About Seven Dolors · Albany, Minnesota
The Church of Seven Dolors is a Catholic parish in Albany, Minnesota, in the Diocese of Saint Cloud. Its roots go back to 1863, with the first Mass celebrated in settler John Schwinghammer's home in 1866 and a parish building raised by 1868; the present church structure was dedicated on August 5, 1900. The parish takes its name from the Seven Sorrows (Dolors) of Mary. Today Seven Dolors is the flagship worship site of the four-parish Harvest of Hope Area Catholic Community (ACC), which also includes Saint Anthony, Saint Benedict, Saint Martin, and Saint Catherine Oratory, along with Holy Family Catholic School (PreK–5), Mother Seton second-hand store, and Mother of Mercy senior living. The parish is pastored by Benedictine Father Edward Vebelun, OSB, and serves a wide rural area of central Stearns County.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- Our Lady of Sorrows (the Seven Dolors / Seven Sorrows of Mary)
- Rector
- Father Edward Vebelun, OSB
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
Seven Dolors is the spiritual heart of the four-parish Harvest of Hope Area Catholic Community and offers daily Mass, a Saturday Vigil, a Sunday liturgy, and a monthly Spanish Mass — a rare gift for Hispanic Catholics in rural central Minnesota. The parish has a strong Catholic-school tradition through Holy Family School (founded 1886 and staffed by Benedictine sisters for over 130 years), a Cemetery with century-old Stations of the Cross, and dedicated faith formation for youth, confirmation candidates, and adults. Pastor Father Edward Vebelun, OSB, and a team of deacons, sacramental priests, and parish staff walk with parishioners from baptism through the final commendation, rooted in a 150-year-old devotion to the Sorrowful Mother.
Mass times at Seven Dolors
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 8:00 am (per Harvest of Hope Reconciliation schedule)
- Saturday 4:15 pm (per Harvest of Hope Reconciliation schedule)
- Monday 8:30 am (per Seven Dolors parish page)
- Saturday 4:00 pm (per Seven Dolors parish page)
- By appointment — call the Seven Dolors office
History of the Church of Seven Dolors
The parish traces its roots to 1863, when German-Catholic settlers were just clearing land in what would become Albany. The first Mass in the settlement was offered in John Schwinghammer's home in 1866, and by 1868 the community had built its own church. After the town of Albany was platted in 1872, a larger framework was begun; by 1889 that structure had become too small, and the present church was dedicated on August 5, 1900, on the site of the original. The parish was named for the Seven Dolors — the Seven Sorrows of Mary — a Marian devotion central to the German-Catholic heritage of the founders. In 2018, parishioners gathered with Bishop Donald Kettler to celebrate the 150th anniversary with a polka Mass, a chicken-and-ham dinner, and an afternoon of games, bingo, and live music.
- 1863 — Settlers begin arriving in the Albany area
- 1866 — First Mass celebrated in the John Schwinghammer home
- 1868 — First parish church built (basis for the 150th anniversary)
- 1883 — Father Gregory, O.S.B., becomes first resident pastor
- 1889 — Original church too small for growing congregation
- August 5, 1900 — Present church dedicated on the original site
- August 5, 2018 — 150th anniversary celebrated with Bishop Kettler
Clergy and Parish Staff
Seven Dolors is pastored by Benedictine Father Edward Vebelun, OSB, who also serves the other three Harvest of Hope parishes. He is assisted by a team of Benedictine sacramental ministers, two permanent deacons, and a parish staff team coordinated at the ACC level. Day-to-day operations of Seven Dolors itself are supported by a parish administrative assistant, a music and liturgy director, a faith formation coordinator, a youth minister, and a maintenance lead.
- Pastor — Father Edward Vebelun, OSB (320-492-6877)
- Sacramental Minister — Father Greg Miller, OSB
- Sacramental Minister — Father Michael Peterson, OSB
- Parochial Vicar / Mother of Mercy Chaplain — Father Julius Beckermann, OSB
- Deacon — Steven Koop
- Deacon / Mother of Mercy Chaplain — Jeff Fromm
- Pastoral Associate — Karen Pundsack
- Business Manager — Krista Dirkes
- Music and Liturgy Pastoral Associate (ACC) — Eleanor Kiel
- Music and Liturgy Director (Seven Dolors) — Karen Heitzman
- Faith Formation Coordinator — Lizzy Mckenzie
- Youth Minister — Emma Jean Johnson
- Administrative Assistant — Marion Gondringer
- Maintenance — Kevin Shay
Harvest of Hope Area Catholic Community (ACC)
Since 2019, Seven Dolors has been part of the Harvest of Hope Area Catholic Community, a collaborative grouping of four parishes — Saint Anthony, Saint Benedict, Saint Martin, and Seven Dolors — plus Saint Catherine Oratory, Holy Family Catholic School (PreK–5), the Mother Seton second-hand store, and the Mother of Mercy senior living center. A Pastoral Council with members from each parish, established in 2019, sets pastoral goals and oversees communications, programs, and outreach across the ACC.
