About St. Anne · Wabasso, Minnesota
St. Anne is a Roman Catholic parish in the small farming community of Wabasso, Minnesota (Redwood County), part of the Diocese of New Ulm. Since 2021 the parish has been linked with nearby St. Catherine in Redwood Falls to form the Mother of Hope Area Faith Community (AFC), a shared-staff model in which one pastor and a lay worship director serve both parishes. The parish is the home of St. Anne Catholic School, a preschool–grade 6 institution founded in 1923 by Benedictine nuns and now celebrating its second century. Weekend and weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Confirmation, First Communion, Vacation Bible School, and a live-streamed liturgy through YouTube make St. Anne a small but full-service Catholic hub for the Wabasso area.
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grandmother of Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. Paul Wolf
- Diocese
- Diocese of New Ulm
Why belong here
St. Anne offers the full sacramental life of a small-town Catholic parish — weekday and weekend Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on Saturdays, Reconciliation a half hour before Mass and by appointment, Confirmation, First Communion, Anointing of the Sick, and marriage preparation — together with a parish school (preschool through grade 6) that just celebrated its centennial and is in the middle of a building campaign for new facilities. As one parish leader put it, 'We're a small rural community, so people are friends and neighbors and relatives at the same time. I think we're here to support each other.' Joining the Mother of Hope AFC also links Wabasso Catholics with St. Catherine in Redwood Falls for shared formation, retreats, and fellowship.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 3:55 PM (per Discover Mass)
- Thursday 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM (per Discover Mass)
- A half hour before every Mass (per parish website)
Adoration times
- Saturday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
About St. Anne Parish
St. Anne Catholic Church serves the small farming community of Wabasso in Redwood County, Minnesota. The parish is one half of the Mother of Hope Area Faith Community (AFC) — a shared-pastor partnership with St. Catherine in Redwood Falls that was formed to sustain sacramental life in rural southwest Minnesota. Worship is offered in English, with weekend and weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and live-streamed liturgy through the parish YouTube channel. The parish also operates St. Anne Catholic School, a preschool-through-grade-6 Catholic school founded in 1923.
History
St. Anne was established in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century to serve the German-Catholic farming families who settled Wabasso. Its associated school was founded in 1923 by Benedictine sisters in a small two-story building on Cedar Street and grew through additions in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Up until the 1970s the school served grades K-12; today it enrolls about 100 students in preschool through sixth grade. In 2021 the parish entered a new era when it formally linked with St. Catherine, Redwood Falls to form the Mother of Hope AFC. In 2023 the school celebrated its centennial with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Chad Zielinski, homecoming-parade floats, and an evening program of memorabilia.
- School founded 1923 by Benedictine nuns
- Building additions added in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s
- K-12 until the 1970s; today preschool through grade 6
- Mother of Hope AFC formed with St. Catherine in 2021
- School centennial celebrated September 2023 with Bishop Chad Zielinski
- Plans (as of 2025) for a new school building via capital campaign
Pastoral Leadership & Staff
St. Anne is currently served by Fr. Paul Wolf as pastor of the Mother of Hope AFC, with Deacon Ryan Pope assisting across both parishes. The AFC's lay leadership team includes Brian Serbus (Business Administrator), Erica Pope (Worship Director for the AFC), the AFC Director of Faith Formation/Youth Ministry, Mary Franta (Principal of St. Anne Catholic School), Mariah Zeug (Parish & School Office Administrator for St. Anne), and Kris Tetrick (Parish Administrator for St. Catherine).
- Fr. Paul Wolf — Pastor
- Deacon Ryan Pope — AFC Deacon
- Brian Serbus — AFC Business Administrator
- Erica Pope — AFC Worship Director
- AFC Director of Faith Formation/Youth Ministry
- Mary Franta — Principal, St. Anne Catholic School
- Mariah Zeug — Parish & School Office Administrator, St. Anne
- Kris Tetrick — Parish Administrator, St. Catherine
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments, with Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and OCIA (for adults seeking initiation) all described on the parish website. First Communion and Confirmation are celebrated annually at specific parish-wide liturgies, with the 2026 dates already published. The Anointing of the Sick is available by contacting Fr. Paul Wolf or the parish office.
