About Ss. Peter and Paul · Ivanhoe, Minnesota
Church of Ss. Peter and Paul is a Roman Catholic parish in Ivanhoe, Minnesota, situated in the southwestern corner of the state within Lincoln County. The parish belongs to the Diocese of New Ulm and is part of the Christ the King Catholic Area Faith Community, which unites six small rural parishes across Canby, St. Leo, Ivanhoe, Wilno, Tyler and Lake Benton, along with St. Peter Catholic School in Canby. The parish's patron saints are the Apostles Peter and Paul, and the parish supports the local Catholic school, online giving, and an annual Harvest Festival as part of its community life.
- Established
- 1901
- Patron
- Saints Peter and Paul (Apostles)
- Rector
- Fr. Brendan Rolling
- Diocese
- Diocese of New Ulm
Why belong here
Ss. Peter and Paul is a small but deeply rooted Catholic parish serving the Ivanhoe area of southwestern Minnesota, where the local faithful gather for Sunday Mass and parish festivals like the annual Harvest Festival. Joining means becoming part of the larger Christ the King Area Faith Community, which unites six rural parishes under one pastoral team and supports the regional St. Peter Catholic School in Canby and faith-formation programs such as Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The parish offers online giving for convenience and welcomes new households to register so they can be visited by staff and participate fully in the life of the AFC.
Mass times at Ss. Peter and Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
About Ss. Peter and Paul, Ivanhoe
Church of Ss. Peter and Paul is a Roman Catholic parish in Ivanhoe, Lincoln County, in the southwestern corner of Minnesota. It is a parish of the Diocese of New Ulm and today operates as part of the Christ the King Catholic Area Faith Community (AFC), which links six rural parishes and the regional Catholic school across Lincoln and Yellow Medicine counties. The parish's physical address is 111 N. Sherwood Street, Ivanhoe, and its mailing address is PO Box 49, Ivanhoe, MN 56142. Fr. Brendan Rolling serves as the parish's Pastor within the AFC structure, assisted by an Associate Pastor and a small team of lay staff who serve several parishes at a time.
- Patron saints: Ss. Peter and Paul
- Diocese: Diocese of New Ulm (Deanery 2)
- Area Faith Community: Christ the King AFC
- Parish offices served from Tyler and Canby
Parish History
Catholic life in Ivanhoe began quietly in 1900, when the first Mass was offered in the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Graff; for about a year and a half the faithful gathered in that private house. The parish was formally organized on August 6, 1901 by Rev. John Andrzejewski, the resident pastor of neighboring Wilno, and the present church building was erected the following year in 1902. The Catholic parsonage followed in 1913, and by March 1918 the young parish could boast that it was free of debt. In the early 1920s the parish numbered about 110 families, reflecting the steady growth of a small rural community drawn largely from the surrounding farming families of Lincoln County.
- 1900 — first Catholic Mass in Ivanhoe celebrated in the George Graff home
- 1901 — parish formally organized (Aug. 6) by Rev. John Andrzejewski of Wilno
- 1902 — church building erected
- 1907 — Rev. Peter Roy becomes first resident pastor (Oct. 17)
- 1911 — Rev. S. F. Dobrenski succeeds as second resident pastor (July 14)
- 1913 — Catholic parsonage built
- 1918 — parish declared free of debt
Christ the King Area Faith Community
Ss. Peter and Paul belongs to the Christ the King Catholic Area Faith Community, a pastoral grouping of six rural parishes in southwestern Minnesota. The AFC describes itself as 'a welcoming Catholic community called by God to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all people.' It pools clergy and administrative staff so that each parish — including Ss. Peter and Paul — can maintain regular Sunday Mass and sacramental life despite the small size of the local communities. The AFC also operates from offices in Tyler and Canby, and its bulletin deadline is Tuesday morning.
