About St. Francis of Assisi · Lake St. Croix Beach, Minnesota
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church is a small country parish overlooking Lake St. Croix in Lake St. Croix Beach, Minnesota, founded in 1936 to serve Catholics in the lower St. Croix Valley who had no nearby church. It remains the only parish in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and is known for its distinctive mission-style architecture, intimate scale (about 350 households), and faithful community life centered on the Eucharist, music, and outreach to the Franciscan Brothers of Peace and Valley Outreach in Stillwater.
- Established
- 1936
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Fr. Peter Williams (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi offers a small, close-knit Catholic community where parishioners are known by name, with a mission-style church on a scenic bluff overlooking Lake St. Croix. Worship is enriched by a skilled parish choir (singing October–May) and instrumentalists at Christmas and Easter, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and a faithful Children's Liturgy of the Word at Sunday Mass. Members grow through Faith Formation for grades 1–9, sacramental preparation, and active groups like the Knights of Columbus, Quilters, Small Groups, and the Francis Men's and Women's Groups — while supporting the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in St. Paul and Valley Outreach in Stillwater.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:30 PM
Adoration times
- First Tuesday of the month — begins after 9:00 AM Mass, continues until 7:00 PM
About St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church sits on a bluff overlooking Lake St. Croix in Lake St. Croix Beach, Minnesota, about three miles south of I-94. The parish serves approximately 350 households drawn from Afton, St. Mary's Point, Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland, Bayport, Stillwater, Lake Elmo, Woodbury, and even Hudson and River Falls, Wisconsin. Its mission statement is simple and Franciscan: "To make Jesus Christ known and loved by being instruments of God's peace."
- Founded 1936 by Fr. Francis Benz
- Approximately 350 households
- Only parish in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi
- Sits on a high bank overlooking Lake St. Croix
Parish History
The parish was founded in 1936 to serve Catholics in the lower St. Croix Valley who had been without a nearby church for years. Fr. Francis Benz was appointed founding pastor by Archbishop John Gregory Murray; Mass was first celebrated in the Lakeland Community Hall and an old house in Lake St. Croix Beach. Archbishop Murray laid the cornerstone on December 18, 1938 and dedicated the new mission-style church on August 13, 1939. By 1974 the parish had grown to about 250 families; by the 1980s it had outgrown the building, and Archbishop John Roach dedicated a new, larger church in 1989. The original 1939 church is preserved as a chapel for daily Mass and smaller liturgies.
- 1936 — Fr. Francis Benz appointed founding pastor
- 1938 — Archbishop Murray lays the cornerstone (December 18)
- 1939 — Church dedicated August 13; celebration includes St. Paul Shriners Band and St. Thomas choir
- 1974 — Parish numbered ~250 families; church refurbished; piazza fountain and portico added
- 1980s — Parish grows to 450+ families; new church built
- 1989 — Archbishop John Roach dedicates the new mission-style church
Architecture & Buildings
Father Benz had a great love for the mission style seen in Mexico, the southwest, and California, and built the original church in that 'adobe style' with high walls reminiscent of monastic simplicity. The current 1989 church echoes that aesthetic with simple white stucco, wood ceilings, and decorative beams. It seats 450, with another 200 seats available in the adjacent parish hall (Berg Hall) when separated only by a glass wall. Stained glass recounts the Seven Sacraments and the creation story, and St. Francis graces the south rose window above the principal entrance. The 1939 church survives as a chapel with stained glass depicting the Prayer of Saint Francis and the life of the saint; its rose window shows Christ the Pantocreator.
- Mission / adobe-style architecture
- Seating: 450 in church + 200 in Berg Hall
- Berg Hall named for 13th pastor Fr. Richard Val Berg
- Original 1939 church preserved as a chapel
- Religious art and furnishings by local artists
Clergy & Staff
St. Francis of Assisi is currently served by Fr. Peter Williams as Parochial Administrator, along with associate priests Fr. Sam Gilbertson and Fr. Sean Mulcare. The parish is also supported by a dedicated lay staff including a Parish Life Director, Business Administrator, and Building & Grounds coordinator.
