of visiting parishioners in their homes and learning their stories, which is exactly the kind of pastoral care a small parish makes possible.
Mass times at Our Lady of Fatima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 8:30–8:50 a.m. (Our Lady of Fatima, Garrison)
- Saturday 3:30–3:50 p.m. (Our Lady of Fatima, Garrison, before the 4:00 p.m. Vigil)
- Saturday 9:00–10:00 a.m. (St. Joseph's, Crosby)
- Special times during Advent and Lent
Adoration times
- Encounter Night at St. Joseph's, Crosby (monthly, 6:15–7:30 p.m.) — adoration, praise and worship, confessions, prayer ministry
About Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima is a small Catholic parish on the south shore of Lake Mille Lacs in Garrison, Minnesota. It is one of three parishes in the Cuyuna Catholic cluster, sharing a pastor and staff with St. Joseph's in Crosby (the main parish office) and Holy Family in Hillman. Although administration and most ministries run out of Crosby, Our Lady of Fatima has its own church building, its own weekend Vigil Mass, weekday Masses, and its own parish community life.
- Patron: Our Lady of Fatima (feast day May 13)
- Diocese of Duluth
- Clustered with St. Joseph's, Crosby and Holy Family, Hillman
- Located at 27332 Central Street, Garrison, MN 56450
Parish History
Our Lady of Fatima grew out of one of the small mission churches served by missionaries of the Diocese of Duluth in the wooded country north of Lake Mille Lacs. According to Catholic Extension Society records, the Garrison community traces its origins to the original McGrath mission, a poverty-stricken rural congregation whose early building efforts nearly collapsed when their treasurer disappeared with building funds before being rescued by Extension's help. In 1958 the Catholic Extension Society helped that mission rebuild a new church, which was dedicated under the title Our Lady of Fatima. The parish has remained small and mission-style ever since, eventually being clustered — first with Crosby and Deerwood, and then with Hillman — so that priests and resources could be shared.
- Origin: McGrath mission in central Minnesota
- 1958: Catholic Extension Society helped build/rebuild the church, dedicated as Our Lady of Fatima
- Later clustered with Crosby, then with Hillman
- Today administered as part of the Cuyuna Catholic cluster out of St. Joseph's, Crosby
Meet the Pastor
Our Lady of Fatima is served by Fr. Elias (Eli) Gieske, pastor of the three-parish Cuyuna Catholic cluster. Fr. Eli grew up in Lindstrom, Minnesota, attended Chisago Lakes High School, and was ordained in 2013 for the Diocese of Duluth. He first served the cluster parishes from 2016 to 2020 — first with Deerwood and Crosby, then with Deerwood, Crosby, Garrison and Hillman — and returned in April 2022. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, camping, board games, and visiting parishioners in their homes for a meal or a conversation.
- Ordained 2013 for the Diocese of Duluth
- Served this cluster 2016–2020
- Returned April 2022 as pastor of St. Joseph's, Our Lady of Fatima and Holy Family
Parish Staff and Cluster Leadership
Because Our Lady of Fatima is clustered with St. Joseph's and Holy Family, its day-to-day operations are run by a single shared staff out of the Crosby parish office. The team includes the pastor, a deacon, a parish secretary, a Director of Religious Education / Bookkeeper, a Director of Music, a parish custodian, a kitchen and events coordinator, and a maintenance lead.
- Fr. Elias Gieske — Pastor
- Deacon Roger — Deacon
- Nancy — Parish Secretary & Capital Campaign Coordinator
- Tammy Ringhand — Bookkeeper / Director of Religious Education
- Lisa — Director of Music
- Tommy — Parish Custodian
- Carmella Turner — Kitchen & Events Coordinator (also CCW President)
- Kristin — Maintenance
- Evan Teck — Troops of St. George leader
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation is run cluster-wide out of St. Joseph's and is open to families from all three parishes, including Our Lady of Fatima. The program is built around three Wednesday evenings each month: a Formation Night for catechesis, a Group Night for small-group discipleship, and an Encounter Night with adoration, praise and worship, confessions and prayer ministry. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation takes place during the Wednesday Formation Nights plus extra meetings and retreats.
- Formation Nights for grades 2–11, Wednesdays 6:15–7:30 p.m.
