About St. Andrew · Elysian, Minnesota
St. Andrew is a small rural Catholic parish in Elysian, Minnesota — a fishing and resort community on the southern edge of Le Sueur County — belonging to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The parish was formally established in 1894, five years after local families built the first church in 1889 so a visiting priest could say Mass there once a month. Most of its 110-household community has served St. Andrew largely as a mission of nearby Holy Trinity in Waterville, sustained almost entirely by volunteer labor and talent. The current church, dating from 1975–1976, was wired by its own pastor, and the gathering space added in 2007 was completed and dedicated by then-Auxiliary Bishop Richard Pates after seven years of fundraising.
- Established
- 1894
- Patron
- St. Andrew (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Father Andrew Stueve
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Andrew offers a genuinely close-knit rural Catholic community where, as longtime parishioners put it, 'everybody's aware of each other – anybody's sick, anybody needs help and anything like that.' In a parish of about 110 households, Mass is celebrated in English every Sunday morning, and the same volunteer spirit that wired the 1975 church and built the 2007 addition continues to run the parish today. Linked with Holy Trinity in Waterville under a shared pastor, St. Andrew is a small but enduring faith community rooted in more than 130 years of Catholic life on the southern edge of Le Sueur County.
Mass times at St. Andrew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Friday 8:00 AM – 8:50 AM
Overview
St. Andrew Catholic Church is a small rural parish at 305 Park Avenue NE in Elysian, Minnesota, on the southern edge of Le Sueur County. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and is one of the archdiocese's smallest parishes, with about 110 households. Sunday Mass is celebrated in English at 8:30 AM, with confession offered on First Fridays before Mass.
History of St. Andrew Parish
Long before there was a parish, Father Valentin Sommereisen of Sts. Peter and Paul in Mankato was already riding out to celebrate Mass in Elysian and other small communities. That outreach took root: in 1889 local families built a wooden church so a visiting priest could offer Mass monthly, and later on alternating Sundays. Five years later, in 1894, the parish was formally established.
A Mission Parish of Holy Trinity
Because of its small size, St. Andrew has been a mission parish of Holy Trinity in Waterville (founded 1879) for most of its history. It has therefore not had a resident priest for long stretches, and parishioners themselves have historically handled much of the upkeep, fundraising, and stewardship of the property.
Building the 1975 Church
By the 1970s the original wooden structure was too small, and under the leadership of Father Clarence Zlotkowski — a pastor with a construction background — parishioners built the present church in 1975 (completed/dedicated in 1976). Volunteer labor was extensive; Father Zlotkowski personally did all of the electrical wiring of the new building.
The 2007 Campus Expansion
Because the 1970s building was still doing double duty as both church and social hall, the parish began planning a separate worship and gathering space in the late 1990s. After seven years of fundraising, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis gave the go-ahead, and the addition was completed in 2007 and dedicated by then-Auxiliary Bishop Richard Pates.
125th Anniversary and Parish Identity
In 2019 The Catholic Spirit profiled St. Andrew for its 125th anniversary, capturing a community that has remained 'self-sustaining throughout its history, mainly relying on volunteers.' Father Michael Ince, then parochial administrator, described a parish where 'everybody's aware of each other – anybody's sick, anybody needs help and anything like that.'
Mass and Sacraments
Sunday Mass is the regular weekly celebration, held in English. The parish also offers the sacrament of Reconciliation on First Fridays, a schedule suited to its small, mission-parish character.
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 AM (English)
- Confessions — First Friday, 8:00–8:50 AM
Clergy and Pastoral Care
St. Andrew is pastored together with Holy Trinity in Waterville. Father Michael Ince served as parochial administrator of St. Andrew and pastor of Holy Trinity at the time of the 2019 anniversary. Effective July 1, 2023, Archbishop Bernard Hebda assigned Father Andrew Stueve as pastor of both Holy Trinity in Waterville and St. Andrew in Elysian.
- Father Andrew Stueve — pastor (effective July 1, 2023), also pastor of Holy Trinity in Waterville
- Father Michael Ince — former parochial administrator of St. Andrew and pastor of Holy Trinity in Waterville
Visiting St. Andrew
The parish is located at 305 Park Avenue NE, with mailing address PO Box 261, Elysian, MN 56028-0261. It can be reached by phone at (507) 267-4928 (fax 507-362-4339). Elysian sits in a popular fishing and resort area of southern Le Sueur County; parishioners and visitors typically drive, and parking is available at the church property.
- Address: 305 Park Avenue NE, PO Box 261, Elysian, MN 56028-0261
- Phone: (507) 267-4928
- Fax: (507) 362-4339
- Archdiocese listing: https://www.archspm.org/location/st-andrew-catholic-church/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Valentin Sommereisenpre-1889
Pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Mankato; began celebrating Mass in Elysian and nearby communities, which led to the building of the first Elysian church in 1889.
- Father Clarence Zlotkowskimid-1970s
Spearheaded the construction of the present church (completed 1975/1976); had a background in construction and personally did all the electrical wiring of the new building.
- Father Michael Inceuntil mid-2023
Parochial administrator of St. Andrew and pastor of Holy Trinity in Waterville at the time of the parish's 125th anniversary in 2019.
- Father Andrew Stueveeffective July 1, 2023
Assigned as pastor of Holy Trinity in Waterville with St. Andrew in Elysian; previously served at Chesterton Academy of the St. Croix Valley, St. Charles in Bayport, St. Ignatius in Annandale, St. Timothy in Maple Lake, St. Anne in Le Sueur, and Holy Name of Jesus in Medina.