About St. Ann · Brandon, Minnesota
St. Ann is a Roman Catholic parish in the small town of Brandon, Minnesota, founded in 1902 by 23 Catholic families who previously had to travel to Millerville for Mass. Today the parish is part of the seven-parish Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community (ACC) within the Diocese of St. Cloud, alongside St. Edward (Henning), St. William (Parkers Prairie), Our Lady of the Lake (Battle Lake), Our Lady of Seven Dolors (Millerville), Sacred Heart (Urbank), and St. James (Maine). With roughly 350 members, St. Ann's is a tight-knit rural community celebrated for its lay involvement — teachers, lectors, ushers, Eucharistic ministers, rosary leaders, and volunteers. The parish also maintains a sister-parish relationship with the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Barbacoas, Venezuela, established in 2000.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- St. Ann (Saint Anne, traditionally venerated as the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. Jeremy Theis (Pastor for the Disciples of the Mission ACC parishes including St. Ann)
- Diocese
- Diocese of St. Cloud
Why belong here
St. Ann is a small, family-sized parish where nearly every member has a role — teachers, lectors, ushers, Eucharistic ministers, servers, rosary leaders, coffee-and-donuts servers, and more. As one local description says, 'Volunteer' is the parish's theme. Membership also connects you to the seven-parish Disciples of the Mission ACC, meaning robust youth ministry (with a dedicated ACC Youth Director), Totus Tuus summer programs, Vacation Bible School, faith formation for all ages, FORMED online content, and active outreach — including a sister-parish relationship with the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Barbacoas, Venezuela. Visitors will find a welcoming rural community grounded in 120+ years of Catholic tradition in west-central Minnesota.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 8:00–8:20 AM (St. Ann, Brandon)
- Thursday 9:00 AM (St. Ann, Brandon)
- Saturday 3:00 PM (St. Ann, Brandon, when 4 pm Saturday Mass is celebrated)
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:00–10:00 AM (St. Ann, Brandon)
Parish History
St. Ann's was established and built in 1902 by 23 Catholic families in the Brandon area, who had previously attended Mass in Millerville. Father James Walcher was the first priest to celebrate Mass there. The original wood-frame church was enlarged in 1915 to accommodate growth. Construction on the current church began the first week of May 1967, with the first Mass celebrated on Christmas Eve of the same year; Bishop Speltz formally blessed it on September 29, 1968. The building cost $200,000 and seats 325. In 2000 the parish adopted a sister-parish relationship with the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Barbacoas, Venezuela. The parish joined a cluster with Brandon, Urbank, Millerville and Parkers Prairie in 2008 and is now one of seven parishes in the Disciples of the Mission ACC. Current membership is approximately 350 families.
- 1902: parish founded, 23 founding families
- 1915: original church enlarged
- 1959: Kelly family fire tragedy — January 7
- 1967–1968: current church built and blessed by Bishop Speltz
- 2000: sister-parish relationship with Barbacoas, Venezuela adopted
- 2008: parish joins the Brandon–Urbank–Millerville–Parkers Prairie cluster
- Today: ~350 members
Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community (ACC)
St. Ann is one of seven parishes in the Disciples of the Mission Area Catholic Community within the Diocese of St. Cloud, which also includes St. Edward (Henning), St. William (Parkers Prairie), Our Lady of the Lake (Battle Lake), Our Lady of Seven Dolors (Millerville), Sacred Heart (Urbank), and St. James (Maine Twp.). The ACC was formed to strengthen faith across the rural region, building relationships through shared youth and adult outreach, religious education, social events, and grief support. Pastoral leadership is shared between two priests who serve all seven parishes.
- St. Edward, Henning
- St. William, Parkers Prairie
- Our Lady of the Lake, Battle Lake
- Our Lady of Seven Dolors, Millerville
- Sacred Heart, Urbank
- St. James, Maine Twp.
- Combined bulletin, MyParish App, and ACC Pastoral Council
Clergy & Parish Staff
St. Ann is served by two priests who pastor the seven-parish Disciples of the Mission ACC, assisted by two deacons. The parish office is staffed by a part-time secretary on Mondays.