- Group Nights — monthly small-group options by age
- Encounter Nights — adoration, praise & worship, confessions, prayer ministry
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd also offered
- $50/student fee, $150 max per family
Becoming Catholic — OCIA
Adults interested in becoming Catholic or completing their initiation are invited into the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process, which is run out of the cluster's parish office in Crosby. Fr. Eli meets one-on-one with inquirers to discuss what the journey will look like for them personally, and the parish offers a series of presentations over several months for those exploring the faith.
- Contact Fr. Eli at 218-546-6559 to register
- Series of presentations over several months
- Open to unbaptized adults and to Christians already baptized seeking full communion
Youth and Family Ministries
The cluster runs a rich menu of ministries for children, teens, and young adults. Younger girls join Little Flowers (grades 1–5), middle-school girls work through a yearly Endow study, and boys in grade 4 and up can train as altar servers. Older youth gather in Junior and Senior Discipleship groups, RADIUS, and the Troops of St. George (boys ages 6–18 with a dad or trusted adult). The annual Totus Tuus summer retreat, hosted at St. Joseph's by a young-adult team from the Diocese of Duluth, draws youth from across the cluster, and an annual garage sale in July is the main fundraiser for sending kids to camps and retreats.
- Little Flowers — girls grades 1–5
- Middle School Girls' Group (grades 5–8)
- Altar Serving — boys grade 4+
- Troops of St. George — boys ages 6–18 with father/adult
- Junior & Senior Discipleship, RADIUS small groups
- Totus Tuus summer retreat
- Magnificat Children's Choir (grades 1–8) and Schola Cantorum (girls grade 7+)
Parish Life and Outreach — CCW
All women of St. Joseph Catholic Church are members of the parish's Council of Catholic Women (CCW), and women of Our Lady of Fatima and Holy Family are warmly welcomed to participate as well. The St. Joseph's CCW is affiliated with the Duluth Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and the National Council of Catholic Women, and lives out the Corporal Works of Mercy through service projects, fellowship, and fundraising. The current president is Carmella Turner, who also serves the cluster as Kitchen and Events Coordinator.
- President: Carmella Turner
- Vice President: Tammy Ringhand
- Secretary: Stephanie Reimer
- Treasurer: Morgan Swensen
- Affiliated with Duluth Diocesan CCW and National CCW
Sacraments
The cluster prepares parishioners for the six standard sacraments. Baptism requires parents to be registered and active parishioners for six months and to attend a Baptism Preparation Class. First Communion is normally received in 2nd grade, and youth Confirmation preparation is built into Family Faith Formation beginning at age 16; adults prepare through OCIA. Couples seeking Matrimony must begin at least six months of preparation, with one spouse a registered active parishioner. Reconciliation is available before most Masses and at the weekly Saturday hour at St. Joseph's, and the Anointing of the Sick can be requested at any time by calling the parish office.
- Baptism — six-month parishioner requirement + preparation class
- First Communion — typically 2nd grade
- Confirmation — youth (16+) via Family Faith Formation; adults via OCIA
- Reconciliation — before most Masses; Saturdays 9–10 a.m. at St. Joseph's; special Advent/Lent times
- Matrimony — six-month minimum preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — by request through the parish office
Visiting — What to Expect
Newcomers to Our Lady of Fatima in Garrison will find a small, accessible church on Central Street in the heart of Garrison. Parking is available in front and behind the church, with handicapped-accessible spaces on the west side; the parish notes that parking can be limited, so arriving a bit early is wise. Most parish-wide communications — bulletin, registrations, Faith Formation — go through the St. Joseph's parish office in Crosby, which can be reached at 218-546-6559 or [email protected].
- Address: 27332 Central Street, Garrison, MN 56450
- Phone (Parish Office, Crosby): 218-546-6559
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: cuyunacatholic.org
- Parking: front and back lots; accessible spaces on west side
- Reception of Holy Communion for visitors encouraged; Fr. Eli is happy to meet with newcomers
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Anthony Craigserved prior to 2022
Previously served as pastor of St. Joseph's in Crosby and Our Lady of Fatima in Garrison before moving to St. Lawrence and Holy Family parishes in Duluth.
- Fr. Elias (Eli) Gieske2016–2020, then April 2022–present
Ordained in 2013 for the Diocese of Duluth. First served this cluster 2016–2020 (first two years with Deerwood and Crosby, then with Deerwood, Crosby, Garrison and Hillman). Returned in April 2022.