About St. Benedict · Horace, North Dakota
St. Benedict Catholic Church is a Roman Rite parish of the Diocese of Fargo, now located at 8547 Front St. in Horace, North Dakota. Its roots reach back to 1870, when French-Canadian missionary priests established Holy Cross Mission at the mouth of the Wild Rice River, ten miles south of Fargo. After a long history in the rural Wild Rice community — including an 1888 frame church, a 1913 brick-and-stucco church with twin white steeples, a parish school run by the Presentation Sisters (1903–1966), and a cemetery dating to the 1880s — the parish relocated to Horace, celebrating its first Mass in the new parish hall on the Easter Vigil of March 30, 2024. Today St. Benedict offers weekend Masses on Saturday evening and twice on Sunday, daily weekday Masses Tuesday–Friday, Saturday confessions, and monthly Eucharistic Adoration.
- Established
- 1870
- Patron
- Saint Benedict of Nursia
- Rector
- Fr. Andrew Jasinski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fargo
Why belong here
St. Benedict is the oldest Catholic parish in Cass County, with deep roots tracing to the 1870 founding of Holy Cross Mission by French-Canadian missionaries. The parish offers a full schedule of Masses (Saturday vigil plus two Sunday Masses, plus daily Tuesday–Friday Mass), Saturday confessions, and monthly Eucharistic Adoration. As a sponsoring parish of St. John Paul II Catholic Schools, member families receive a reduced tuition rate at the network of five Fargo/West Fargo Catholic schools. A new 22,000-square-foot parish center in Horace, an active ministries program coordinated through Ministry Scheduler Pro, and the parish's 150-year tradition of faith and fellowship make it a welcoming community for new members and visitors.
Mass times at St. Benedict
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- By appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Sunday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (once a month)
- Wednesday evening — once a month during the school year (see bulletin for dates)
History of St. Benedict Parish
St. Benedict traces its origin to Holy Cross Mission, a log-cabin chapel at the mouth of the Wild Rice River documented by federal surveyors in 1870. French-Canadian missionary priests had been traveling the Red River Valley since the 1840s, with Fr. Louis-François LaFleche accompanying Métis buffalo hunters from 1844 to 1856. As settlers — beginning with trapper Ulphi Cossette — arrived to farm the rich bottomland, the mission outgrew its log cabin and was moved around 1882 to the present cemetery site, where it was renamed St. Benedict. A larger frame church was built in 1888 and replaced by the current brick church in 1913. After the F-M Diversion was realigned in 2018, parish leaders chose to relocate to Horace rather than expand at the rural site; first Mass in the new parish hall was celebrated on the Easter Vigil of March 30, 2024, and the historic 1913 church was demolished in July 2024.
- 1870 — Holy Cross Mission established at the mouth of the Wild Rice River (parish's official founding date).
- 1882 — Log mission moved to the current cemetery site; renamed St. Benedict.
- 1888 — Larger framed church built.
- 1903–1966 — Presentation Sisters teach at St. Joseph's School.
- 1913 — Current brick church (twin steeples) constructed; served parish for 111 years.
- 1941 — Workers excavating a basement rediscovered the remains of Fr. Athanase Bernier, buried under the church in 1891.
- 2018 — Parish decides to relocate to Horace after the F-M Diversion realignment.
- Oct. 9, 2021 — 150th anniversary celebrated (delayed a year by COVID); Bishop Folda presided.
- March 30, 2024 — First Mass in the new Horace parish hall on the Easter Vigil.
- July 2024 — Historic 1913 church at the Wild Rice site demolished.
Early Missionaries (1840s–1880)
A succession of traveling French-Canadian priests ministered to the fur-trade community and early settlers before St. Benedict had a resident pastor.
- Fr. Louis-François LaFleche (1844–1856)
- Fr. J.B. Genin (1865–1871)
- Msgr. Ritchot (1868)
- Fr. Simonet (1871–1877)
- Fr. L. Spitzelberger (1877–1879)
- Fr. Frund (1878–1879)
- Fr. Charles Richard (1880–1881)
Clergy & Staff
St. Benedict is currently led by Fr. Andrew Jasinski (since 2020). The parish has also been served by priests in residence — Fr. Richard Lacorte (2003), Fr. Thaines Arlulandu (2008–2009), and Fr. Kurtis Gunwall (2011–2018) — and by permanent deacons Deacon Clarence Vetter (2006–2021) and Deacon James Hunt (2012–2014).
