About St. Elizabeth Ann Seton · Isanti, Minnesota
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is a Catholic parish in Isanti, Minnesota, part of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. It is one of three parishes in the Isanti Area Catholic Community (IACC), clustered since 2014 with Christ the King in Cambridge and Sts. Peter and Paul in Braham under one pastor. The parish offers weekly Mass, Eucharistic adoration in the on-site Mercy Chapel, faith formation for all ages, and sacramental preparation, all coordinated across the Area Catholic Community.
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
- Rector
- Fr. Peter VanderWeyst
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton offers a small, family-oriented Catholic community within the Isanti Area Catholic Community, where parishioners can know their priests and deacons personally. The parish hosts the IACC's Mercy Chapel for perpetual Eucharistic adoration, supported by adorers from all three clustered parishes. Through 'One Accord' faith formation, sacramental preparation for all ages, a unified youth ministry, and shared pastoral and finance councils, members are invited into a vibrant, collaborative Catholic life in east-central Minnesota.
Mass times at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday at SEAS: 11:30 AM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the Mercy Chapel at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton — adorers come from all three IACC parishes (see parish for the current sign-up schedule)
History of the Isanti Area Catholic Community
The Isanti Area Catholic Community (IACC) began in 2013 when Christ the King in Cambridge and Sts. Peter and Paul in Braham came together under a single pastor, Father Donald Wagner. In July 2014, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Isanti joined the cluster, completing the three-parish community that now operates as a unified Area Catholic Community within the Diocese of Saint Cloud. From 2013 through 2018, Fr. Wagner was assisted by several priests — Father John Knopik, Father Gabriel Walz and Father Derek Wiechmann — but in July 2018 he became sole pastor of all three parishes. That transition spurred consolidation: weekend Masses were reduced from six to three, finance and pastoral councils were merged into rotating joint meetings, and 'One Accord' was launched as a combined whole-family faith formation program.
- 2013 — Christ the King (Cambridge) and Sts. Peter & Paul (Braham) cluster under Fr. Don Wagner
- July 2014 — St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Isanti) joins the cluster
- 2014–2018 — Priests assisting Fr. Wagner: Fr. John Knopik, Fr. Gabriel Walz, Fr. Derek Wiechmann
- July 2018 — Fr. Wagner becomes sole pastor; Mass schedule consolidated from 6 to 3 weekend Masses
- Launch of 'One Accord' whole-family faith formation program
Pastoral Leadership & Staff
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is pastored together with the other two IACC parishes as a single pastoral team. The current pastor is Father Peter VanderWeyst. He is assisted by three deacons — Deacon Gene Kramer, Deacon Vincent Charles and Deacon Peter Tran — as well as a lay staff that includes an office manager, faith formation coordinator, discipleship ministry coordinator, music coordinator, and facilities lead for the Isanti site.
- Pastor: Fr. Peter VanderWeyst — 320-287-2926, [email protected]
- Deacon Gene Kramer — 320-266-7515
- Deacon Vincent Charles — 612-810-3070, [email protected]
- Deacon Peter Tran — 320-436-1584
- Office Manager (SEAS): Brigitte Illg — (763) 444-4035, [email protected]
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Tami Moore — (612) 390-0387, [email protected]
- Discipleship Ministry Coordinator: Marie Melland — (763) 913-2318, [email protected]
- Music Coordinator (CTK & SEAS): Kay Freund — (763) 444-4035
- Facilities (St. Elizabeth): Richard Morgan
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry ('One Accord')
Faith formation across the IACC is delivered through 'One Accord,' a combined whole-family program that brings together the catechetical resources and lay talents of all three parishes. The program emphasizes whole-family faith formation with active parent and lay involvement, and parents may choose either a Wednesday evening class or a Sunday class — the same instruction is offered at both, so families can flex between them. For teens, Edge (middle school) and Life Teen (high school) youth ministry is hosted at one parish, intentionally building friendships across parish lines within the cluster.
- Whole-family faith formation — 'One Accord'
- Sunday and Wednesday evening class options with identical content
- Edge middle school youth ministry
- Life Teen high school youth ministry
- Coordinator: Tami Moore — (612) 390-0387, [email protected]
Sacraments
The parish accompanies families and individuals through every sacrament, with specific contacts for adult and child preparation. Baptisms of infants and young children are arranged through Deacon Vince Charles, who teaches a monthly baptism class on the 2nd Thursday of every month (pre-registration required). Adults seeking Baptism, First Communion and/or Confirmation go through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) with Marie Melland. Children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation are prepared through OCIC (Order of Christian Initiation for Children). Couples planning a Catholic wedding work with Fr. Peter VanderWeyst for marriage preparation. Anyone needing to catch up on sacraments is invited to contact Tami Moore or Fr. VanderWeyst.
- Infant/Child Baptism — Deacon Vince Charles, 612-810-3070
- OCIA (Adults) — Marie Melland, 763-913-2318, [email protected]
- OCIC (Children: First Communion & Confirmation) — Tami Moore, 612-390-0387
- Marriage Preparation — Fr. Peter VanderWeyst, 320-287-2926, [email protected]
- Catch-up on sacraments — Tami Moore or Fr. Peter VanderWeyst
Mercy Chapel & Devotions
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton hosts the Mercy Chapel, the perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel for the entire Isanti Area Catholic Community. Adorers from Christ the King, Sts. Peter & Paul and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton sign up for hours so that the Blessed Sacrament is adored continuously — a ministry that Fr. Don Wagner has described as having 'richly blessed' the Area Catholic Community. The parish grounds also include a Rosary Shrine, which visitors and parishioners use for prayer and reflection.
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the Mercy Chapel (sign-up through the parish office)
- Rosary Shrine on the parish grounds
- Joint IACC prayer nights during combined council meetings
Cemeteries & Funeral Ministry
Isanti Area Catholic Cemeteries serve Christ the King in Cambridge and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Isanti, with maintenance, marking and burial services available to parishioners of both parishes. A separate cemetery area serves Sts. Peter & Paul in Braham. Questions about purchasing a plot or arranging a Catholic funeral can be directed to the parish office.
- Isanti Area Catholic Cemeteries serve CTK Cambridge and SEAS Isanti
- Separate cemetery serving Sts. Peter & Paul, Braham
- Contact the parish office to purchase a plot or arrange a funeral
Joining the Parish
Newcomers are invited to register as members of the parish so the community can support their spiritual needs, keep them informed about events, and connect them with others. Registration is handled through the 'New Member Registration' form on the parish Forms tab. The parish also encourages visitors to simply attend a Mass or activity at any of the three IACC parishes to experience the community first.
- New Member Registration available on the Forms tab of isantiacc.org
- Visitors are welcomed at any IACC Mass or activity
- Contact the parish office: (763) 444-4035, [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Donald Wagner2014–c.2018+
Joined the Isanti cluster in July 2014 when St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was added to Christ the King (Cambridge) and Sts. Peter and Paul (Braham); became sole pastor of all three parishes in July 2018.
- Fr. Peter VanderWeystcurrent
Current pastor of the Isanti Area Catholic Community, succeeding Fr. Wagner.