About Sacred Heart · Freeport, Minnesota
Sacred Heart Parish is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Freeport, Minnesota, founded in 1881 by the community's German-American settlers in the heart of Stearns County's Catholic culture region. It belongs to the Diocese of Saint Cloud and today operates as part of the Tri-Parish Community of Sacred Heart (Freeport), Immaculate Conception (New Munich), and St. Rose of Lima (St. Rosa), clustered within the One in Faith Area Catholic Community formed in 2019. The current church building, constructed 1905–1906 in Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Freeport. The parish runs a K–6 Catholic school, faith formation programs, multiple choirs, and a long-standing German-style summer festival that draws the wider community together each July.
- Established
- 1881
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Father Daniel Walz
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a deeply rooted, multigenerational parish with a 140+ year tradition of Catholic life in a small central-Minnesota farming community, where the church building itself is a beloved historic landmark. Parishioners are fed by daily and Sunday Mass, Friday confessions, First Saturday Devotion Masses, two parish choirs (adult and youth), and a Children's Liturgy of the Word offered during Sunday Mass from September through May. The parish also runs an on-site Catholic school (Sacred Heart School, K–6 with preschool), an active Faith Formation program, a Prayer Line, a Prayer Shawl Ministry, a St. Joseph Men's Society, and the Knights of Columbus — all reasons a family looking for a real, lived-in Catholic community should make it their spiritual home.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 7:45 AM — Sacred Heart, Freeport
- Saturday 3:30 PM — Immaculate Conception, New Munich
- Before and after First Saturday Devotion Masses — Sacred Heart, Freeport
- By appointment through the Tri-Parish Office (320-836-2143)
Our Story: Sacred Heart Parish, Freeport
Sacred Heart is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in central Minnesota, organized in 1881 when Freeport's German-American townspeople petitioned the Diocese of St. Cloud for their own parish. The parish grew quickly alongside the railroad-served farming community, and the present Gothic/Romanesque Revival church — built 1905–1906 after the 1896 church burned — has anchored the town ever since. Today the parish is one of three that make up the Tri-Parish Community clustered within the One in Faith Area Catholic Community.
- Parish organized: 1881
- First church (wood frame): built 1882, rectory added 1890
- Second church (brick-veneered, seats ~1,000): built 1896, struck by lightning and destroyed by fire 1904
- Current (third) church: built 1905–1906 by Paul Koshiol, designed by Parkinson & Dockendorff of Duluth
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: July 12, 1991
Mission Statement
As a community, the members of Sacred Heart Parish see as their mission the carrying on of the work of Christ. They strive to be a sign of God's presence in Freeport — a sign of healing, reconciliation, compassion, love, fellowship, and human dignity. Just as Christ was the sacrament of God's saving presence to the world, so the parish aims to be a sacrament in Freeport, modeling its life after Christ through prayerful worship, prophetic witness, and loving service to each other and to the poor, the needy, and the neglected of the world.
Tri-Parish Community & One in Faith Area Catholic Community
In 2019 the Diocese of Saint Cloud clustered surrounding parishes, forming the One in Faith Area Catholic Community (ACC). Sacred Heart shares a tri-parish office and staff with its two sister parishes — Immaculate Conception in New Munich and St. Rose of Lima in St. Rosa — and works more broadly with St. Mary (Melrose), St. Michael (Spring Hill), St. Andrew (Greenwald), and St. John the Baptist (Meire Grove). A single pastor, administrator, secretary, and faith-formation coordinator serve all three parishes.
- Sacred Heart — 106 3rd Ave NE, Freeport, MN 56331; church basement (320) 836-2191
- Immaculate Conception — New Munich, MN 56356; church basement (320) 837-5217
- St. Rose of Lima — 28905 Co Rd 17, St. Rosa, MN; church basement (320) 836-2537
- Tri-Parish Office: (320) 836-2143 — [email protected]
Sacred Heart School
Sacred Heart School is a parish-affiliated Catholic elementary school (preschool through grade 6) located on the parish campus. Faith formation is woven through the entire school day — each morning begins with communal prayer, grace is said before lunch in every classroom, and the entire school gathers for weekly Wednesday Mass at which a different class takes the lead. The pastor actively involves students in his homilies and welcomes their feedback. Special religious celebrations through the year include the Opening of the School Year, All Saints' Day, Thanksgiving, Advent prayer services, Reconciliation, Catholic Schools' Week, Ash Wednesday, Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, and an end-of-year celebration.