- Fr. Peter Williams — Parochial Administrator (651-436-7817 #1)
- Fr. Sam Gilbertson — Associate (651-436-7817 #1)
- Fr. Sean Mulcare — Associate (651-436-7817 #1)
- Cindy Buckland — Parish Life Director / Faith Formation Director (ext. #2, [email protected])
- Jim Gajewski — Business Administrator (ext. #3, [email protected])
- Steve Allen — Building & Grounds (ext. #5)
- Lynn Dewall — Music Ministry (ext., [email protected])
- Lisa Tetzlaff — Usher Coordinator (651-206-1888)
- Ab & Cathy Rahimi — Eucharistic Minister Coordinators (651-436-4944)
Faith Formation
The Faith Formation program serves roughly 50 children in grades 1 through 9. Classes meet Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:45 PM throughout the school year, with supper offered at 5:30 PM. The whole program joins in large-group community-building events like a Live Rosary, Advent, Ash Wednesday Mass, Lenten Reconciliation, Live Stations of the Cross, and a Passover Seder meal. Curriculum uses Saint Mary's Press materials at every level.
- Grades 1 and 3–5: DISCOVER (Saint Mary's Press)
- Grades 6–8: Catholic Connections (Saint Mary's Press)
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist: GO SEEK FIND (Saint Mary's Press)
- Confirmation: Anointed in the Spirit (Saint Mary's Press), with spring retreat to the ARC
- Children's Liturgy of the Word during Sunday Mass
- Tuition: $60/child; Sacramental years $100; tuition assistance available
Sacramental Preparation
Children typically receive First Reconciliation and First Eucharist in second grade during the Faith Formation year, using the GO SEEK FIND curriculum from Saint Mary's Press. Preparation for Reconciliation begins in September and is received in December; First Eucharist preparation begins in January. A parent/child retreat and rehearsal are held near the end of April.
- First Reconciliation (typically 2nd grade)
- First Eucharist (typically 2nd grade)
- Confirmation (youth, with retreat)
- Contact: Cindy Buckland, 651-436-7817
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music is a high priority at St. Francis. The St. Francis Choir sings at the Sunday Mass from October through May, with parish instrumentalists featured at Christmas and Easter. The parish welcomes volunteers of high-school age and older for a range of liturgical roles, all of which include training.
- St. Francis Choir — men and women high-school age and older; rehearsals Wednesday evenings 6:30–8:00, September–May
- Instrumentalists — students and adults, solos, duos, accompaniments
- Eucharistic Ministers — high-school age and older
- Lectors — high-school age and older
- Altar Servers — open to 4th grade and older (parents may serve alongside their child)
- Hospitality Ministers / Ushers — open to families
Parish Life & Outreach
Beyond liturgy, St. Francis runs an active parish life of small groups, service, and outreach. The parish partners with Valley Outreach in Stillwater and supports the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in St. Paul — a fitting patronage for a parish named after the Saint of the Poor.
- Francis Men's Group
- Francis Women's Group
- Small Groups
- Quilters
- Knights of Columbus
- Prayer Network
- Bishop's Meal Ministry
- Ministries of Care
- Valley Outreach Church Partners
- Support of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace (St. Paul)
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
The parish office is open Monday–Wednesday 8:00 AM–3:00 PM and Thursday 8:00 AM–12:00 noon; the office is closed on Fridays. Individual staff email addresses are available under the Parish Life 'Staff' tab on the parish website.
- Address: 16770 13th Street South, Lake St. Croix Beach, MN 55043
- Phone: 651-436-7817
- Fax: 651-436-6524
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Wed 8:00–3:00; Thu 8:00–noon; Closed Fri
- Directions: ~3 miles south of I-94; exit onto St. Croix Trail South
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Francis Benz1936–
Founding pastor, appointed by Archbishop John Gregory Murray; chose St. Francis of Assisi as patron and the mission-style architecture; also published 'The Catholic Boy' and 'The Catholic Girl' magazines and founded the Knights of the Altar for altar boys.
- Fr. Frederick Bartheleme
Later pastor to whom a charter member recalled the early building of the church and rectory.
- Fr. Richard Val Berg
13th pastor of the parish; Berg Hall, the parish hall, is named in his honor.