About St. Bartholomew · Wayzata, Minnesota
St. Bartholomew Catholic Church and School is a Catholic parish serving the Wayzata community along the north shore of Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota, part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Founded in 1916 by twelve families and originally staffed by Benedictine priests from St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, the parish today combines a parish, a Pre-K–5 elementary school, and a full slate of faith formation, youth ministry, pastoral care, and outreach programs. Under the leadership of Father John A. Klockeman, the parish community gathers for weekend and daily Mass, Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and a deep tradition of family catechesis and service to local charities.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- St. Bartholomew (Apostle)
- Rector
- Fr. John A. Klockeman
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Bartholomew is a large, family-oriented Catholic community with deep roots along Lake Minnetonka — over a century old but visibly renewed after its 2007 campus renovation. Parishioners of all ages are served through a Pre-K–5 school, the G.I.F.T. faith formation program for grades 1–5, OCIA for adults, and active Middle School and High School youth ministries that gather weekly for formation, fellowship, Adoration, and service. The parish runs a robust pastoral care ministry, weekly Friday Eucharistic Adoration, a Men's Club, a Prayer Shawl Ministry, and outreach partnerships with Feed My Starving Children, Simpson Housing, Interfaith Outreach Food Shelf, and the Banyan Community — making it both a place to worship and a place to put faith into action.
Mass times at St. Bartholomew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Fridays 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
- First Friday evenings 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (when scheduled, e.g., March 7 and April 4)
History of St. Bartholomew Parish
St. Bartholomew was born from the struggles of Catholics living on the north shore of Lake Minnetonka, who once crossed the lake by boat or traveled by horse and buggy in fair weather to reach Mass. In 1916 twelve local families united behind one vision and, with the support of Benedictine priest Fr. George Bartholomew Scheffold, OSB, erected a small white stucco church on Highway 12 and Broadway. The parish was named in honor of Father Scheffold. Growing suburban neighborhoods and waves of new families drove steady expansion: a rectory (1941), a convent and school (1955), a new 840-seat church (1961), a connected narthex and fellowship hall (1989), a finished lower level with nine new meeting rooms (1998), and a sweeping 2007 renovation that renewed the entire campus for its next century of ministry.
- 1916 — Founding by 12 families
- 1916 — Cornerstone laid Oct. 8; first Mass Christmas Day
- 1921 — Initial $500 parish debt paid in full
- 1941 — New rectory built
- 1955 — Convent and school constructed
- 1956 — School Sisters of Notre Dame begin staffing St. Bartholomew School
- 1961 — New 840-seat church built
- 1989 — Church and school linked by expanded narthex and fellowship hall
- 1997 — 1989 project debt retired (January)
- 1998 — Lower level finished with 9 new meeting rooms; volunteer, youth, communications, and technology staff added
- 2007 — Full campus renovation completed (September)
Worship, Mass, and Sacraments
St. Bartholomew celebrates weekend and daily Mass in English, with Saturday and Sunday offerings supplemented by weekday Masses on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons and by appointment. The parish places strong emphasis on Eucharistic Adoration, with weekly Friday hours and additional First Friday evenings.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM
- Tuesday: 6:00 PM
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM
- Thursday: 8:30 AM
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM and by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration: Fridays 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- First Friday Mass & Adoration: 6:00–7:00 PM (selected months)
- Stations of the Cross: Fridays 7:00 PM during Lent
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Bart's offers multi-generational faith formation from early childhood through adulthood. The G.I.F.T. (Growing In Faith Together) program serves families with preschool through grade 5 children, opening each year with a kick-off service project making sandwiches for the Sandwich Project of MN. First Sacraments preparation is a seven-month, two-part process beginning in October with First Reconciliation and culminating in First Eucharist, with parents serving as the primary catechists through at-home lessons and learning-station gatherings. The parish's OCIA team welcomes adults preparing for initiation into the Catholic Church.
- G.I.F.T. Growing In Faith Together (grades 1–5)
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist Preparation (grades 2–5)
- Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA)
- Children's Faith Formation Coordinator: Susie Osacho ([email protected], 952-745-4574)
Youth Ministry
St. Bartholomew maintains active Middle School and High School youth ministry programs that alternate between spiritual formation nights and recreation nights. Each gathering includes food, fellowship, prayer, and small-group formation, plus time in Adoration at High School nights. The parish also sends youth to the Steubenville Conference in summer and to Extreme Faith Camp, an adventure camp where high schoolers serve as small-group leaders for younger campers.
- Middle School Youth Ministry: grades 6–8, Wednesdays twice a month, 6:00–7:30 PM in the school gym or youth room
- High School Youth Ministry: grades 9–12, Thursdays twice a month, 6:30–8:00 PM in the school gym or youth room
- Extreme Faith Camp (summer Catholic adventure camp)
- Steubenville Conference (summer)
- Contact: Jonny Rodriguez, Youth Ministry & Discipleship Associate, [email protected], 952-473-6601
School
St. Bartholomew Catholic School is a Pre-K through grade 5 elementary school with a long tradition of Catholic education. It opened in the fall of 1956 under the staffing of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and has been renewed along with the rest of the campus in the 2007 renovation. The school is led by Principal Ginger Vance and continues to be at the heart of parish family life, with after-school and summer programs supporting students academically, spiritually, and socially.
