About St. Agatha · Hope, North Dakota
St. Agatha is a small Roman Catholic mission parish in Hope, North Dakota, in the Diocese of Fargo. It sits at 604 Steele Avenue on the Red River Valley plains and serves the farming communities of Steele County. Since the 2023 closure of St. Bernard's in Oriska, St. Agatha's has continued as part of a wider multi-parish pastoral cluster, with Father Brian Bachmeier (and now a wider grouping that also includes St. George's in Cooperstown, St. Lawrence in Jessie, and Sacred Heart in Aneta) sharing priestly care across the rural area. Weekly Mass is celebrated on a rotating schedule that shifts month to month.
- Patron
- St. Agatha of Sicily
- Rector
- Rev. Brian Bachmeier
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fargo
Why belong here
St. Agatha's is a small, family-style Catholic mission where parishioners know one another and share in the life of a rural North Dakota farming community. It is currently part of a wider multi-parish cluster that now includes St. George's in Cooperstown, St. Lawrence in Jessie, Sacred Heart in Aneta, and Sacred Heart in Sanborn, so members enjoy a larger circle of fellow Catholics while keeping a close-knit local parish home. The parish offers Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses on a rotating monthly schedule, with Confession available before Mass, all under the pastoral care of Fr. Brian Bachmeier and Deacon Jim McCallister.
Mass times at St. Agatha
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 20–30 minutes before all Masses
- Saturday 9:00–10:00 AM at St. George's Church (Cooperstown)
About St. Agatha Catholic Church
St. Agatha is a small rural Roman Catholic mission parish in Hope, North Dakota, in the Diocese of Fargo. The parish sits on the Red River Valley plains and serves the farming communities of Steele County. The mailing address is PO Box 99, Hope, ND 58046, and the church itself stands at 604 Steele Avenue (between 6th and 7th Streets). On the city of Hope's own community site, St. Agatha's is listed as the local Catholic parish presided over by Father Brian Bachmeier.
- Type: Catholic mission parish
- Diocese: Fargo
- Deanery: 7 – Jamestown / Valley City
- Patron: St. Agatha of Sicily (feast day February 5)
- GCatholic parish ID: 36341
History & the Tri-Parish Cluster
For many years St. Agatha's in Hope was clustered as a tri-parish with St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Oriska and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sanborn, sharing one pastor, one deacon, and one tri-parish secretary out of a single office. The shared nature of this ministry was thrown into sharp relief on Sunday, July 16, 2023, when Bishop John Folda celebrated the final closing Mass at St. Bernard's after 115 years — the cornerstone of that Oriska church had been laid on July 31, 1908 by Bishop John Shanley, the first bishop of the Diocese of Fargo. According to InForum and the Valley City Times-Record, attendance at St. Bernard's had dwindled to about 15 regular parishioners and the building needed hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs; its families transferred to Valley City, Fingal, Dazey, Hope, and Sanborn, and over 160 sacred items were distributed to 30 Catholic institutions across the diocese. After that closure, St. Agatha's and Sacred Heart in Sanborn continued as the surviving members of the original tri-parish, and St. Agatha's has since been included in a broader quad-parish grouping alongside St. George's in Cooperstown, St. Lawrence in Jessie, and Sacred Heart in Aneta.
- Tri-parish (pre-2023): St. Agatha's Hope, St. Bernard's Oriska, Sacred Heart Sanborn
- St. Bernard's cornerstone laid July 31, 1908 by Bishop John Shanley
- St. Bernard's final Mass celebrated by Bishop John Folda, July 16, 2023
- Sister cluster today includes St. George's Cooperstown, St. Lawrence Jessie, Sacred Heart Aneta, and Sacred Heart Sanborn
Parish Staff
St. Agatha's is served by a small team shared across the wider cluster. The parish office phone (701-845-3713) and email reach the tri-parish secretary, who coordinates scheduling and bulletins. Deacon Jim McCallister assists with pastoral care throughout the cluster.
- Pastor: Fr. Brian Bachmeier (parish 701-845-3713)
- Deacon: Deacon Jim McCallister (cell 701-840-1473)
- Tri-Parish Secretary: Jessica Jordan (parish 701-845-3713)
- Cluster email: [email protected]
Parish Council & Community Life
The parish council listed on the city's Hope community page reflects a tight-knit lay leadership that helps keep St. Agatha's running. Council members are drawn from local Catholic families and coordinate with the pastor and deacon on liturgical, building, and community matters. Like many small prairie parishes, the church has historically been supported by an active Altar Society of women parishioners.
- Parish Council members: Josh Ihry, Ian Beaton, Josh Jordan, Laure Huschka, Lois Huschka, Deb Johnson
- Altar Society
Visiting & Contact
St. Agatha's is at 604 Steele Avenue in Hope, North Dakota, between 6th and 7th Streets. The parish office (shared with the wider cluster) can be reached at (701) 845-3713 or by email at [email protected]. Current bulletins, the 2024 Mass schedule, and contact information are posted on the cluster website at stbernards-oriska.org, and the Diocese of Fargo's parish directory also lists St. Agatha's.
- Street address: 604 Steele Avenue, Hope, ND 58046
- Mailing address: PO Box 99, Hope, ND 58046
- Parish phone: (701) 845-3713
- Cluster email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stbernards-oriska.org
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo