About St. Catherine · Redwood Falls, Minnesota
The Church of St. Catherine is a Roman Catholic parish in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, belonging to the Diocese of New Ulm. It is paired with St. Anne Parish in nearby Wabasso to form the Mother of Hope Area Faith Community (AFC), and together they share clergy, faith formation, and ministry programs. The parish traces its roots to 1884, when thirteen Catholic families built the area's first church, and it continues to serve Redwood County families with weekend and weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation, faith formation, and a cemetery ministry. Current pastor Fr. Paul Wolf leads the AFC alongside Deacon Ryan Pope, a parish administrator, an AFC business administrator, and a worship director.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- Saint Catherine of Alexandria
- Rector
- Fr. Paul Wolf
- Diocese
- Diocese of New Ulm
Why belong here
St. Catherine's is a long-established Catholic parish — over 140 years old — that today shares pastors, faith formation staff, and ministries with St. Anne of Wabasso under the Mother of Hope Area Faith Community, so parishioners get the warmth of a smaller-town parish with the resources of a two-parish team. Active liturgical roles (Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Sacristan, Mass Server, Usher, Money Counter) and parish committees (Parish Council, Worship Committee, Evangelization & Catechesis Committee, Cemetery Boards) give newcomers many ways to serve. The parish also livestreams Masses on YouTube, publishes a weekly bulletin with full reconciliation and adoration times, and runs faith formation and youth ministry together with St. Anne, making it easy for families to plug in.
Mass times at St. Catherine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Reconciliation is offered weekly — see the current St. Anne & St. Catherine bulletin for the exact day and time (the parish directs worshippers to the bulletin for 'Weekly Mass, Reconciliation, & Prayer Times').
Adoration times
- Sunday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Parish Overview & Identity
The Church of St. Catherine in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of New Ulm, named for Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patroness of Catholic education (feast day November 25). Today's parish families belong to the Mother of Hope Area Faith Community together with St. Anne Parish in Wabasso, sharing one pastor, Deacon Ryan Pope, an AFC Worship Director, a Parish Administrator, an AFC Business Administrator, and shared Faith Formation programming. The parish worships from a campus at 900 E. Flynn Street that includes the current church, Rademacher Hall (the former 1982 worship space, now a kitchen-equipped social hall), an education center, a nursery, a rectory, and a parish cemetery.
- Diocese: New Ulm
- Patron: Saint Catherine of Alexandria (feast November 25)
- AFC partner: St. Anne Parish, Wabasso
- Pastor: Fr. Paul Wolf
History of St. Catherine Parish
Catholic life began here in 1870 when Rev. Alexander Berghold said Mass at the home of John O'Hara for six families. The first church — a 24-by-40-foot frame building costing $900 — was erected in 1884 on lots donated by Matthias Offermann and Frank M. O'Hara, and first Mass was celebrated in it in 1885 by Rev. Father Ogulin. After being served for nearly thirteen years by traveling priests from Mankato, Sleepy Eye, Madison, Fairfax, and Morgan, the parish received its first resident pastor, Rev. James J. Woods, in 1897, who oversaw construction of a $3,000 parsonage. The 1914 brick church at Lincoln and Chestnut (now the Redwood Falls Public Library) was built for $25,000 and dedicated on November 16, 1915 by Bishop J. J. Lawler.
- 1870 — first Mass by Rev. Berghold
- 1884 — first church built by 13 families
- 1897 — first resident pastor, Rev. James J. Woods
- 1914 — second church built; dedicated 1915
Growth: From 1981 to Today
By 1981 the parish had grown to 540 families, prompting construction of a new complex at 900 E. Flynn Street. First Mass was celebrated in that new church on June 12, 1982. With continued growth to 654 families, Father Germain Rademacher led an expansion that broke ground in April 2001; the new worship space was dedicated June 30, 2002 by then-Bishop John Nienstedt, and the 1982 worship space became Rademacher Hall, adjoining a new kitchen for parish fellowship.
- 1982 — first Mass in current church (June 12)
- 2001 — groundbreaking under Fr. Rademacher
- 2002 — current worship space dedicated by Bishop Nienstedt
Mass & Worship Schedule
Weekend Masses at St. Catherine's follow a published seasonal schedule (for example, May 2/3 through August 29/30: Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM and Sunday at 8:00 AM; a Sunday 10:00 AM Mass is also listed in other schedules/catholicchurchtimes.com references). Weekday Mass is typically offered Tuesday–Friday at 7:00 AM, with First Friday and First Saturday devotions on the AFC Mass Calendar. The parish directs worshippers to its weekly bulletin for Reconciliation, adoration, and feast-day times, since small changes occur week to week.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM (seasonal schedule); 10:00 AM also listed
- Tuesday–Friday: 7:00 AM
- First Friday and First Saturday Masses per AFC calendar
Live Streaming & Bulletin
Masses from St. Anne and St. Catherine are livestreamed on the parishes' YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person, and recent services are available for replay. The parish also posts a monthly PDF bulletin (May, April, and March 2026 issues are linked on the bulletin page) with weekly Mass intentions, feast days, Reconciliation and prayer times.