- First Communion — May 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM at St. Anne
- Confirmation — March 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM at St. Anne
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment through the parish office
- Marriage — contact parish office to begin preparation
- OCIA — adult initiation program available; contact parish office
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith Formation is administered across both parishes of the Mother of Hope AFC by the AFC Director of Faith Formation/Youth Ministry. Programs include preparation for First Communion and Confirmation, Vacation Bible School, and Riverbend TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) retreats.
- First Communion preparation (grades 2+)
- Confirmation preparation (10th-grade pre-Confirmation and 11th-grade Confirmation)
- Vacation Bible School — May 26–29, 2026 at St. Anne
- Riverbend TEC retreats
- OCIA for adult initiation
Parish Ministries & Groups
Parishioners serve the Mass and the wider community through a wide range of liturgical and social ministries. Liturgical roles are scheduled through the parish's online Ministry Schedules portal, while parish life groups gather for fellowship, charity, and prayer.
- Liturgical roles: Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Mass Server, Sacristan, Ushers, Money Counters
- Parish Council
- Evangelization & Catechesis Committee
- Worship Committee
- AFC Cemetery Boards
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW)
- Quilting Ministry
- Blanket Ministry
- Catholic Charities outreach
- Catholic United Financial / Foresters
- Flame of Love Rosary (Mon 5 PM at St. Catherine)
St. Anne Catholic School
St. Anne Catholic School is a parish preschool-through-grade-6 school on Cedar Street in Wabasso. Founded in 1923 by Benedictine sisters, the school currently enrolls about 100 students under Principal Mary Franta. Students attend a weekly school Mass that is also open to parents and parishioners. The school celebrated its centennial in September 2023 with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Chad Zielinski and is currently in a capital-campaign phase to construct a new school building. Some current students are fourth-generation descendants of the school's original 1923 class.
- Founded 1923 by Benedictine nuns
- Preschool through Grade 6
- Approximately 100 students
- Weekly school Mass attended by parents and parishioners
- Principal: Mary Franta
- Address: 1054 Cedar St., PO Box 239, Wabasso, MN 56293
- Phone: (507) 342-5389
- Email: [email protected]
Mother of Hope Area Faith Community
Since 2021 St. Anne, Wabasso has been paired with St. Catherine, Redwood Falls under the Mother of Hope AFC, a shared-pastor model used across the Diocese of New Ulm to sustain small parishes. The two parishes share a pastor, deacon, business administrator, worship director, and director of faith formation/youth ministry while retaining distinct Mass schedules, schools (St. Anne only), parish councils, cemetery boards, and bulletins.
- Partner parish: St. Catherine, Redwood Falls
- Shared pastor: Fr. Paul Wolf
- Shared AFC deacon: Deacon Ryan Pope
- AFC Business Administrator: Brian Serbus
- AFC Worship Director: Erica Pope
- Operating under one pastoral team while retaining distinct parish identity
Worship & Music
Liturgy at St. Anne is coordinated across the AFC by Worship Director Erica Pope, who oversees music ministry and the work of the parish Worship Committee. Weekend and weekday Masses draw on a roster of liturgical ministers (Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Mass Servers, Sacristans, Ushers) coordinated through the parish Ministry Schedules portal.
- AFC Worship Director: Erica Pope
- Worship Committee coordinates parish worship planning
- Live-streamed Masses available on YouTube for the homebound
Getting Involved & New Parishioners
New parishioners can register online through the parish website by filling out the 'new parishioner registration form.' Ministry sign-ups and committee interest are coordinated through the AFC's online portal, with questions routed to the appropriate parish staff.
- Online new-parishioner registration form on lowafc.org
- Online ministry sign-up portal
- Contact the parish office to volunteer or join a committee
Contact & Visit
St. Anne Parish Office is located at 950 North Street (mailing: PO Box 239), Wabasso, MN 56293, and can be reached at (507) 342-5190 or [email protected]. The parish school address is 1054 Cedar Street (also PO Box 239, Wabasso, MN 56293); phone (507) 342-5389, email [email protected].
- Parish Office: 950 North St., PO Box 239, Wabasso, MN 56293
- Parish Phone: (507) 342-5190
- Parish Email: [email protected]
- School: 1054 Cedar St., PO Box 239, Wabasso, MN 56293
- School Phone: (507) 342-5389
- School Email: [email protected]
- Website: lowafc.org
- YouTube: live-streamed Masses
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Tony
Previous pastor referenced in 'Archive of Fr Tony Reflections' on the parish website; oversaw the launch of the Mother of Hope AFC partnership and capital-campaign planning for St. Anne School.