- Founded as an Area Catholic Community in 2019
- Saint Anthony, Saint Benedict, Saint Martin, Seven Dolors parishes
- Saint Catherine Oratory
- Holy Family Catholic School (PreK–5)
- Mother Seton second-hand store
- Mother of Mercy senior living center
- Pastoral Council 2024–2028 goals in active implementation
- Mailing address: PO Box 277, Albany, MN 56307
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation across the Harvest of Hope ACC is coordinated at the parish level. At Seven Dolors, Lizzy Mckenzie coordinates grade-school faith formation and Emma Jean Johnson serves as youth minister. Sacramental preparation follows a set annual rhythm published by the ACC, including First Reconciliation in January, First Communion in late April/early May, and Confirmation on a Sunday in March — Confirmation Sunday 2026 is scheduled for March 8 at 2 pm at Seven Dolors. Adult faith formation, RCIA, and marriage preparation are coordinated through the pastoral associate.
- Faith Formation Coordinator — Lizzy Mckenzie
- Youth Minister — Emma Jean Johnson
- First Reconciliation — January 14, 2026 at 6 pm at Seven Dolors
- First Communion — April 26, 2026 at 2 pm at Seven Dolors
- Confirmation Rite of Calling — October 5, 2025
- Confirmation Rite of Sending — February 22, 2026
- Confirmation Sunday — March 8, 2026 at 2 pm at Seven Dolors
- Totus Tuus summer catechetical program (parish-wide)
Holy Family Catholic School
Holy Family School is the parish school of Seven Dolors and a shared PreK–5 Catholic school for the wider Harvest of Hope ACC. It opened in 1886 under two Benedictine Sisters and has been continuously staffed by sisters of Saint Benedict's Monastery since 1890. Father Edward Vebelun offers school Masses regularly, visits classrooms, and serves on the Holy Family School Board.
- Founded 1886 by Father Gregory, O.S.B.
- Benedictine Sisters teaching since 1890
- Current building dates to 1910; 1915 auditorium; 1931 addition; 1984 remodel
- PreK–5 enrollment
- Sister principal through 2017-18; sister returned to faculty 2017-18
- Served students from neighboring parishes after St. Martin and Avon schools closed
Parish Cemetery and the Stations of the Cross
The Seven Dolors parish cemetery has been a place of prayer for more than a century. Outdoor Stations of the Cross were first erected in 1918 and, in Father Vebelun's words, are 'well used' — parishioners can be seen praying them every day. After a multi-year restoration, the renovated Stations were blessed by Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C., on May 17, 2024, with assistance from Father Vebelun and Father Julius Beckermann. Students from Holy Family School led the devotions, singing the 'Stabat Mater' in Latin.
- Stations of the Cross erected 1918
- Restoration completed winter 2023-24
- Blessed May 17, 2024 by Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C.
- Father Vebelun: 'a place to pray for centuries to come'
- Holy Family School students lead the devotions
Music, Liturgy, and Hispanic Ministry
Liturgical music at Seven Dolors is led by Music and Liturgy Director Karen Heitzman, working in collaboration with Eleanor Kiel, the ACC-wide Music and Liturgy Pastoral Associate. A distinctive outreach is the parish's monthly Spanish Mass, celebrated at 1:00 pm on the third Sunday of each month — a notable ministry in rural central Minnesota. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Harvest of Hope community created a 1,000-crane 'senbazuru' prayer chain inspired by Father Vebelun's missionary years in Japan, which rotated among the parishes as a symbol of communal hope.
- Music and Liturgy Director — Karen Heitzman
- Music and Liturgy Pastoral Associate (ACC) — Eleanor Kiel
- Spanish Mass — 1:00 pm, 3rd Sunday of the month
- Advent and Lent Reconciliation Services
- Senbazuru 1,000-crane prayer chain project (2020)
Visiting and Contacting Seven Dolors
Parishioners and visitors are welcome at the Seven Dolors parish office, Monday through Friday from 9 am to 2 pm. The parish shares a single ACC-wide website (hohcatholic.org) where bulletins, faith-formation schedules, sacramental calendars, and staff directories are posted. Weather-related Mass cancellations follow the Albany Area School District and are announced through the MyParish App.
- Office Hours — Monday–Friday, 9 am–2 pm
- Phone — 320-845-2705
- Address — PO Box 277, 151 2nd Street South, Albany, MN 56307
- Website — hohcatholic.org/seven-dolors
- Weather cancellations follow Albany Area School District closings (notified via MyParish App)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Gregory, O.S.B.1883–
First resident pastor of Seven Dolors; founded Holy Family School.
- Father Greg Lieser
Former pastor; present at the parish's 150th anniversary celebration on August 5, 2018.
- Father Edward Vebelun, OSBcurrent
Current pastor of Harvest of Hope ACC; former 12-year missionary in Japan; named first ecumenical officer for the Diocese of Saint Cloud.