About St. Ignatius · Spring Valley, Minnesota
St. Ignatius Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester located at 213 W. Franklin Street in Spring Valley, Fillmore County, Minnesota. It is the senior parish of a tri-parish cluster that also includes St. Finbarr in Grand Meadow and St. Patrick in LeRoy, with all three rural parishes served by a single priest — currently Father Gregory Parrott. Today St. Ignatius is home to about 177 registered families, including many who joined from the former St. Kilian Parish in Wykoff after its closure in the early 2000s.
- Established
- 1868 (mission); 1873 (first church); 1878 (current church)
- Patron
- St. Ignatius of Loyola
- Rector
- Father Gregory Parrott
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Why belong here
St. Ignatius is the heart of a tight-knit tri-parish Catholic community serving rural Fillmore and Mower counties, where one pastor lovingly shepherds three parishes and parishioners know one another by name. Families new to the area are warmly invited to stop by the shared parish office in Spring Valley, to attend the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, and to enroll their children in faith formation — the parish is small enough to care personally, and old enough (over 150 years) to put down roots in.
Mass times at St. Ignatius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1st Saturdays, 9:00 am (St. Ignatius, Spring Valley)
Adoration times
- Thursday, 9:00 am – 7:00 pm (St. Ignatius, Spring Valley)
Parish History
Catholic life in Spring Valley began in 1868 when Father Edward Essing traveled from Chatfield to say Mass in parishioners' homes, especially the D.A. Sullivan home. The first Catholic church was built on West High Street in 1873. The current brick church at 213 West Franklin Street was constructed in 1878 for about $1,200, and Father William Riordan celebrated its first Mass on December 13, 1878. Father Michael Smyth became the first resident pastor, and under Father Leo Gossman (1897–1906) the rectory was built, organizations were founded, and the mission parishes of St. Patrick (LeRoy) and St. Finbarr (Grand Meadow) were served from Spring Valley.
- 1868: First Masses in private homes by Father Edward Essing, traveling from Chatfield
- 1873: First Catholic church built on West High Street (still standing as a private home)
- 1878: Present church built — brick, 42 x 22 feet, 16-foot ceiling — first Mass Dec. 13, 1878
- 1897–1906: Father Leo Gossman's pastorate brings a new rectory, parish organizations, and tri-parish ministry
- 1900 census: 27 Catholic families in Spring Valley
- Early 1980s: Major addition adds pastor's quarters, six classrooms, gathering space, dining hall; old rectory torn down
- Early 2000s: Parish welcomes many families from the closed St. Kilian Parish in Wykoff
- Today: ~177 registered families
Tri-Parish Cluster
St. Ignatius is the lead parish of a three-church cluster in Fillmore and Mower counties. St. Finbarr is in Grand Meadow and St. Patrick is in LeRoy. The three parishes share one priest and one office, located at St. Ignatius in Spring Valley. The arrangement is not new: Father Leo Gossman served all three from Spring Valley in the early 1900s, and the cluster model was revived about 20 years ago.
- St. Ignatius, Spring Valley (host site of the shared office)
- St. Finbarr, Grand Meadow
- St. Patrick, LeRoy
- Shared pastor: Fr. Gregory Parrott
- Shared office staff: Mary Kuhlman (Secretary), Elaine Mills (Bookkeeper)
Parish Staff and Leadership
The three parishes share a small team led by the pastor, Father Gregory Parrott. Office staff include the secretary and bookkeeper, and each parish has its own Faith Formation coordinator. The same phone number reaches both the office and the priest at any time.
- Fr. Gregory Parrott — Pastor
- Mary Kuhlman — Secretary
- Elaine Mills — Bookkeeper
- Nichol Arndorfer — Faith Formation Coordinator, St. Ignatius
- Rochelle Fay — Faith Formation Coordinator, St. Finbarr
- Elaine Mills — Faith Formation Coordinator, St. Patrick
Faith Formation
Faith Formation classes help children and families understand, live, and share the Catholic faith, and are offered at each parish in the cluster. Nichol Arndorfer coordinates the program at St. Ignatius. Families are asked to call the parish office to enroll their children or be put in touch with the coordinator.
- Coordinator at St. Ignatius: Nichol Arndorfer
- Classes run through the school year and resume in the Fall
- Enroll by calling the Parish Office: (507) 346-7565
Sacraments
St. Ignatius prepares parishioners for the sacraments of initiation, healing, and vocation in the usual Catholic manner: Baptism for infants and children, First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion for children, Confirmation for youth, Marriage preparation for engaged couples, and Anointing of the Sick through the pastor. Because the tri-parish shares one priest, the parish office phone reaches Father at any time for pastoral emergencies.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — contact Fr. Parrott via the parish phone
Visit, Contact, and Parish Office
The shared parish office for the tri-parish cluster is at St. Ignatius in Spring Valley. Office hours are limited, but families are invited to call, email, or use the online Contact Us form. The office phone is also the number to reach Father at any time.
- Address: 213 W Franklin St, Spring Valley, MN 55975
- Phone: (507) 346-7565
- Website: www.fmparishes.org (tri-parish)
- Office hours: Tuesdays 9:00 am – Noon; Thursdays 9:00 am – Noon
- Newcomers: 'If you're new to the area, our shared office is in Spring Valley—stop by or call!'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Edward Essingfrom 1868
Said Mass in parishioners' homes in Spring Valley, traveling from Chatfield
- Father James Halton
- Father William Riordan1878 (first Mass in present church)
Officiated at first Mass in the new 1878 brick church on Dec. 13, 1878
- Father Michael Manley
- Father Michael Smyth
First resident pastor of St. Ignatius
- Father Patrick O'Dwyer
- Father Patrick McTeague
- Father J. Mattson
- Father Michael Halper
- Father Leo Gossman1897–1906
Built the rectory, formed parish organizations; served St. Patrick (LeRoy) and St. Finbarr (Grand Meadow) as missions from Spring Valley
- Father Alois Gmeinder
- Father Patrick McCusker
- Father Joseph Collins
- Father Philip Matthews
- Father Ambrose Layne
- Father Earl Byron
- Father Thomas Duane
- Father Cyril Peterson
- Father Lawrence Ginther
- Father Sherlock Weir
- Father John Vincent
- Father Edgar Schaeffer
- Father Russ Scepaniak
- Father Steve Peterson
- Father Marreddy Pothireddy
- Father Gregory Parrottpresent
Current pastor; serves all three parishes of the cluster