About St. Cecilia · Sabin, Minnesota
St. Cecilia's Catholic Church is a small mission parish of the Diocese of Crookston located in Sabin, Minnesota, a rural community in Clay County in the Red River Valley. The church sits at 20 Holloway Ave. S and is administered as a mission of the Church of the Assumption in nearby Barnesville. It offers Sunday Mass, a weekly Wednesday Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration, and shares faith-formation programming (including Totus Tuus) with its partner parish. Day-to-day parish business is handled through the Assumption Parish Office.
- Patron
- St. Cecilia
- Diocese
- Diocese of Crookston
Why belong here
St. Cecilia's is a small, close-knit Catholic mission where parishioners from Sabin and the surrounding Clay County farmland gather for Sunday Mass, midweek Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration and the sacrament of Confession. The mission shares its faith-formation staff and youth programs — including Totus Tuus — with neighboring Assumption Parish in Barnesville, so families can plug into sacramental preparation, retreats, and youth ministry across both communities. As part of the Diocese of Crookston, it offers a peaceful, traditional Catholic home in a small-town setting.
Mass times at St. Cecilia
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
About St. Cecilia's Catholic Church
St. Cecilia's Catholic Church is a mission parish of the Diocese of Crookston serving the small town of Sabin in Clay County, Minnesota. It is administered together with the Church of the Assumption in Barnesville, sharing staff, faith-formation programs, and the parish office. The community gathers for a Sunday Mass, a Wednesday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and Wednesday evening Confession.
- Mission of the Church of the Assumption, Barnesville
- Part of the Diocese of Crookston
- Located at 20 Holloway Ave. S, Sabin, MN
Mass and Worship Schedule
Sunday Mass is celebrated at 10:30 AM in English. A weekday Mass is offered on Wednesday at 5:30 PM. Following the Wednesday Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for Eucharistic Adoration from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with Confessions heard during the same hour from 6:00 to 6:30 PM.
- Sunday Mass – 10:30 AM (English)
- Wednesday Mass – 5:30 PM (English)
- Confessions – Wednesday 6:00–6:30 PM
- Adoration – Wednesday 6:00–7:00 PM
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Penance (Confession), and Eucharistic Adoration on a regular weekly schedule. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation is coordinated through the shared Faith Formation program with Assumption Parish in Barnesville.
- Eucharist (Sunday and Wednesday Mass)
- Confession (Wednesday evenings)
- Eucharistic Adoration (Wednesday evenings)
- Sacramental preparation through Assumption Parish
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for grade-school youth is shared between St. Cecilia's and Assumption Parish. The parish also hosts Totus Tuus, a week-long summer Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through catechesis, evangelization, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship.
- Religious Education for elementary grades (1st–6th)
- Totus Tuus summer program (grades 1–12)
- Youth Ministry shared with Assumption Parish, Barnesville
Totus Tuus Summer Program
Totus Tuus — Latin for 'Totally Yours' and the motto of St. John Paul II — sends teams of college students and seminarians into parishes for a week-long 'parish mission' for young people. The program is built on five pillars: the Eucharist, Marian devotion, catechetical instruction, vocational discernment, and fun. It includes daily Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, the Angelus, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
- Open to students entering 1st grade through 12th grade
- Five Pillars: Eucharist, Marian Devotion, Catechesis, Vocations, Fun
- Run by trained college-age teams and seminarians
Parish History
St. Cecilia's has been a mission of the Diocese of Crookston for many decades, traditionally served by priests who also pastor other nearby rural parishes. Diocesan records name Fr. Gerald Foley as pastor from 1979 to 1983, and Fr. Stanley Bourassa as pastor of both Assumption, Barnesville and St. Cecilia, Sabin from 1991 until his retirement in 1999. The mission continues today as a sister parish to Assumption in Barnesville under shared pastoral leadership.
- Gerald Foley — Pastor 1979–1983
- Stanley Bourassa — Pastor of Assumption & St. Cecilia 1991–1999
Contact & Visit
Mail and phone calls for St. Cecilia's are handled through the Assumption Parish Office in Barnesville. The church is located at 20 Holloway Ave. S, Sabin, MN 56580, with mailing address PO Box 52, Sabin, MN 56580.
- Address: 20 Holloway Ave S, Sabin, MN 56580
- Mailing: PO Box 52, Sabin, MN 56580
- Phone: (218) 354-7320 (Assumption Parish Office)
- Website: http://stceciliascatholicchurch.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Gerald Foley1979–1983
Listed as Pastor of St. Cecilia, Sabin in Diocese of Crookston clergy assignments.
- Stanley Bourassa1991–1999
Served as Pastor of Assumption, Barnesville and St. Cecilia, Sabin until retirement (d. 2004).