- Principal: Kristie Harren — (320) 836-2591 — [email protected]
- Administrative Coordinator: Amy Van Beck — [email protected]
- Religion curriculum uses Pflaum Gospel Weeklies (K–6) and the 'Blessed' program for First Sacraments
- Grades: Preschool through Grade 6
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish's Faith Formation program partners with parents in passing on the Catholic faith to children, complementing (rather than replacing) the parents' role as the primary teachers of their children. The program echoes the parish mission of prayerful worship, prophetic witness, and loving service. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during Sunday morning Masses from September through May so younger children can hear the Sunday readings at their own level.
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Kasia VanBeck — (320) 836-2143 — [email protected]
- Annual registration forms and family letters posted each spring for the following school year
- Safe Environment Declination Statement Form required for parents of Faith Formation students
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — Sunday Mass, September through May
Music & Liturgy
Sacred Heart is blessed with both an Adult Choir and a Youth Choir, plus a guitar group that leads music at the weekday school Masses during the school year (September through May). Each of the three parishes in the cluster has its own Music & Choir Coordinator.
- Adult Choir (Sacred Heart) — Jesse Kuechle, (320) 492-0143
- Youth Choir (Sacred Heart) — Joe Notch, (913) 240-1895
- Guitar group at weekday school Masses — September through May
- Music & Choir Coordinator for Immaculate Conception — Calli Mayers, (320) 290-4583
- Music & Choir Coordinator for St. Rose of Lima — Amy Wilwerding, (320) 290-7729
Parish Groups & Ministries
Sacred Heart has an unusually full roster of parish groups, reflecting its tight-knit small-town Catholic culture. In addition to the choirs and Faith Formation team, the parish supports men's, women's, youth, and fraternal organizations, plus a Prayer Shawl Ministry that visits and comforts the homebound, sick, and grieving.
- Christian Women Group / Prayer Shawl Ministry — Brenda Goebel (320) 836-2650 and Pam Rue (701) 298-9995
- St. Joseph Men's Society — Andy Welle, (320) 290-0430
- Knights of Columbus — Richard Sand, (320) 837-5257
- Youth Ministry — Kasia Van Beck, (218) 821-3269
- Prayer Line — Judy Caveny, (320) 248-8830
Freeport Parish Festival
The parish's signature community event is the Freeport Parish Festival, held annually on the third weekend of July. The celebration begins with an outdoor Mass featuring polka music, followed by a parade through town, then food, games, and entertainment for the whole community. The 2025 festival was held July 20, with the 2026 festival scheduled for July 19.
- Outdoor Polka Mass — 9:00 AM
- Parade — 10:30 AM
- Food, games, and entertainment to follow
- Next festival: July 19, 2026
Giving & Parish Support
Parishioners can support Sacred Heart electronically by downloading the Electronic Funds form from the parish website and dropping it off or mailing it to the Tri-Parish Office. Paper offerings can also be mailed or brought to the office at 106 3rd Ave NE, PO Box 155, Freeport, MN 56331.
Contact & Visit
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish through the Tri-Parish Office, which serves all three parishes in the cluster. The church is handicap accessible, and confessions are available by appointment for those who cannot make the scheduled times. Mass times may change around festivals and special events; the bulletin posted on the parish website lists the actual schedule each week.
- Tri-Parish Office Phone: (320) 836-2143
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing Address: PO Box 155, Freeport, MN 56331-0155
- Physical Address: 106 3rd Ave NE, Freeport, MN 56331
- Church Basement Phone: (320) 836-2191
- Office Hours: Monday 9 AM–3 PM; Tuesday 9 AM–3 PM; Wednesday 9 AM–3 PM; Thursday 9 AM–3 PM; Friday 9 AM–12 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Simplicius Wimmer1881–
First priest assigned to the new Sacred Heart parish; arrived from New Munich to organize the congregation. Built the first church (1882) and rectory (1890).