- Fr. Andrew Jasinski — Pastor (2020–present)
- Deacon Clarence Vetter (2006–2021)
- Deacon James Hunt (2012–2014)
- Fr. Richard Lacorte — Priest in Residence (2003)
- Fr. Thaines Arlulandu — Priest in Residence (2008–2009)
- Fr. Kurtis Gunwall — Priest in Residence (2011–2018)
Ministries & Parish Life
St. Benedict coordinates its liturgical volunteer scheduling through Ministry Scheduler Pro. Parishioners can sign up as ushers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, or for other ministries using the Time & Talent form. The parish also has a Prayer Chain (intercessory prayer ministry) and a Parish Council.
- Ministry Scheduler Pro — online volunteer scheduling for Mass
- Faith Formation
- Prayer Chain (intercessory prayer)
- Time & Talent sign-up program
- Parish Council
- Building Committee
St. John Paul II Catholic Schools
St. Benedict Parish is a sponsoring parish of the St. John Paul II Catholic Schools (JPII Schools). Member families qualify for a reduced tuition rate, the pastor of St. Benedict sits on the school board, and a parishioner represents the parish on the JPII School Council. JPII Schools is a network of five Catholic schools serving Fargo and West Fargo.
- Holy Spirit Elementary School
- Nativity Elementary School
- Trinity Elementary School
- Sacred Heart Middle School
- Shanley High School
The New Horace Campus
Following the 2018 decision to leave the Wild Rice site, St. Benedict built a 22,000-square-foot parish center in Horace. The first Mass was celebrated there on the Easter Vigil, March 30, 2024. The parish plans eventually to build a permanent church on the campus, incorporating design elements — including the twin steeples — of the historic 1913 building. The cemetery at the original Wild Rice site remains.
- New parish address: 8547 Front St., Horace, ND 58047
- First Mass celebrated March 30, 2024 (Easter Vigil)
- 22,000-square-foot social hall/parish center
- Future permanent church planned to include the twin-steeple motif of the 1913 church
- St. Benedict Cemetery (Wild Rice) preserved
Becoming a Member
St. Benedict welcomes new parishioners. New members can register by introducing themselves to Fr. Jasinski after Mass, contacting the parish office, completing the Online Registration form (also used for address changes), or printing the Membership Registration form from the parish website's 'Forms and Documents' page.
- Introduce yourself to Fr. Jasinski after Mass
- Call the parish office at (701) 588-4288
- Complete the Online Registration form
- Print and submit the Membership Registration form (Forms and Documents page)
Visiting St. Benedict
The new Horace campus is centrally located for parish families, just south of Horace High School. Parking is on the west side of the building, and the main entrance is on the north end. Detailed driving directions are posted on the parish website.
- From Wall Ave (88th Ave S.) and 5th St. E., travel 3 blocks north on Front Street
- Parking: west of the building
- Main entrance: north end of the building
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 61, Horace, ND 58047-0061
Sacraments & Faith Formation
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish prepares Catholics for the sacraments and welcomes new members into the faith through its Faith Formation program. Anyone interested in becoming Catholic is invited to contact the parish office for information on the OCIA/RCIA process.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Marriage — contact parish office
- First Communion & Confirmation (Faith Formation)
- Becoming Catholic (OCIA/RCIA) — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Athanase Bernier1881–1884, 1886–1891
First resident pastor; buried under the 1913 church; his skull is enshrined near the altars.
- Fr. William A. Kennedy1884–1885
- Fr. Alfred Vigeant1885–1886
- Fr. L. Mailluchet1892–1893
- Fr. L. Vigeant1892–1893
- Fr. M. Barras1893–1894
- Fr. Joseph Leonard1894–1895
- Fr. A. Accorsini1895
- Fr. J.U. Sevigny1896–1902
- Fr. C.A.R. Fournier1902–1904
- Fr. John A. Lalande1904–1935
Longest-tenured pastor listed.
- Fr. August Mosel1935
- Fr. J. Conrad Berard1936–1959
- Msgr. Allan F. Nilles1959–1960
- Fr. Maurice M. Mueller1960–1965
- Fr. Albert H. Binder1965–1970
- Fr. Tom Matchie1971
- Fr. A. A. A. Schmirler1972–1974
- Fr. Anthony Peschel1974–1987
- Fr. Daniel Pilon1987–2006
Served as Msgr. Pilon later.
- Msgr. Brian Donahue2006–2008
- Fr. Jared Kadlec2008–2020
- Fr. Andrew Jasinski2020–present
Current pastor.