About St. Agnes · Roscoe, Minnesota
St. Agnes Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Roscoe, Minnesota (Stearns County), one of three faith communities in the Paynesville Area Catholic cluster alongside St. Louis in Paynesville and St. Margaret in Lake Henry. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Saint Cloud and is currently served by Fr. Glenn Krystosek, pastor of all three parishes in the cluster. St. Agnes offers weekend Masses (Saturday evening and Sunday morning, seasonally adjusted), weekday Mass on Thursday morning, Saturday confessions, and Eucharistic adoration, all centered in a historic brick church built after a 1928 fire destroyed the original frame structure.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- St. Agnes of Rome
- Rector
- Fr. Glenn Krystosek
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
St. Agnes is a small but living country parish where founding families — and their descendants — still gather to worship in a sturdy brick church built by their great-grandparents after a 1928 fire. As part of the Paynesville Area Catholic cluster, the parish shares a pastor and a regional religious education program with neighboring St. Louis (Paynesville) and St. Margaret (Lake Henry), giving parishioners the warmth of a small-town community along with the resources of a multi-parish family. Visitors and members can worship at a Saturday evening or Sunday morning Mass, receive Saturday afternoon confessions, spend time with the exposed Blessed Sacrament in adoration, and form their children in the faith through the cluster's Wednesday Religious Education program.
Mass times at St. Agnes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:30 pm at St. Agnes, Roscoe
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered (contact the office at 320-243-4413 to be a scheduled adorer)
St. Agnes Catholic Church — Overview
St. Agnes is one of three parishes in the Paynesville Area Catholic community, located in the small Stearns County village of Roscoe, Minnesota. It is part of the Diocese of Saint Cloud and currently shares a pastor, Fr. Glenn Krystosek, with sister parishes St. Louis in Paynesville and St. Margaret in Lake Henry. The parish traces its roots to 1898 and continues to serve local families from the same brick church that parishioners rebuilt after a 1928 fire.
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
- 100 Lillie Avenue, Roscoe, MN 56371
- Phone: 320-243-4413
- Cluster website: paynesvilleareacatholic.org
History
St. Agnes was founded in 1898 by six Catholic families in Roscoe who had been traveling to Richmond or St. Martin for Sunday Mass. With Bishop James Trobec's approval, the Benedictine Fathers were given charge of the new parish, and Father Martin Schmitt, O.S.B., was appointed as the first resident pastor. The frame church and rectory were completed in October 1898 at a total cost of about $6,500.
The 1928 Fire and Rebuilding
On September 8, 1928, shortly after First Friday devotions, fire destroyed the church and rectory. Services moved to a downtown Roscoe building (today the Roscoe Bar), Father Scherer boarded with the Martin Ley family, and the parish immediately began rebuilding. The new brick church and rectory — built at a cost of $48,000 and considered virtually fireproof — remain in use today.
- Original fire date: September 8, 1928
- Reported theft of the church bell from the still-hot debris
- 1928 brick rebuild cost: $48,000
Parish Centennial (1998)
St. Agnes celebrated its 100th anniversary on June 14, 1998. Father Leo Leisen presided and had compiled a parish history titled 'A People and Their Journey' for the occasion. The parish installed new carpeting and basement paneling as part of the centennial preparations.
- Centennial date: June 14, 1998
- Parish history booklet: 'A People and Their Journey' by Fr. Leo Leisen
Our Patron Saint — St. Agnes of Rome
St. Agnes of Rome was born in 291 AD into a wealthy Christian family. From childhood she made a promise of purity to God, and when suitors sought her hand in marriage she would reply, 'Jesus Christ is my only Spouse.' Rejected suitors denounced her as a Christian, and she was sentenced to death and martyred at about age 12 or 13. She is honored as patron of young girls, chastity, rape survivors and the Children of Mary, and her feast is celebrated on January 21. The parish in Roscoe was named for her because Bishop James Trobec, who founded the parish, had a special devotion to St. Agnes and had himself organized and pastored St. Agnes Parish in St. Paul for ten years.
- Born 291 AD
- Feast day: January 21
- Patronages: young girls, chastity, rape survivors, Children of Mary
Religious Education & Sacraments
Faith formation for the cluster is run on the St. Louis campus in Paynesville on Wednesdays during the school year. Grades 1–5 meet after school until 4:30 pm (with busing from Paynesville Elementary provided by Paynesville Motor and Transfer); grades 6–10 meet Wednesday evenings from 7:00–8:15 pm. Sacramental preparation is built into the curriculum: Reconciliation and First Eucharist in second grade, and Confirmation in the fall of the student's junior year.
- Grades 1–5: Wednesdays after school until 4:30 pm
- Grades 6–10: Wednesday evenings 7:00–8:15 pm
- Reconciliation & First Eucharist: Grade 2
- Confirmation: Fall of junior year
- Busing from Paynesville Elementary provided by Paynesville Motor and Transfer
Online Mass
Parishioners and visitors who cannot attend Mass in person are invited to join the cluster's weekend live-streamed Mass from St. Louis Catholic Church in Paynesville via the St. Louis Catholic Church YouTube channel.
- Live-streamed weekend Mass on the St. Louis Catholic Church YouTube channel
Visiting & Location
St. Agnes is located at 100 Lillie Avenue in Roscoe, a small village in Stearns County in central Minnesota, roughly 25 miles west of St. Cloud along Highway 23. The parish office can be reached at 320-243-4413, and the parish's primary online home is the cluster website at paynesvilleareacatholic.org.
- 100 Lillie Avenue, Roscoe, MN 56371
- Phone: 320-243-4413
- Website: paynesvilleareacatholic.org
Pastoral Leadership
St. Agnes is currently served by Fr. Glenn Krystosek, who pastors all three parishes of the Paynesville Area Catholic community. Historically, the parish was served by Benedictine Fathers (O.S.B.), beginning with its founding pastor Father Martin Schmitt, O.S.B., and continuing through pastors such as Father Leo Winter, O.S.B. (1907–1910), Father Ferstl, O.S.B. (who installed the 1915 altars and stained glass), and Father Scherer, O.S.B. (pastor during the 1928 fire). Father Leo Leisen presided over the 1998 centennial and authored the parish history 'A People and Their Journey.' Father Andrew Nolen famously described the parish as 'the families around the Roscoe Prairie, Zion Hillside from Big Weis Lake, Rice Island and Pirz Pond.'
- Fr. Glenn Krystosek — current pastor
- Father Martin Schmitt, O.S.B. — first resident pastor (1898)
- Father Leo Winter, O.S.B. (1907–1910)
- Father Ferstl, O.S.B. (1915 renovations)
- Father Scherer, O.S.B. (1928 fire)
- Father Leo Leisen (1998 centennial)
- Father Andrew Nolen
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Martin Schmitt, O.S.B.1898–
First resident pastor; the Benedictine Fathers were given charge of the new parish because of a priest shortage.
- Father Ferstl, O.S.B.
In 1915 directed the installation of new main and side altars and stained-glass windows; oversaw cemetery fence.
- Father Leo Winter, O.S.B.1907–1910
Reportedly known for the legend of announcing 'there will be bowling' instead of vespers.
- Father Scherer, O.S.B.
Pastor when the church and rectory burned on September 8, 1928; boarded with the Martin Ley family during rebuilding.
- Father Andrew Nolen
Described the parish as 'the families around the Roscoe Prairie, Zion Hillside from Big Weis Lake, Rice Island and Pirz Pond.'
- Father Leo Leisen
Pastor who presided over the June 14, 1998 centennial and compiled the parish history 'A People and Their Journey.'