About Our Lady of Seven Dolors · Millerville, Minnesota
Our Lady of Seven Dolors is a Roman Catholic parish in the small community of Millerville, Minnesota, part of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. Founded on Pentecost Sunday in 1867 by the missionary priest Father Francis Xavier Pierz, it was the first Catholic Church in Douglas County with a resident pastor and is the oldest parish in what is now the Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community (ACC). Today the parish serves roughly 380+ members, sharing clergy and resources with neighboring St. Ann (Brandon), Sacred Heart (Ubank), St. William (Parkers Prairie), Our Lady of the Lake (Battle Lake), St. James (Maine Twp.) and St. Edward (Henning). Weekly Mass is celebrated in the historic church whose distinctive high ceiling is one of its most admired features.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- Our Lady of Seven Dolors (Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorated under her Seven Sorrows)
- Rector
- Fr. Jeremy Theis
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
Our Lady of Seven Dolors offers a small, multigenerational Catholic community rooted in 150+ years of faith in rural Douglas County. Parishioners gather for Sunday and weekday Mass in a striking 1956 church with a soaring ceiling, share an annual parish bazaar famous for its fried chicken and homemade Millerville butter, and serve together across the seven-parish Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community — including shared faith formation, youth ministry, and First Communion preparation. The parish cemetery, with around 1,200 souls, and a deep devotional connection to Our Lady's Seven Sorrows give the community a tangible sense of continuity with the German, Polish, and Irish settlers who built it.
Mass times at Our Lady of Seven Dolors
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:00 AM
Parish History
Founded on Pentecost Sunday in 1867 by Father Francis Xavier Pierz, Our Lady of Seven Dolors is the oldest parish in the Disciples of the Mission ACC and the first Catholic Church in Douglas County with a resident pastor. The story begins when Pierz stopped at the home of John A. Miller — the first settler of the area and namesake of Millerville — to celebrate Mass, naming the settlement 'Our Lady of the Prairie.' After Father Ignatius Tomazin, the first resident priest, departed in 1873, the Benedictine Fathers of St. John's Abbey took over. Through successive waves of German, Polish, and Irish immigration, the parish built a log church (1868), a frame church (1882), a rectory (1891), a school dedicated by Bishop Trobec (1913), and the great basement church that seats 600 (1923). The upper church was completed and dedicated by Bishop Peter Bartholome on October 25, 1956, and a convent was added in 1964.
- 1867 — Father Pierz offers first Mass at the home of John A. Miller
- 1868 — Log church built on land donated by Peter Lorsung
- 1882 — Father Edward Ginther arrives; frame church built; Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph begin teaching
- 1902 — Mission groups split off to form St. Ann (Brandon) and Sacred Heart (Urbank); later St. William (Parkers Prairie)
- 1913 — New school dedicated by Bishop Trobec (Oct. 26)
- 1923 — 600-seat basement church built under Fr. Victor Siegler
- 1956 — Upper church dedicated by Bishop Peter Bartholome (Oct. 25)
- 1964 — Convent built for the sisters
- 2017 — 150th anniversary celebrated with Bishop Donald Kettler on Pentecost Sunday, June 4
Sacraments & Faith Formation
Beyond Mass and Confession, the parish prepares children for First Communion (typically each spring, coordinated across the ACC), supports couples preparing for Marriage, and administers Anointing of the Sick on request. Faith formation for children and youth is shared across the seven parishes through the ACC's youth ministry, led by Amy Evjen.
- First Communion (annual, ACC-wide)
- Marriage preparation (through parish office)
- Anointing of the Sick (by request)
- Youth Ministry (ACC-wide, Amy Evjen)
Parish Bazaar & Community Life
The signature community event is the annual parish bazaar, where parishioners fry and bake chicken and serve it with homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, buns, and the locally famous Millerville Butter. The day also features games for children, bingo, a silent auction, raffle boards, and a quilt raffle. The bazaar is a major gathering for both the parish and the wider rural community.
- Fried and baked chicken dinner
- Homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, buns
- Millerville Butter from the village's historic creamery
- Children's games, bingo, silent auction, raffle boards
- Quilt raffle
Parish Cemetery
The parish cemetery holds approximately 1,200 burials stretching back to the earliest settlers. For the 2017 sesquicentennial, volunteers created white banners listing every name, age, and year of death, organized by decade — banners that are also used on All Souls Day. The cemetery is a continuing ministry of remembrance and prayer for the parish.
- Approximately 1,200 burials
- Decade-by-decade commemorative banners
- All Souls Day observances
Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community
Our Lady of Seven Dolors is the senior parish of the Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community (ACC), which unites seven rural parishes under shared pastoral and administrative leadership. The cluster includes St. Ann in Brandon, Sacred Heart in Urbank, St. William in Parkers Prairie, Our Lady of the Lake in Battle Lake, St. James in Maine Township, and St. Edward in Henning, together with Seven Dolors. Ministry schedules, bulletins, calendars, and youth ministry are coordinated across the ACC.
- St. Ann — Brandon
- Sacred Heart — Urbank
- St. William — Parkers Prairie
- Our Lady of the Lake — Battle Lake
- St. James — Maine Township
- St. Edward — Henning
- Our Lady of Seven Dolors — Millerville
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the office at (320) 876-2240 or [email protected]. Office hours with secretary Laura Shircliff are Wednesdays from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The mailing address is 16921 County Road 7 NW, Brandon, MN 56315, although the church is physically located in Millerville. The official website is https://www.disciplesofthemissionacc.org/.
- Phone: (320) 876-2240
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Wednesday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Address: 16921 Co. Rd. 7 NW, Brandon (Millerville), MN 56315
- Website: https://www.disciplesofthemissionacc.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Francis Xavier Pierz1867 (founder; offered first Mass)
Indian missionary who stopped at John Miller's home; named the area 'Our Lady of the Prairie.'
- Father Ignatius Tomazinto 1873
First resident priest of the parish; called it 'The Prairie of St. Mary.'
- Benedictine Fathers of St. John's Abbey1873–c.1882
Took over pastoral care after Fr. Tomazin left.
- Father Edward Ginther1882–1891
New frame church built in 1882; Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph began teaching school; new rectory in 1891.
- Father Ignatius Wippich1910–1921
Built a new school; dedicated by Bishop Trobec on Oct. 26, 1913.
- Father Victor Siegler1923–1930
Supervised the 600-seat basement church (1923) and a new rectory (1928); old church converted to parish hall.
- Father Peter VanderWeyst
Spokesperson for the parish in the 150th-anniversary parish profile (c. 2017).
- Fr. Jeremy Theis
Current pastor (as listed on the ACC contacts page).