About Sacred Heart · Urbank, Minnesota
Church of the Sacred Heart is a small Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of Urbank, in Otter Tail County, west-central Minnesota. It is part of the Diocese of Saint Cloud and belongs to the Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community (ACC), a cluster of seven rural parishes stretching across Battle Lake, Brandon, Henning, Maine Township, Millerville, Parkers Prairie, and Urbank. Because of its size, Sacred Heart shares pastoral ministry with three nearby parishes — St. Ann in Brandon, Our Lady of Seven Dolors in Millerville, and St. William in Parkers Prairie — and weekend Masses rotate seasonally among the four church buildings.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. Jeremy Theis
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a close-knit rural parish that combines the deep faith of its German Catholic heritage with the shared pastoral care of a modern Area Catholic Community. Worshippers can celebrate daily Mass on Tuesdays, receive Confession weekly, and join a parish community that gathers socially in its new dining hall, supports a youth ministry led by the ACC youth director, and prays for neighboring families across the seven-parish cluster. For Catholics in the Urbank area it is a warm, family-sized parish where every member is known — and where weekend Mass still rotates through the historic churches of Millerville, Brandon, Parkers Prairie, and Urbank.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM (also listed 8:00–8:20 AM before the 8:30 AM Mass)
- Saturday: 3:00 PM
Parish History
The Church of the Sacred Heart was built in 1902 and dedicated in 1903 by Bishop James Trobec. Father Stephan Urbanke was the founding pastor, and the unincorporated community of Urbank bears his name. The German Catholic farming families who settled the area built the original frame church for $4,817 and soon established a parish school staffed by Benedictine nuns. Through two world wars, the anti-German sentiment of the early 20th century, and the changes of Vatican II, the parish has continually adapted while keeping its small-town Catholic character. The parish marked its centennial in 2002 and now shares pastoral ministry with three neighboring parishes in the Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community.
- 1902: church built
- 1903: dedicated by Bishop James Trobec
- 1918: Sacred Heart School founded (Benedictine Nuns)
- 1912–1922: Father John Sand served during anti-German era
- 1926: $5,000 mortgage for church and school addition
- 1940s: WWII losses of ~80 members; Herb Benzinger received Purple Heart
- Post-Vatican II: side altars combined into a single center altar
- 2002: parish centennial celebrated
- 2010s: old school demolished, new parish-dining hall built on site
Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community (ACC)
Sacred Heart is one of seven parishes that make up the Disciples of the Mission ACC in the Diocese of Saint Cloud, serving about 1,200 families across Battle Lake, Brandon, Henning, Maine Township, Millerville, Parkers Prairie, and Urbank. Fr. Jeremy Theis is pastor of the cluster, assisted by Fr. George Michael, VC, and Deacon Mick Froslee. The cluster shares weekday Masses, sacramental preparation, and pastoral care so that rural congregations can continue to thrive despite small numbers.
- Our Lady of Seven Dolors — Millerville
- Our Lady of the Lake — Battle Lake
- Sacred Heart — Urbank
- St. Ann — Brandon
- St. Edward — Henning
- St. James — Maine Township
- St. William — Parkers Prairie
Parish Staff & Leadership
Sacred Heart is served by the priests, deacon, and lay staff of the Disciples of the Mission ACC. The parish secretary is Rose Suchy and the bookkeeper is Laura Schircliff. Amy Evjen serves as Youth Director for the wider Area Catholic Community.
- Fr. Jeremy Theis — Pastor
- Fr. George Michael, VC — Parochial Vicar (cell 320-429-0116)
- Deacon Mick Froslee — Office 218-769-4409
- Rose Suchy — Secretary
- Laura Schircliff — Bookkeeper
- Amy Evjen — ACC Youth Director
Faith Formation & School
Sacred Heart School was established in 1918 and staffed for many decades by the Benedictine Nuns of St. Joseph. While the original school building was removed in the 2010s and replaced with a new parish-dining hall on the same site, faith formation continues today through parish-based catechesis and through the ACC-wide youth ministry led by Amy Evjen.
- Sacred Heart School founded 1918 (Benedictine Nuns)
- ACC Youth Ministry for children and teens
- RCIA and sacramental preparation offered through the cluster
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at Sacred Heart is supported by a parish choir that provides music for Sunday Masses, funerals, and holy day celebrations. The choir continues the long rural tradition of congregational singing in a small church with strong acoustics.
- Parish choir (music for Masses and funerals)
- Post-Vatican II worship configuration with center altar
Outreach, Giving & Volunteer Life
Like most rural parishes, Sacred Heart depends on the generosity of its members through the annual Time, Talent, and Treasure appeal. Online Giving (OLG) is available as a secure, convenient way to contribute electronically to any of the Disciples of the Mission parishes. A recent Lenten prayer chain paired families across the seven-parish cluster to pray for one another — an outreach that has helped knit the ACC together as one community in Christ.
- Online Giving (OLG) via secure parish portal
- Time, Talent & Treasure volunteer program
- Lenten Prayer Chain across the seven-parish cluster
- Hospitality through the parish-dining hall
Sacred Heart Cemetery & Christian Burial
Sacred Heart maintains its own parish cemetery adjoining the church, where generations of Catholic families from the Urbank area are laid to rest. Funerals typically include visitation at a local funeral home, a Rosary, and a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated by Fr. VanderWeyst (or the current pastor) with music by the parish choir and interment with military honors for veterans.
- Sacred Heart Cemetery adjacent to the church
- Mass of Christian Burial offered in the parish
- Military honors provided by local American Legion / Minnesota Honor Guard for veteran parishioners
Plan Your Visit
Visitors are warmly welcomed at Sacred Heart. The church sits along Highway 59 (Central Avenue N) at the corner of MN 235 (Main Street) in the small community of Urbank, in Otter Tail County. Parking is available on site. Because weekend Mass times rotate with the three other cluster parishes, visitors are encouraged to call the parish office ahead of time to confirm the schedule, especially around holy days and the seasonal transitions.
- Address: 60 Central Ave N, Urbank, MN 56361
- Parish office: PO Box 139, Parkers Prairie, MN 56361
- Phone: 218-864-5619 / 320-766-6415
- On-site parking available
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Stephan Urbanke1903–
First pastor; the town of Urbank is named after him.
- Fr. John Sand1912–1922
German-born priest who served during a period of intense anti-German feeling in the United States.
- Fr. Hoffman1940s
Pastor during World War II; recorded a loss of about 80 parish members due to the war.
- Fr. Peter VanderWeyst2014–
Installed by Bishop Donald Kettler on September 3, 2014 as pastor of the four-parish cluster (Brandon, Millerville, Parkers Prairie, Urbank).
- Fr. Jeremy Theis
Current pastor of Sacred Heart and the wider Disciples of the Mission ACC.