About St. Columbkill · Goodhue, Minnesota
St. Columbkill is a historic Catholic church in rural Goodhue, Minnesota, that today operates as a campus of Holy Trinity Parish. The parish was founded in the 1850s by Irish immigrants in Belle Creek Township and first served by Fr. Felix Tissot, with a wooden church erected in 1860 and the present brick structure built in 1892. Since 2013, St. Columbkill has been merged with Holy Trinity in Goodhue and St. Mary in Bellechester into one parish in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, with Mass celebrated at each church at least weekly.
- Established
- 1850s (parish); 1860 (first wooden church); 1892 (present brick church); 2013 (current merger into Holy Trinity Parish)
- Patron
- St. Columbkill (Columba of Iona)
- Rector
- Fr. Thomas McCabe
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Columbkill welcomes visitors to one of the oldest Irish Catholic communities in Goodhue County, with weekend Mass in a historic 1892 brick church set in the rolling hills south of Red Wing. As a campus of Holy Trinity Parish, it offers the full sacramental life — Sunday and weekday Mass, regular Confession, Adoration, Anointing of the Sick, marriage preparation, and parish-based catechism for First Communion and Confirmation — alongside the tight-knit country parish culture of Belle Creek Township.
Mass times at St. Columbkill
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:45–5:20 PM at Holy Trinity, Goodhue
- Sunday 8:20–8:40 AM at St. Mary, Bellechester
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Adoration periods are scheduled around Holy Trinity's liturgical calendar — see the current Parish Calendar PDF on holytrinitygoodhue.org for specific dates and times.
St. Columbkill Church — A Historic Irish Catholic Parish
St. Columbkill is one of three church campuses that together make up Holy Trinity Parish in the rolling hills south of Red Wing, Minnesota. The parish was founded in the 1850s by Irish immigrants in Belle Creek Township and first served by Fr. Felix Tissot; the first wooden church was built in 1860, and the present brick church in 1892. Today St. Columbkill is identified in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Strategic Plan as a campus that merged with Holy Trinity (Goodhue) and St. Mary (Bellechester); the merger was completed in 2013, with Holy Trinity as the receiving parish. Each of the three historic church buildings remains open, with Mass celebrated at least weekly in each.
- Founded in the 1850s by Irish immigrants in Belle Creek Township
- First church built in 1860; present brick church built in 1892
- Merged into Holy Trinity Parish in 2013
- Part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Churches of Holy Trinity Parish
Holy Trinity Parish is a three-campus Catholic community serving Goodhue and Bellechester, Minnesota. Its mission is 'We grow together in Christ,' and its vision is 'To grow closer to Christ and lead others to him; striving to become saints.' All three historic church buildings — Holy Trinity in Goodhue, St. Columbkill in Belle Creek, and St. Mary in Bellechester — remain open and active.
- Holy Trinity – Goodhue (receiving parish)
- St. Columbkill – Goodhue / Belle Creek Township
- St. Mary – Bellechester
Faith Formation & Becoming Catholic
Catechesis for the sacraments is parish-based. Children preparing for First Penance and First Eucharist enroll in 1st-grade catechism classes; teens preparing for Confirmation enroll in 8th–12th-grade catechism. Adults interested in becoming Catholic are invited to contact the office.
- 1st-grade catechism — preparation for First Penance & Eucharist
- 8th–12th-grade catechism — preparation for Confirmation
- RCIA / Becoming Catholic — contact the office
Sacraments
Contact the parish office (PO Box 275, Goodhue, MN 55027; 651-923-4472) to schedule any of the sacraments below. Suggested Mass Intention offering is $10.
- Baptism — contact the office at least 3 months before birth
- First Penance / First Eucharist — via 1st-grade catechism
- Confirmation — via 8th–12th-grade catechism
- Marriage — call Fr. McCabe at least 9 months before the tentative date
- Anointing of the Sick — especially in serious illness, near death, or before major surgery
- Pastoral Care of the Sick — home, hospital, and nursing-home visits; Communion for the homebound
- Funerals — contact the parish office
- Mass Intentions — mail to the office or place in the collection
Ministries
The parish welcomes lay involvement in the life and governance of the Church, citing the Catechism (CCC 907, 910–911) and the Code of Canon Law (Cann. 228 §1–§2, 230 §3, 231 §1). A weekly Ministry Schedule rotates lectors, cantors, musicians, servers, and ushers across the three campuses.
- Lectors, cantors, musicians, altar servers, ushers
- Pastoral Council and Finance Committee (per Canon Law)
- Catechists and faith-formation volunteers
- Cemetery Association
- Bulletin and communications team
St. Columbkill / Holy Trinity Cemetery
The parish maintains a shared cemetery for the two Goodhue-area Catholic churches, located across from St. Columbkill Church in Belle Creek Township. Burial listings are kept and updated by the Cemetery Association.
- St. Columbkill / Holy Trinity Cemetery
- Located across from St. Columbkill Church
- Burial listings maintained by the Cemetery Association
Contact & Practical Information
Parish office is at Holy Trinity, 211 4th St. N, Goodhue, MN 55027 (mailing PO Box 275). Office hours are Mondays 10 AM–2 PM at Holy Trinity. Building-use requests are handled by the office.
- Address: 211 4th St. N, PO Box 275, Goodhue, MN 55027
- Office / Emergency Phone: (651) 923-4472
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.holytrinitygoodhue.org
- Office Hours: Mondays 10 AM–2 PM at Holy Trinity
- Pastor: Fr. Thomas McCabe