- Fr. George Michael VC — Pastor (Disciples of the Mission ACC); Office 218-864-5619, Rectory 218-862-5644
- Fr. Jeremy Theis — Pastor; Cell 320-429-0116 (after 9:00 pm emergencies only)
- Deacon Mick Froslee — Office 218-769-4409
- Deacon Craig Stich — Office 218-770-7449, email [email protected]
- Rose Suchy — St. Ann Secretary (Parish Office 320-834-5095 / Cell 320-766-5312; Office Hours Mon 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
- Amy Evjen — Director of Faith Formation / ACC Youth Director; Phone 320-304-4127, [email protected]
Sacramental Preparation
Information from the parish bulletin details how St. Ann's prepares families and adults for the sacraments.
- Baptism: parents must attend a Baptism Class before their first child is baptized; contact Rose (secretary) at least 2 months in advance — covers St. Ann, Seven Dolors, Sacred Heart, and St. William
- Wedding: contact Fr. George Michael or Fr. Theis at least 6 months before the wedding; contact the priest before making any other plans
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults): contact Fr. George Michael or Fr. Theis if interested in becoming Catholic
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith formation is organized ACC-wide, with a dedicated Director of Faith Formation/ACC Youth Director coordinating programs across all seven parishes. Youth ministry includes Youth Group (grades 6–12), the annual Totus Tuus summer program (grades 1–6 and 7–12 hosted at Our Lady of Seven Dolors in Millerville), Vacation Bible School, and service events such as the spring Ditch Cleanup. The parish also subscribes to FORMED for free online Catholic content (register at formed.org using zip code 56515 and the 'Disciples of the Mission ACC' parish).
- Director of Faith Formation / ACC Youth Director: Amy Evjen (320-304-4127)
- ACC Youth Group — grades 6–12, 6:00–8:00 PM at Sacred Heart Youth House, Urbank
- Totus Tuus summer program
- Vacation Bible School
- Adult Bible Study
- FORMED online Catholic resource (free for parishioners)
- MyParish App for ACC communications
Outreach & Sister Parish
St. Ann's most distinctive outreach is its 25-year sister-parish relationship with the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Barbacoas, Venezuela, adopted in 2000. Parishioners have made multiple trips south, staying with local families and sharing gifts of faith, hope, and charity; members of Barbacoas have also visited Minnesota. The St. Jude's Mission Circle fills suitcases with children's clothing and school supplies to send back with anyone from the diocese traveling to Venezuela.
- Sister parish: Church of the Immaculate Conception, Barbacoas, Venezuela (since 2000)
- St. Jude's Mission Circle — collects children's clothing and school supplies in suitcases
- Reciprocal visits between Brandon and Barbacoas communities
Getting Involved & Parish Volunteer Life
St. Ann is built on lay involvement — the parish's own description identifies 'Volunteer' as its theme. Members serve as teachers, lay distributors of Holy Communion, ushers, lectors, Mass servers, rosary leaders, flower ladies, and coffee-and-donut servers. The ACC also fields a wide range of parish councils and committees.
- Lectors, ushers, and Eucharistic ministers
- Mass servers and rosary leaders
- Flower ladies, coffee and donut servers
- Lay teachers and faith-formation volunteers
- ACC Pastoral Council
- Called & Gifted program
- Grief Support ministry
Contact, Location & Visiting
The parish office is open Mondays from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM and can be reached by phone, email, or in person. The church sits on the corner of Nelson Avenue and 4th Street in Brandon.
- Address: 402 Nelson Ave. North, P.O. Box 256, Brandon, MN 56315
- Phone: (320) 834-5095
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: disciplesofthemissionacc.org
- Office Hours: Monday 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Directions: From Hwy. 82 and County Rd. 7, go north 4 blocks, turn right, then 2 blocks — church is on the corner of Nelson and 4th Street
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. James Walcher1902–
First priest to celebrate Mass in St. Ann's, when the parish was founded by 23 Catholic families.