About Ss. Peter and Paul · Elrosa, Minnesota
Ss. Peter and Paul is a small Catholic parish in the rural farming community of Elrosa, Minnesota, part of the Diocese of St. Cloud. Founded in 1889, it has served the prairie Catholics of Stearns County for well over a century and today shares ministry and resources with five neighboring parishes through the Area Catholic Community (ACC) known as Parishes on the Prairie, formed in 2019. The current church building was completed in 1926 and the parish continues a strong tradition of faith formation, Eucharistic adoration, and community life centered on the weekly Saturday evening Mass and Thursday weekday Mass.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- Saints Peter and Paul
- Rector
- Fr. Kevin Soenneker
- Diocese
- Diocese of St. Cloud
Why belong here
Ss. Peter and Paul offers the warmth of a tight-knit rural Catholic community in the heart of Stearns County, with traditional devotions including weekly Mass, seasonal Eucharistic Adoration (Lent and Advent), and active faith formation for students in grades 1–11. As part of the Parishes on the Prairie Area Catholic Community, the parish shares priests, programs, and ministries with five neighboring parishes while keeping its own identity, its own historic church, and its own parish life rooted in the small town of Elrosa.
Mass times at Ss. Peter and Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM at St. Paul's, Sauk Centre (ACC-wide reconciliation time)
- By appointment — call the ACC office at 320-352-2196 for Confession or the Anointing of the Sick
Adoration times
- 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM at Sts. Peter & Paul, Elrosa (Lent and Advent only)
Parish Identity & History
Ss. Peter and Paul was established in 1889 by Bishop Zardetti of St. Cloud, originally in the former village of Lake George, Minnesota. A frame church was built in 1891 and dedicated in 1892, and the parish was served from Spring Hill and then Belgrade in its early years. The community relocated to Elrosa when the railroad bypassed Lake George, and the present church — begun in 1917 with the basement and completed under Father John Fuss — was dedicated by Bishop Busch in 1926. The matching rectory was finished the same year.
- Founded 1889 by Bishop Zardetti
- First church built 1891, dedicated 1892 (Lake George)
- Current church completed 1926, dedicated by Bishop Busch
- Rectory completed 1926 under Fr. John Fuss
- School built 1952; closed 1972; now used as catechetical center
Parishes on the Prairie (Area Catholic Community)
In 2019 the Diocese of St. Cloud combined Ss. Peter and Paul with five neighboring parishes into a single Area Catholic Community. Parishioners chose the name 'Parishes on the Prairie' from a field of more than 30 entries. As an ACC, the six parishes share clergy and resources while each retains its own identity, location, and parish life. The other parishes in the ACC are St. Paul's and Our Lady of the Angels in Sauk Centre, St. Francis de Sales in Belgrade, St. Donatus in Brooten, and St. Alexius in West Union.
- Sts. Peter & Paul — Elrosa
- St. Paul's — Sauk Centre
- Our Lady of the Angels — Sauk Centre
- St. Francis de Sales — Belgrade
- St. Donatus — Brooten
- St. Alexius — West Union
Clergy & Staff
The parish is served by a pastor, parochial vicar, a retired priest in residence, and a deacon — all of whom are shared across the six parishes of Parishes on the Prairie. The ACC also employs office and operations staff at the Sauk Centre office (304 Sinclair Lewis Ave, Sauk Centre, MN 56378; 320-352-2196).
- Fr. Kevin Soenneker — Pastor
- Fr. Mark Botzet — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Jim Maderack — Retired Priest in residence
- Deacon Tim Pribula
- Kelly Marthaler — Pastoral Assistant (Our Lady of the Angels / St. Paul's)
- Tom McFadden — Director of Operations
- Deb Himsl — Sauk Centre Office Coordinator
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
Ss. Peter and Paul celebrates its weekend Mass on Saturday evening at 6:00 PM, with seasonal Sunday morning Masses (8:15 AM Jan–Apr; 10:15 AM May–Aug) and a Saturday late-evening Mass in the September–December window. Weekday Mass is offered on Thursday evenings at 5:30 PM, with a Friday 8:00 AM Mass also listed by third-party directories. Reconciliation for the ACC is scheduled on Saturday afternoons at St. Paul's in Sauk Centre, and Confession and Anointing of the Sick are also available by appointment through the ACC office.
- Saturday 6:00 PM — Sts. Peter & Paul, Elrosa (primary weekend Mass)
- Sunday 8:15 AM (Jan–Apr) / 10:15 AM (May–Aug)
- Saturday 5:00 PM (Sep–Dec)
- Thursday 5:30 PM (parish site) / 8:15 AM (diocesan listing)
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:00 PM at St. Paul's, Sauk Centre
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Religious education for students in grades 1–11 and Youth Ministry programming for grades 6–12 are coordinated through the Centre for Christ, the ACC's shared faith formation hub. Classes, retreats, and service projects draw youth from Ss. Peter and Paul and the other member parishes.
- Faith Formation for grades 1–11
- Youth Ministry for grades 6–12
Parish Outreach & Support
Beyond Mass and formation, the parish supports several community-care programs that meet at the Centre for Christ in the Elrosa area, including support groups for those grieving or going through separation, as well as Hispanic outreach. The parish also partners with WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) to offer monthly appointments locally.
- GriefShare support group
- DivorceCare support group
- Hispanic outreach programs
- WIC appointments — second Tuesday of each month (call 320-656-6479)
Parish Life & Community
Ss. Peter and Paul maintains an active parish social life, including the annual 'Parishes on the Prairie' church social held on the Elrosa parish grounds. The day typically begins with morning Mass and continues with indoor games in the school building, outdoor games near the softball field, bingo in the church basement, a parish meal, and refreshments served by the local Knights of Columbus. The church grounds also host the parish cemetery.
- Annual Parishes on the Prairie church social on the Elrosa grounds
- Knights of Columbus participation (Sauk Centre and Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa councils)
- Parish cemetery with published regulations
- 2025 church-bell removal and remodel project at the parish
Visiting & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish through the Sauk Centre ACC office (320-352-2196) or the Elrosa parish phone (320-254-8218 / rectory 320-697-5541). The parish mailing address is PO Box 95, 302 State Street, Elrosa, MN 56325. The church is located just east of Highway 71 in the village of Elrosa.
- Address: 302 State Street, PO Box 95, Elrosa, MN 56325
- ACC Office (Sauk Centre): 304 Sinclair Lewis Ave, Sauk Centre, MN 56378; 320-352-2196
- Parish phone: 320-254-8218; Rectory: 320-697-5541
- Website: parishesontheprairie.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Fusscirca 1917–1926
Directed construction of the present church and rectory; building was dedicated by Bishop Busch in 1926.
- Father Henry A. SteichenJune 1958 – August 1960
Appointed pastor in June 1958; resigned in August 1960 due to ill health.
- Father William Kloechnercirca 1960s
Listed as a pallbearer and 'of Elrosa' at a 1962 funeral, serving the parish at that time.