About St. Frederick · Verndale, Minnesota
St. Frederick is a Roman Catholic parish in Verndale, Minnesota, part of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. It is one of eight parishes in the Mary, Mother of the Church Area Catholic Community (ACC), a regional grouping of small rural parishes in north-central Minnesota that share clergy, staff, and resources. The parish is named for Saint Frederick of Utrecht, a 9th-century bishop, and is known in particular for hosting the ACC's permanent Adoration Chapel in its main sanctuary.
- Patron
- St. Frederick of Utrecht
- Rector
- Fr. Rick Aubol (Pastor of the Mary, Mother of the Church ACC)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
St. Frederick offers a faithful, small-town Catholic community anchored by a strong Eucharistic devotion: the parish hosts the ACC's permanent Adoration Chapel in its main sanctuary, open four to seven days a week. As part of the Mary, Mother of the Church Area Catholic Community, St. Frederick parishioners also share in the broader regional life — youth ministry, confirmation preparation, marriage and baptism preparation, music ministry, and joint service opportunities — while keeping a close-knit parish identity in Verndale.
Mass times at St. Frederick
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Monday 4:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Tuesday 4:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Wednesday 4:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Thursday 4:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Friday 4:00 AM – 3:00 PM (call (218) 894-2296 for access)
St. Frederick Catholic Parish – Verndale, MN
St. Frederick is a Roman Catholic parish in the small town of Verndale, Minnesota, in the Diocese of Saint Cloud. It belongs to the Mary, Mother of the Church Area Catholic Community (ACC), a federation of eight parishes in Wadena County and the surrounding area. The parish's identity is closely tied to its role as the home of the ACC's permanent Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, located in the main sanctuary of the church.
- Patron: St. Frederick of Utrecht (feast day July 18)
- Diocese: Saint Cloud
- Weekend Mass: Saturday 6:00 PM
- Weekday Mass: Tuesday 9:00 AM
Mass and Service Schedule
The parish's published Mass and service schedule, as listed on the official ACC website and corroborated by the Diocese of Saint Cloud directory, shows Saturday evening Mass at 6:00 PM and a Tuesday morning weekday Mass at 9:00 AM. Eucharistic Adoration is offered almost continuously in the main sanctuary — Monday through Thursday from 4:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and Friday from 4:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Access to the Adoration Chapel is by calling the parish office at (218) 894-2296 for the key code.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 6:00 PM
- Tuesday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Adoration Mon–Thu: 4:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Adoration Fri: 4:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Adoration access: (218) 894-2296
Mary, Mother of the Church Area Catholic Community
St. Frederick is one of eight parishes in the Mary, Mother of the Church ACC: St. Ann (Wadena), St. John the Baptist (Bluffton), St. Joseph (Bertha), Assumption of Our Lady (Menahga), St. Frederick (Verndale), St. Hubert (Bluegrass), Sacred Heart (Staples), and St. Michael (Motley). The ACC shares clergy, staff, and ministries across the cluster, allowing smaller rural parishes to thrive together. The ACC's stated mission is to re-energize Catholics so all parishes thrive within the Diocese of Saint Cloud.
- St. Ann – Wadena
- St. John the Baptist – Bluffton
- St. Joseph – Bertha
- Assumption of Our Lady – Menahga
- St. Frederick – Verndale
- St. Hubert – Bluegrass
- Sacred Heart – Staples
- St. Michael – Motley
Clergy, Staff, and Discipleship Team
St. Frederick is served by the ACC-wide pastoral team, led by Fr. Rick Aubol as Pastor of the Mary, Mother of the Church ACC, with Parochial Vicars Fr. JC Duncan and Fr. Greg Sauer. Deacons Bob Shaffer and John Wolak assist across the cluster, and Deacon Randy Altstadt serves as ACC Business Administrator. Andrea Youngbauer is the Discipleship Site Director for the cluster that includes St. Frederick. Cindy Koopmann serves as musician for Motley, Staples, and Verndale. Mary Murray is the Eastern ACC secretary, and Mike Blessing serves as custodian for St. Frederick and St. Hubert.
- Fr. Rick Aubol – Pastor (ACC)
- Fr. JC Duncan – Parochial Vicar
- Fr. Greg Sauer – Parochial Vicar
- Dcn. Bob Shaffer – Deacon
- Dcn. John Wolak – Deacon
- Deacon Randy Altstadt – ACC Business Administrator
- Andrea Youngbauer – Discipleship Site Director (Assumption, St. Frederick, St. Hubert)
- Cindy Koopmann – Musician (Motley, Staples, Verndale)
- Mary Murray – Secretary (Eastern ACC)
- Mike Blessing – Custodian (St. Frederick & St. Hubert)
Sacraments and Preparation
St. Frederick offers preparation for the major sacraments in coordination with the wider ACC. Couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact the pastor at least six months before the proposed wedding date. Parents seeking Baptism for their children are invited to contact the parish office. Confirmation preparation is a joint ACC program, with required meetings typically held at the basement of St. Frederick in Verndale.
- Baptism Preparation – contact the parish office
- Marriage Preparation – contact the pastor at least 6 months in advance
- Confirmation Preparation – ACC-wide, meetings often at St. Frederick basement
- Eucharist – daily and weekend Mass
- Eucharistic Adoration – daily in main sanctuary
Music and Liturgical Ministry
Music ministry for St. Frederick is provided by Cindy Koopmann, who serves as musician across the Motley, Staples, and Verndale sites of the ACC. Cantors and additional musicians assist at weekend and weekday liturgies.
- Cindy Koopmann – Musician (Motley, Staples, Verndale)
Youth and Discipleship
Youth ministry is organized at the ACC level. Teens across the cluster participate in confirmation preparation, regional gatherings, and the Steubenville Youth Conference. Andrea Youngbauer coordinates discipleship for the cluster that includes St. Frederick, and the ACC Minister of Discipleship and Youth (Nicki Fink) oversees youth programming across all eight parishes.
- Confirmation Preparation – joint ACC program
- Steubenville Youth Conference participation
- Regional youth gatherings (e.g., Wadena Get-To-Know-You events)
- Discipleship Site Director for St. Frederick cluster: Andrea Youngbauer
Visiting and Contacting St. Frederick
The parish's physical address is 20 NW Brown Street, Verndale, MN 56481, with a mailing address of PO Box 177, Staples, MN 56479. The parish can be reached by phone at (218) 445-5204 or via the ACC parish office line at (218) 894-2296. Email correspondence goes to [email protected], and the parish is found online as part of the Mary, Mother of the Church ACC at www.marysacc.org/verndale.
- Physical: 20 NW Brown St, Verndale, MN 56481
- Mailing: PO Box 177, Staples, MN 56479
- Phone (parish): (218) 445-5204
- Phone (ACC office): (218) 894-2296
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: www.marysacc.org/verndale/