- Pre-K through 5th grade
- Principal: Ginger Vance ([email protected])
- Choir Director / Director of Liturgy & Music: Justin Fields
- Counselor: Megan Moseley
- Programs Director: Nicole Jude
- PE & Activity Leader: Jasmine Leach
- Part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Catholic school system
Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care at St. Bart's is grounded in Roman Catholic tradition and guided by the parish's commitment to nurturing members through life's transitions, including illness, death, funeral planning, and spiritual direction. Trained Parish Visitors bring Holy Communion to homebound parishioners and residents of assisted-living facilities. The ministry also maintains a Caregiver Support Group and recruits co-coordinators to expand its reach.
- Director of Pastoral Care: Scott Brazil ([email protected])
- Parish Visitors (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion / Parish Visitors) — visits to homebound and hospitalized parishioners
- Caregiver Support Group
- Pastoral counseling and spiritual direction
- Volunteer opportunities open via Essential 3 (E3) / Virtus compliance
Music & Liturgy
Music and liturgy are coordinated at the parish by Justin Fields, Director of Liturgy and Music (joined St. Bart's in April 2023; also serves as Choir Director for the school). A skilled pianist, organist, vocalist and composer, Fields leads music across weekend Masses and is shaping the parish's worship from chant to contemporary forms.
- Director of Liturgy and Music: Justin Fields ([email protected])
- Adult choir and parish worship music
- School Choir Director responsibilities
Parish Life & Men's Club
Parish Life at St. Bartholomew is marked by active engagement from men, women, and families. The Men's Club unites the men of St. Bart's around three pillars — Social (fellowship and friendship), Spiritual (growing in faith), and Service (giving back to family, parish, and community) — and welcomes all men of the parish to participate. Other parish-life ministries include the Connections Team (helping members get to know one another through parish events), the New Member Welcome Team, the Shared Ministry Committee (Time & Talent, Gift Discernment, volunteerism), and the Prayer Network (phone or email prayer requests).
- Men's Club — leaders: Jamey Wojciechowski and others; contact Sue Scott, [email protected]
- Connections Team — plans 2–3 fellowship events per year
- New Member Welcome Team
- Shared Ministry Committee (Gift Inventory, volunteerism)
- Prayer Network — prayers from home
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — knit or crochet at home with monthly gatherings
- Director of Community Engagement: Sue Scott
Outreach & Service
The parish has an extensive local and global outreach footprint that puts faith into action throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. Volunteers serve meals at Simpson Housing Shelter in Minneapolis, pack meals for Feed My Starving Children (open to age 5+), stock the Interfaith Outreach Food Shelf, and through "School's Cool" provide school uniforms, fees, and supplies for Catholic children at the Banyan Community between May and September. Social event volunteers also help run parish-wide events.
- Feed My Starving Children — meal packing days for ages 5+
- Simpson Housing Meal Server — monthly lunch for ~35 shelter residents; ages 10+ (10–14 require 1:1 adult ratio)
- Interfaith Outreach Food Shelf
- School's Cool — uniforms, fees, and supplies for Banyan Community
- Director of Stewardship and Development: Marilyn Peller Nelson
- Director of Community Engagement: Sue Scott ([email protected])
Becoming a Parishioner
Newcomers can register as members of St. Bartholomew online via the parish website or by picking up a New Member Packet at the information desk and returning the completed registration form to the parish office (open Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM). The parish does not publish a specific geographic boundary but welcomes Catholic families moving to the Wayzata / Lake Minnetonka area, as well as students of its Pre-K–5 school and youth in need of faith formation.
- Online registration available at st-barts.org/join-our-parish
- In-person registration at the parish office, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Monday–Friday
- Married or single, year-round or seasonal — all are welcome
Leadership & Staff
The pastor of St. Bartholomew is Father John A. Klockeman, ordained May 27, 2000 and serving St. Bart's as pastor since 2021. He previously served as parochial vicar at St. Olaf in downtown Minneapolis, formation director at St. John Vianney College Seminary and the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, and pastor of St. Gerard's in Brooklyn Park. He is widely acclaimed as an expert in Catholic spirituality, with appearances on local and national television and radio, and holds a Master of Divinity from the University of St. Thomas. The lay staff supports parish operations, formation, music, youth, stewardship, communications, and pastoral care.
- Pastor: Fr. John A. Klockeman ([email protected]) — joined 2021
- Parish Administrator: Lynn Arnal
- Principal: Ginger Vance ([email protected])
- Director of Pastoral Care: Scott Brazil ([email protected])
- Director of Ongoing Formation and Discipleship: James Shackelford
- Youth Ministry & Discipleship Associate: Jonny Rodriguez ([email protected])
- Director of Liturgy and Music: Justin Fields ([email protected])
- Children's Faith Formation, First Sacraments & OCIA Coordinator: Susie Osacho ([email protected])
- Director of Stewardship and Development: Marilyn Peller Nelson
- Director of Community Engagement: Sue Scott ([email protected])
- Other staff: Pete Therault, Lee Glover, Abbie Kluiter, Rick Witucki, Billy Hucker (Database and Technology Coordinator, [email protected])
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. George Bartholomew Scheffold, OSB1916–
Founding pastor; Benedictine from St. John's Abbey in Collegeville; the parish was named St. Bartholomew in his honor.
- Fr. John A. Klockeman2021–present
Joined St. Bartholomew as pastor in 2021; ordained May 27, 2000; previously pastor of St. Gerard's in Brooklyn Park, MN.