About St. Edward · Bowlus, Minnesota
St. Edward's Catholic Church is a small Catholic parish located at 8550 State Hwy 238 in rural Elmdale (Bowlus mailing area), Morrison County, Minnesota. It is one of three parishes sharing a single pastor and central office — together with St. Francis of Assisi in St. Francis and St. Mary's in Upsala — and is officially listed by the Diocese of Saint Cloud under the name "Elmdale – St. Edward." The 1920 church, designed by Polish architect Victor Cordella, served its farming community for a century before being devastated by an arson fire on July 18, 2023 that destroyed the sacristy and damaged the sanctuary. After a near-million-dollar restoration, the parish reopened on June 29, 2024, when Bishop Patrick Neary celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving and formally installed Vincentian Father Jimmy Joseph as pastor.
- Established
- 1920
- Patron
- St. Edward (the Confessor)
- Rector
- Fr. Jimmy Joseph, C.M. (Vincentian Father)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
St. Edward's is a century-old, small-town parish where the congregation is tightly bound to its church building — and proved it by rebuilding that building together after a devastating 2023 arson. Visitors and parishioners find weekly Sunday and Thursday Masses, regular First Friday adoration, a Sacramental preparation program for First Communion and Reconciliation, prayer lines staffed by parishioners, and a Sick & Homebound Ministry that brings Holy Communion to those who cannot attend. As a tri-parish community with St. Francis of Assisi and St. Mary's, St. Edward's offers the warmth of a rural Catholic family rooted in prayer, sacrifice and a hundred-year tradition of faith.
Mass times at St. Edward
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:15–7:45 a.m. (1/2 hour before Mass)
Adoration times
- First Fridays, 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (at St. Edward)
St. Edward's Catholic Church — Elmdale, Minnesota
St. Edward's is a small rural Catholic parish in Morrison County, Minnesota, listed by the Diocese of Saint Cloud under the name Elmdale – St. Edward. Its 1920 church, designed by Polish architect Victor Cordella, sits along State Highway 238 between Bowlus and Upsala, and the parish shares its pastoral team and central office with two neighboring parishes in a tri-parish community.
- Parish name: St. Edward's Catholic Church
- Diocese listing name: Elmdale – St. Edward
- Diocese: Diocese of Saint Cloud
- Bishop: Most Rev. Patrick Neary, C.S.C.
- Pastor: Fr. Jimmy Joseph, C.M. (Vincentian)
- Physical address: 8550 State Hwy 238, Bowlus, MN 56314
- Mailing address: PO Box 249, Upsala, MN 56384
- Phone: 320-573-2132 • Pastor line: 320-573-2975
- Website: www.238catholic.org
Tri-Parish Community
St. Edward's is one of three parishes sharing a single pastor and central office. Together with St. Francis of Assisi in St. Francis and St. Mary's in Upsala, the parishes publish a combined bulletin and share staff and sacramental preparation. The central office is housed at St. Mary's Church, 308 S. Main Street, Upsala, MN 56384.
- St. Edward's — 8550 State Hwy 238, Bowlus (Elmdale) — Sun 8:00 a.m., Thu 8:00 a.m.
- St. Francis of Assisi — 44055 State Hwy 238, Freeport area — Sat 4:00 p.m., Wed 8:00 a.m.
- St. Mary's — 308 S. Main St., Upsala — Sun 10:00 a.m., Tue 6:00 p.m., Fri 7:30 a.m. (Sep–May) / 9:00 a.m. (Jun–Aug)
- Combined bulletin and shared prayer line directory
The 2023 Fire and Restoration
On July 18, 2023, just weeks after Fr. Jimmy Joseph arrived as pastor, an arson fire destroyed the sacristy, damaged part of the sanctuary and filled the rest of the 1920 church with smoke and water damage. The parish spent the next year rebuilding together, reopening on June 29, 2024 with a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop Patrick Neary.
