About St. Francis Xavier · Windom, Minnesota
St. Francis Xavier Parish is a Catholic community located at 532 17th Street in Windom, the county seat of Cottonwood County, Minnesota. It is one of three parishes in a tri-parish collaboration with Sacred Heart in Brewster and Sacred Heart in Heron Lake, sharing clergy, bulletins, faith-formation staff, and a coordinated weekly Mass schedule. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and serves Windom and the surrounding rural area in southwestern Minnesota, offering Sunday liturgy at 10:00 am, faith formation for grades 1–10, an emerging Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium, and an annual fall turkey-dinner festival that draws visitors from across the region.
- Established
- c. 1901 (parish organized); first church dedicated November 24–27, 1902
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier
- Rector
- Rev. Peter Schuster
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier is a welcoming rural Catholic parish rooted in the Windom community for more than a century, offering a Sunday 10:00 am Mass as part of an integrated tri-parish schedule with Sacred Heart–Brewster and Sacred Heart–Heron Lake. The parish runs an active Faith Formation program for grades 1 through 10 (with an emerging Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 1 Atrium for preschool and kindergarten), prepares children for First Communion and Confirmation, and gathers the wider community each fall for its turkey-dinner festival with cinnamon rolls, bingo, and a Heavenly Bake Shop. Adoration and Reconciliation are offered regularly (First Sunday of the month, 11:00 am–12:00 noon in Windom), and the rosary is prayed a half hour before each Mass — small, devotional hallmarks of a tight-knit country parish.
Mass times at St. Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Sunday of each month, 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon, St. Francis Xavier, Windom (during adoration)
- Saturdays 4:30 PM, Sacred Heart, Brewster (before Mass)
- Sundays 7:30 AM, Sacred Heart, Heron Lake (before Mass)
- By appointment — contact the parish office at 507-831-1985
Adoration times
- First Sunday of each month, 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon, St. Francis Xavier, Windom
Welcome & Mission
The parish states its mission plainly on its website: 'We, the members of St. Francis Xavier Parish, are a community of people working and praying together. We strive to find, believe and live the religious life with God in our families, church and community.' It welcomes newcomers and returning Catholics, and offers practical 'I'm New' guidance on service times, where to park, what to expect with children, and how to register with the parish.
- Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM
- Office Administrator: Paula Kolander, [email protected]
- Office hours Mon & Wed 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM; Tue & Thu 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM
- Tri-parish collaboration with Sacred Heart–Brewster and Sacred Heart–Heron Lake
Parish History
St. Francis Xavier's roots lie at the very beginning of Catholic life in Windom. The first Catholic families arrived in the area around the turn of the 20th century and platted St. Francis Xavier Cemetery on February 4, 1901. The first church was dedicated November 24–27, 1902, at a cost of $12,000. On May 15, 1914, Rev. Francis Joseph Prokes was appointed pastor and also took charge of the missions at Westbrook and Jeffers; he was widely celebrated in the 1916 county history as one of the most popular clergymen in the region. The parish has since been part of a tri-parish community with Sacred Heart–Brewster and Sacred Heart–Heron Lake, sharing clergy, bulletins, faith formation, and a coordinated Mass schedule.
- Cemetery platted February 4, 1901
- First church dedicated November 24–27, 1902 ($12,000)
- Fr. Francis Joseph Prokes appointed May 15, 1914
- Tri-parish community: Windom + Brewster + Heron Lake
Mass & Sacramental Schedule
Sunday Mass at St. Francis Xavier is celebrated at 10:00 AM, as part of a tri-parish weekend schedule that includes Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM (Sacred Heart, Brewster) and Sunday 8:00 AM (Sacred Heart, Heron Lake). Weekday Mass times are published in the weekly bulletin. Adoration is offered the First Sunday of each month, 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon, with Reconciliation available during that hour. The rosary is prayed a half hour before each Mass.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM — Sacred Heart, Brewster
- Sunday: 8:00 AM — Sacred Heart, Heron Lake
- Sunday: 10:00 AM — St. Francis Xavier, Windom
- Adoration: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon (Windom)
- Reconciliation: by appointment; 1st Sun 11–12 (Windom); 2nd Sat 4:00–4:45 (Brewster); Sat 4:30 PM (Brewster); Sun 7:30 AM (Heron Lake)
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics of all ages for the Church's seven sacraments. Baptism requires a one-month notice and Baptism Mentoring Sessions. First Communion is celebrated in spring for second-graders and above; Confirmation is celebrated in the spring of tenth grade. Marriage preparation begins six to twelve months in advance with the FOCCUS test and Marriage Prep Mentoring. Reconciliation is offered by appointment and at scheduled times. Holy Orders discernment information is available through the parish office.
