About St. Charles · Cass Lake, Minnesota
St. Charles Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the community of Cass Lake in north-central Minnesota, within the Diocese of Duluth. The parish is part of the Lake Winnie Catholic Parish Cluster, joined with St. Mary's in Deer River and St. Joseph's Mission in Ball Club, and the three share one pastor and a single parish office in Deer River. Mass is celebrated on Sunday, Thursday, and Friday, with a regular opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation before or after Mass and Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays. The parish is named for St. Charles Borromeo (1538–1584), the Counter-Reformation cardinal and Archbishop of Milan who is a patron saint of catechists and seminarians.
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo
- Rector
- Rev. Trevor Peterson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Duluth
Why belong here
St. Charles is a warmly scaled parish where the Sunday 11:00 a.m. Mass is the anchor of the week, the Rosary is prayed together a half hour before Mass, and Confession is readily offered before and after worship — small-parish access to the sacraments that larger churches often can't match. As part of a three-parish cluster with St. Mary's (Deer River) and St. Joseph's (Ball Club), St. Charles joins its neighbors in shared faith formation, a single bulletin, and a common parish office staffed Tuesday through Friday. Weekly Thursday Eucharistic Adoration and Bible study through the cluster give parishioners solid ways to grow in prayer and Scripture together. It is a comfortable place to worship, to know your pastor by name, and to be part of a long-standing Catholic witness on the Cass Lake community.
Mass times at St. Charles
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday — after the 11:00 a.m. Mass (approximately noon)
- Thursday — 9:00–10:00 a.m. (or by appointment)
- Friday — 8:00–8:45 a.m. (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Thursday — 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (Eucharistic Adoration)
About St. Charles Catholic Church
St. Charles Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the Cass Lake, Minnesota community within the Diocese of Duluth. Named for St. Charles Borromeo (1538–1584), the Counter-Reformation cardinal and patron saint of catechists and seminarians, it is part of the Lake Winnie Catholic Parish Cluster together with St. Mary's in Deer River (the parish office site) and St. Joseph's Mission in Ball Club. The parish celebrates Mass on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and on Thursdays and Fridays at 8:30 a.m., and offers Reconciliation, Adoration, faith formation, and Bible study on a cluster basis.
- Diocese: Duluth (Bishop Daniel Felton)
- Cluster: St. Mary's (Deer River), St. Joseph's (Ball Club), St. Charles (Cass Lake)
- Address: 308 Central Avenue NW, Cass Lake, MN 56633
- Phone (church): 218-335-2359 — Parish Office: 218-246-8582
Parish History
The Marquette University Archives describe St. Charles as a historically non-Native Catholic parish in the Diocese of Duluth staffed by diocesan priests. Its sister parish, St. Catherine, served the Ojibwa (Chippewa) people of the Cass Lake area, and St. Charles has long housed those sacramental records, which extend back to 1873. The Catholic presence around Cass Lake is therefore among the oldest in north-central Minnesota.
- St. Catherine Church sacramental records at St. Charles span 1873–1975
- St. Charles has been administered by diocesan priests of the Diocese of Duluth
- Originally documented as a predominantly non-Native Catholic community clustered alongside the Native American mission church
The Lake Winnie Catholic Parish Cluster
St. Charles shares ministry and administration with two neighboring parishes: St. Mary in Deer River and St. Joseph's Mission in Ball Club. The cluster is served by one pastor — currently the Rev. Trevor Peterson — and one parish office located at St. Mary's in Deer River (105 1st St NE, PO Box 98, Deer River, MN 56636). Liann Bommersbach serves as Director of Religious Education and Administrative Assistant for the cluster; Rick Norris handles the bulletin and Kathy Gullickson handles bookkeeping. The cluster bulletin and shared website keep all three communities in regular communication.
- Cluster parishes: St. Mary (Deer River), St. Joseph (Ball Club), St. Charles (Cass Lake)
- Cluster pastor: Rev. Trevor Peterson (effective July 1, 2024)
- Cluster priest in residence: Rev. Kuriakose Nediakala, MCBS ("Fr. KK")
- Cluster DRE / Admin: Liann Bommersbach
- Bulletin coordinator: Rick Norris
- Bookkeeper: Kathy Gullickson
Other Devotions
Outside of Mass and Adoration, the parish keeps the traditional Catholic devotion of the Rosary in regular practice: the Rosary is prayed together a half hour before Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m.
- Sunday Rosary — 10:30 a.m. (before 11:00 a.m. Mass)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for children and families is organized on a cluster basis and coordinated through the parish office by Liann Bommersbach (Director of Religious Education). Adults can take part in the cluster's Bible Study, currently being offered for the upcoming program year through the shared parish website.
- Director of Religious Education: Liann Bommersbach
- Bible Study: cluster-wide (sign-up via the cluster website or hardcopy at St. Mary's)
- Children's faith formation: organized through the Deer River parish office
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Charles is pastored as part of the Lake Winnie Catholic Parish Cluster. The current pastor is Rev. Trevor Peterson (appointed effective July 1, 2024, succeeding Rev. Kuriakose Nediakala, MCBS, who now serves as Priest in Residence at St. Mary's, Deer River). Day-to-day administration is shared across the cluster by the Director of Religious Education, the Administrative Assistant, the Bulletin Coordinator, and the Bookkeeper.
- Pastor: Rev. Trevor Peterson
- Priest in Residence: Rev. Kuriakose Nediakala, MCBS ("Fr. KK") — 218-246-2517 / [email protected]
- Director of Religious Education / Administrative Assistant: Liann Bommersbach
- Bulletin Coordinator / Secretary: Rick Norris
- Bookkeeper: Kathy Gullickson
- Diocesan Bishop: Most Rev. Daniel Felton
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Charles through the parish office in Deer River. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The mailing address is care of St. Mary's, and the church is located in downtown Cass Lake just south of US Highway 2.
- Parish Office Phone: 218-246-8582
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Tue–Fri, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Mailing Address: C/O St. Mary's, PO Box 98, Deer River MN 56636
- Physical Address: 308 Central Avenue NW, Cass Lake, MN 56633
- Getting there: south of US Hwy 2 / Voyageur Hwy., at the intersection of 4th St. and Central Ave.
Getting Involved — Seven Sisters Apostolate
The cluster is forming a Seven Sisters Apostolate group — a prayer ministry structured around at least seven women, each committing to a weekly Holy Hour for the pastor. Anyone interested is asked to contact the Parish Office at 218-246-8582.
- Seven Sisters Apostolate for Father Peterson (cluster-wide)
- Contact: Parish Office, 218-246-8582
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Kuriakose Nediakala, MCBS ("Fr. KK")Through ~mid-2024
Missionary of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS); served as pastor of the St. Mary / St. Joseph / St. Charles cluster. Reassigned to Priest in Residence of St. Mary's, Deer River, effective July 1, 2024.
- Rev. Trevor PetersonEffective July 1, 2024 — present
Previously sacramental minister of St. Agnes, Walker, and Sacred Heart, Hackensack; appointed by Bishop Daniel Felton as pastor of the Lake Winnie cluster (St. Mary, Deer River; St. Joseph, Ball Club; St. Charles, Cass Lake).