- July 18, 2023 — Arson fire discovered by Father Joseph as he locked the church doors
- Sacristy completely destroyed; sanctuary burned; heavy smoke and water damage throughout
- Upsala and Bowlus fire departments responded; firefighters rescued the Blessed Sacrament from the tabernacle
- Total restoration cost just under $1 million (mostly insurance + fundraising)
- Restore24 (Sauk Rapids) handled structural cleaning and repairs
- Lyon Restoration (Twin Cities) handled Stations of the Cross and statues
- Sheila McCallum (Little Falls) repaired and repainted 57 sacred-art pieces
- Parishioners rebuilt the sacristy and did millwork and painting themselves
- June 29, 2024 — Bishop Neary celebrated reopening Mass and installed Father Joseph as pastor
Parish Staff
The parish is staffed by a Vincentian priest-pastor, a religious sister at the St. Francis rectory, and a small lay central-office team that serves all three parishes of the tri-parish community.
- Fr. Jimmy Joseph, C.M. — Pastor (Vincentian Father)
- Sr. Mary Pat Burger — St. Francis Rectory, 320-573-2203
- Randi Klasen — Bookkeeper (Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8 a.m. – noon)
- Jessie Johnson — Secretary (Mondays & Fridays, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Wednesdays, 8 a.m. – noon)
- Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C. — Diocesan Bishop (Diocese of Saint Cloud)
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
St. Edward's, together with its tri-parish partners, prepares parishioners for Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, Marriage and Anointing. Couples planning marriage must begin preparation with Fr. Jimmy nine months in advance, and parents seeking Baptism must contact the priest three months before the desired date.
- Baptism — contact priest three months in advance
- First Reconciliation and First Communion — annual preparation program
- Marriage (Matrimony) — nine-month preparation with Fr. Jimmy; Parish & Diocesan Marriage Preparation Classes required
- Anointing / Communion for the Sick & Homebound — contact parish office
- Reconciliation — 1/2 hour before every Mass
Parish Prayer and Outreach
A network of parishioner-staffed prayer lines keeps the sick and homebound connected to the parish, and a Sick & Homebound Ministry brings Holy Communion to those who cannot attend Mass in person. Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays and a tri-parish Rosary & Chaplet of Divine Mercy on Monday evenings sustain the prayer life of the community.
- Prayer Line — St. Edward contact: Sally Schleper (573-2127)
- St. Francis prayer line: Judy Theisen (573-2933), Joyce Koopmeiners (573-2728)
- St. Mary's prayer line: Karen Liebsch (573-4127), Kathy Koehn (573-2363)
- Sick & Homebound Ministry — request Holy Communion visits through the parish office
- Eucharistic Adoration — First Fridays, Noon – 9:00 p.m. at St. Edward
- Rosary & Chaplet of Divine Mercy — Mondays 6:30 p.m. (tri-parish, at St. Mary's)
Visiting St. Edward's
St. Edward's is located on State Highway 238 in Elmdale Township (Bowlus mailing address), Morrison County, Minnesota — a rural farming area between Bowlus and Upsala. Sunday Mass is at 8:00 a.m.; arrive by 7:30 a.m. if you wish to go to confession first. For all sacramental needs and registration, contact the central office at 308 S. Main St., Upsala, MN 56384, or by phone at 320-573-2132.
- Physical address: 8550 State Hwy 238, Bowlus, MN 56314
- Mailing address: PO Box 249, Upsala, MN 56384
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 a.m.
- Weekday Mass: Thursday 8:00 a.m.
- Confession: 30 minutes before Mass
- Parish office: 320-573-2132 • Pastor: 320-573-2975
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jimmy Joseph, C.M.Assigned July 2023; installed June 29, 2024
Vincentian Father. Discovered the arson fire at St. Edward on his first weeks; led the parish through the year-long restoration. Serves all three parishes of the tri-parish community (St. Edward, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Mary's of Upsala).