- Baptism — 1 month notice, Mentoring Sessions
- First Communion — 2nd grade, spring
- Confirmation — 10th grade, spring
- Marriage — 6–12 months advance, FOCCUS, Marriage Prep
- Reconciliation — by appointment & scheduled times
- Holy Orders — discernment info available
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Francis Xavier runs an active Faith Formation program for children in grades 1 through 10, with First Reconciliation/First Communion preparation in 2nd grade and Confirmation preparation in 10th grade. A distinctive offering is the parish's emerging Level 1 Atrium for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) — a Montessori-based religious formation experience for preschool and kindergarten children (ages 3–5). Volunteers serve as family-formation catechists, CGS assistants, teen small-group leaders, and child-care helpers (1st Wednesday of the month, October through May).
- Grades 1–10 Faith Formation
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — Level 1 Atrium (ages 3–5)
- Volunteer catechists & small-group leaders
- Joan Hunter — Faith Formation Chair; [email protected]
Clergy & Staff
The parish is staffed by a pastor and parochial vicar who serve the seven-parish cluster of which St. Francis Xavier is part, along with parish and faith-formation office administrators. Fr. Peter Schuster was installed as pastor of the cluster on August 17, 2024. Fr. Antony Arokiyam serves as Parochial Vicar. The parish office in Windom is administered by Judy Green / Paula Kolander; Joan Hunter chairs Faith Formation.
- Pastor: Rev. Peter Schuster (cell 507-304-2541; [email protected])
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Antony Arokiyam
- Windom Office Administrator: Paula Kolander / Judy Green
- Faith Formation Chair: Joan Hunter
Tri-Parish Community
St. Francis Xavier is the Windom member of a tri-parish collaboration with Sacred Heart in Brewster (516 10th Street) and Sacred Heart in Heron Lake (321 9th Street). The three parishes share clergy, bulletins, faith-formation leadership, and a coordinated weekly Mass schedule that puts a Sunday Mass within easy reach of parishioners across the three towns.
- Sacred Heart, Brewster — Sat 5:00 PM Vigil
- Sacred Heart, Heron Lake — Sun 8:00 AM
- St. Francis Xavier, Windom — Sun 10:00 AM
Devotions & Prayer Life
The parish offers a classic Catholic devotional rhythm. The rosary is prayed a half hour before every Mass (rotating by church: Brewster on Thursday & Saturday; Heron Lake on Wednesday & Sunday; Windom on Tuesday & Sunday). Eucharistic Adoration is offered the First Sunday of each month, 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon at St. Francis Xavier, with Reconciliation available during that hour.
- Rosary 1/2 hour before each Mass (rotating)
- First Sunday Eucharistic Adoration, 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon
- Reconciliation during Adoration
Annual Fall Festival & Community Life
The parish's signature community event is its annual Fall Festival, typically held on the last Sunday of September. Doors open at 8:00 AM with coffee, juice, and homemade cinnamon and caramel rolls. Sunday Mass follows at 10:00 AM (occasionally with a guest priest), and a turkey dinner — turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberries, vegetable, roll, and dessert — is served from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM with carry-out available. The day also features the Heavenly Bake Shop, White Elephant Shop, and bingo. The festival draws visitors well beyond the parish boundaries and is a fixture of Windom's late-summer calendar.
- Annual Fall Festival — last Sunday in September
- Turkey dinner11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Heavenly Bake Shop & White Elephant Shop
- Bingo and fellowship
Visiting & Getting Involved
New visitors and families are warmly welcomed. Practical guidance for newcomers is published on the parish 'I'm New' page: when services are held, where to sit with children, that there is no staffed nursery, and how to register. The parish also actively recruits volunteers for Faith Formation, including family-formation catechists, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd assistants, teen small-group leaders, and child-care helpers. Registration forms are mailed each summer and available in the church hall and parish office.
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 AM at St. Francis Xavier, Windom
- Office: 532 17th Street, P.O. Box 39, Windom, MN 56101
- Parish phone: (507) 831-1985
- Volunteer for Faith Formation — sign-up via parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis Joseph Prokes1914–(post-1916)
Appointed pastor May 15, 1914; ordained earlier that year from St. Paul Seminary; also had charge of missions at Westbrook and Jeffers; profiled in 1916 Cottonwood & Watonwan Counties history as 'one of the most popular clergymen in this part of Minnesota.'
- Rev. Pratap Reddy Saliblindla(prior to 2024)
Prior pastor of the tri-parish; cell507-226-4536 referenced on parish sacraments page; officiated funerals and weddings at St. Francis Xavier and was profiled by Cross Counties Connect for his musical credentials.
- Rev. Peter Schuster2024–present
Installed as pastor of the seven-parish cluster (St. Francis Xavier–Windom, Sacred Heart–Brewster, Sacred Heart–Heron Lake, IHM–Currie, St. Ann–Slayton, St. Anthony–Westbrook, St. Gabriel–Fulda) on August 17, 2024 at St. Anthony, Westbrook. Cell 507-304-2541; email [email protected].
- Rev. Antony Arokiyam2024–present
Parochial Vicar of the tri-parish alongside Fr. Schuster.