- St. Peter, Canby
- Ss. Peter & Paul, Ivanhoe
- St. Genevieve, Lake Benton
- St. Leo, St. Leo
- St. Dionysius, Tyler
- St. John Cantius, Wilno
- AFC schools: St. Peter Catholic School, Canby
Parish Staff
The AFC staff includes clergy and lay employees who together serve all six parishes, including Ss. Peter and Paul in Ivanhoe. Fr. Brendan Rolling, the Pastor, is the primary priest contact for Ss. Peter and Paul and is reached through the Ivanhoe mailing address. Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku serves as Associate Pastor with an office in Canby. Several secretaries and bookkeepers divide responsibilities across the parishes, and Kari Nilles serves as Director of Religious Education for the AFC.
- Fr. Brendan Rolling — Pastor (PO Box 49, Ivanhoe, MN 56142; (507) 694-1402)
- Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku — Associate Pastor (307 4th St W, Canby, MN 56220; (507) 223-7304)
- Rebecca Johnson — AFC Administrative Assistant, Secretary & Bookkeeper for St. Dionysius & St. Genevieve; Bulletin Editor
- Lana DePestel — Secretary for St. Leo & St. Peter (Canby)
- Caren Buysse — Finance Secretary for St. Leo & St. Peter
- Jeanne Bednarek — Bookkeeper for St. John Cantius & Ss. Peter & Paul
- Kari Nilles — Director of Religious Education, Christ the King AFC
Faith Formation and Catholic School
Faith formation across the Christ the King AFC is coordinated at the area level rather than parish by parish. The AFC uses the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, a Montessori-style catechetical approach widely praised for engaging young children in the liturgy and the life of the Church. Kari Nilles serves as the Director of Religious Education for the AFC and oversees programming that reaches children from Ss. Peter and Paul as well as from the other five member parishes. The AFC also supports St. Peter Catholic School in Canby, the regional Catholic elementary school serving families across the cluster.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (atrium-based religious education)
- Director of Religious Education: Kari Nilles
- St. Peter Catholic School, Canby — affiliated regional school
Harvest Festival and Parish Life
Ss. Peter and Paul maintains an annual Harvest Festival that is a highlight of the parish calendar, bringing together the rural Catholic community of Ivanhoe and the surrounding Lincoln County farms for a Sunday of food, fellowship and fundraising. The parish posts a worklist on its website in the weeks leading up to the festival so that volunteers can sign up to help. Beyond the festival, the AFC publishes a weekly bulletin with announcements, Mass intentions, and a Tuesday morning bulletin deadline for submissions.
- Ss. Peter & Paul Harvest Festival (annual parish-wide celebration)
- Volunteer worklist posted on the parish website
- Weekly AFC bulletin (Tuesday morning deadline)
Online Giving, Registration and Contact
The parish offers online giving for Ss. Peter and Paul in Ivanhoe through a link on the Christ the King AFC website, allowing parishioners to make recurring or one-time contributions electronically. New households are invited to register with the parish through an online form on the AFC website; the form is reviewed in the parish office and a staff member follows up to welcome the family. For phone or email, the parish and AFC staff list direct contact information on the AFC About page, and the AFC also provides a general online Contact Form.
- Online Giving — Ss. Peter and Paul, Ivanhoe (link on AFC website)
- Parish Registration form — online submission
- AFC Contact Form — alternative to phone/email
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Andrzejewski1901–1903 (organizer; resident pastor at Wilno administering Ivanhoe)
Organized the parish on August 6, 1901 while serving as resident pastor of St. John Cantius in Wilno; administered Ivanhoe for two years.
- Rev. Joseph Ciminski1903–1907 (also pastor at Wilno)
Cared for the spiritual needs of the Ivanhoe faithful while based at Wilno.
- Rev. Peter Roy1907–1911
First resident pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul, Ivanhoe; appointed October 17, 1907.
- Rev. S. F. Dobrenskifrom July 14, 1911
Second resident pastor of the parish; previously served St. John Cantius, Wilno as vice pastor.