- Live-streamed Masses on YouTube
- Monthly PDF bulletin with Mass intentions and weekly times
Parish Staff & Leadership
St. Catherine's is led by Pastor Fr. Paul Wolf with Deacon Ryan Pope supporting the AFC. Parish and program administration is shared across the two parishes of the Mother of Hope AFC.
- Fr. Paul Wolf — Pastor
- Deacon Ryan Pope — AFC Deacon
- Erica Pope — AFC Worship Director
- Kris Tetrick — Parish Administrator (St. Catherine's)
- Brian Serbus — AFC Business Administrator
- Mariah Zeug — Parish & School Office Administrator (St. Anne's)
- Mary Franta — Principal, St. Anne's Catholic School
Committees & Parish Councils
Lay leadership at St. Catherine's is organized through several committees that plan worship, teach the faith, and care for parish property. Parishioners are invited to volunteer through the 'Get Involved' sign-up on the parish website.
- Parish Council
- Evangelization & Catechesis Committee
- Worship Committee
- AFC Cemetery Boards
Liturgical Ministries
Volunteers serve the parish directly in the sanctuary at Mass through a set of well-established liturgical roles.
- Ushers
- Sacristan
- Eucharistic Minister
- Mass Server (Altar Server)
- Lector
- Money Counters
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith formation and youth ministry for both St. Catherine's and St. Anne's families are run as a combined AFC effort under a single AFC Director of Faith Formation/Youth Ministry, giving children and teens access to sacramental preparation and youth programming across both parishes.
- AFC Director of Faith Formation/Youth Ministry (shared staff)
- Combined Faith Formation with St. Anne, Wabasso
Mother of Hope Area Faith Community
St. Catherine's is one half of the Mother of Hope Area Faith Community, clustered with St. Anne Parish in nearby Wabasso under the Diocese of New Ulm. The two parishes share clergy (Pastor Fr. Paul Wolf and Deacon Ryan Pope), faith formation staff, an AFC Business Administrator, and a Worship Director. The AFC also links to St. Mathias in Wanda and other nearby Catholic communities in Redwood County for ministry collaboration.
- St. Anne, Wabasso ([email protected])
- St. Mathias, Wanda
- Diocese of New Ulm, Deanery 1
Sacraments
St. Catherine's celebrates the sacraments at its regular Masses and offers Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration on a published weekly schedule. Faith Formation staff work with families preparing for sacraments. Marriage, Baptism, and other sacramental needs are coordinated through the parish office.
- Eucharist — weekend, weekday, First Friday, First Saturday
- Reconciliation — see weekly bulletin
- Eucharistic Adoration — Sunday afternoon and Thursday
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing — contact the parish office
Joining the Parish
Newcomers can register online through the parish website using either a single-person or family/couple form. The 'Get Involved' sign-up links prospective members to ministries, committees, and parish groups based on their interests.
- Online new-parishioner registration (single or family)
- Online sign-up for ministries and committees
Cemetery
St. Catherine's maintains a parish cemetery as part of its campus, with upkeep coordinated by the AFC Cemetery Boards (listed on the parish's committees page).
- AFC Cemetery Boards — property care
- Burial inquiries — contact the parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Alexander Berghold1870
Pastor of Holy Trinity, New Ulm; first to celebrate Mass in the area, at the home of John O'Hara.
- Rev. Father Ogulin1885
Pastor of Immaculate Conception, St. Peter; said the first Mass in the 1884 church.
- Rev. Father Schnitzler1885-1886
Mankato, traveling priest.
- Rev. Father Tori1886-1887
Sleepy Eye, traveling priest.
- Rev. Father Reichel1887-1888
Sleepy Eye, traveling priest.
- Rev. Father Shoenen1888-1890
Madison, traveling priest.
- Rev. Father Rosen1890-1893
Fairfax, traveling priest.
- Rev. Father Vanderlage1893-1897
Morgan, traveling priest.
- Rev. James J. Woods1897-1908
First resident pastor; oversaw building of the parsonage.
- Rev. Valentine Schiffrer1908-1910
Returned to celebrate the Mass at the 1915 dedication.
- Rev. Joseph J. Tomek1910-
Previously assistant at the Cathedral of St. Paul; led the parish through construction of the 1914 church.
- Rev. Germain Rademacher2001-2002 (expansion)
Led the 2001 groundbreaking and 2002 dedication of the current worship space; the former worship space was named Rademacher Hall in his honor.