About St. Jerome · Maplewood, Minnesota
The Church of St. Jerome is a Roman Catholic parish located at 380 Roselawn Avenue East in Maplewood, Minnesota, within the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Established in 1940 as a suburban 'mission' parish to serve families moving north of St. Paul, St. Jerome is a vibrant, faith-filled community that continues its mission of Catholic education through its parish school and offers daily and weekend Mass in English, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, the sacrament of Reconciliation, and a full religious education program including OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). The parish describes itself as a community 'united in the love and grace of Jesus Christ,' committed to celebrating the sacraments, proclaiming the Gospel, and serving those in and beyond the parish through worship and service.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- St. Jerome (Doctor of the Church, famed for his scriptural scholarship and translation of the Bible into Latin — the Vulgate)
- Rector
- Fr. Biju Mathew
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Jerome is a tight-knit Maplewood parish where you'll be welcomed into a community that worships together, learns together, and serves together. Daily Mass is offered every morning Monday through Saturday, and the church hosts continuous Eucharistic Adoration from Monday at 5:00 a.m. through Thursday at 6:00 p.m. — a rare gift in the archdiocese. Families can send their children to the parish's PK–8 school on the same campus, and adults grow in faith through OCIA, Confirmation prep, CCD grades 1–7, and Bible study. The parish lives its mission to 'respond to the needs of those in and beyond our parish through worship and service,' as seen in its pastor's legacy of medical missions to the Philippines.
Mass times at St. Jerome
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Adoration times
- Monday 5:00 AM through Thursday 6:00 PM (continuous, Non-Perpetual Adoration)
- Runs continuously from 5:00 AM Monday through 11:00 PM Friday per archdiocesan listing
About St. Jerome Parish
The Church of St. Jerome is a Catholic parish community in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, located at 380 Roselawn Avenue East in Maplewood, Minnesota. According to the parish's own mission statement, the people of St. Jerome are 'united in the love and grace of Jesus Christ; to celebrate the sacraments and our faith, to proclaim and teach the Gospel values of Christ and His Church, to nurture our faith community, and to respond to the needs of those in and beyond our parish through worship and service.' The parish describes itself on its website as 'a Catholic Community in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis' serving its members through a variety of ministries, with an inviting 'I'm new here' button on the homepage for visitors.
History of the Parish
St. Jerome was established in 1940 to serve Catholics moving into the then-rural Maplewood area north of St. Paul. The groundbreaking came in 1941, and the founders notably reused brick and limestone from Stillwater's first high school (built 1870). Before the church was ready, the new congregation worshipped at Edgerton School, a common arrangement for new suburban parishes. Local Maplewood history records that the parish's very first collection was taken in a pickle dish, and a Studebaker was raffled to help fund construction. The parish has maintained a parish school on the same campus since the early days, fulfilling what the Archdiocese describes as a continuing 'mission of spreading the word of God in Catholic education.'
- Founded: 1940
- Groundbreaking: 1941
- Materials reused from Stillwater's 1870 first high school
- Temporarily worshipped at Edgerton School during construction
- First collection taken in a pickle dish
- Studebaker raffled to fund construction
Patron Saint: St. Jerome
The parish's patron is St. Jerome (c. 347–420), one of the great Doctors of the Church and famed for his scholarly translation of the Bible into Latin — the Vulgate. The Archdiocese notes that the parish community continues to be 'true to the spirit of its patron saint, to joyfully discover Jesus Christ in the scriptures,' a fitting legacy for a parish named after Christianity's most renowned biblical scholar and translator. St. Jerome's feast day is celebrated on September 30.
- Patron: St. Jerome
- Feast day: September 30
- Known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate)
Parish Leadership and Clergy
The parish's most recent pastor was Father Victor Valencia Jr., who was appointed pastor of St. Jerome in 2019. A native of Negros island in the Philippines, ordained April 21, 1993, Fr. Valencia came to Minnesota in 2007 and was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 2020. Before St. Jerome, he served as pastor of Most Holy Redeemer in Montgomery and St. Patrick in Shieldsville (2014–2019) and St. Ignatius in Annandale (2003–2014), and as chaplain at United Hospital in St. Paul (2002–2003). He died unexpectedly of heart failure on August 24, 2025, at age 65 while on a long-planned medical mission trip to the Philippines. The parish's parish secretary, Joanne Lamb, is also publicly noted on the parish website as part of the staff team.
- Joanne Lamb — Parish Secretary
- Memorial Mass for Fr. Valencia: September 13, 2025, with Archbishop Bernard Hebda presiding
Faith Formation and Religious Education
St. Jerome runs a complete parish religious education program for children and adults. The CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program serves grades 1–7, with second-grade students specifically prepared for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion. Students in grade 8 and above continue their preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation. Adults seeking to become Catholic are welcomed through the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), and a parish Bible study program supports ongoing scriptural formation — fitting for a parish named after St. Jerome, the great scripture scholar.
- CCD grades 1–7
- First Reconciliation & First Communion prep (grade 2)
- Confirmation (grade 8+)
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Bible study program
Parish School
St. Jerome School is a PK–8 Catholic elementary school located immediately adjacent to the church at 384 Roselawn Avenue East, Maplewood. According to the Archdiocese, the parish's mission of spreading the Word of God through Catholic education 'continues to be realized through its mission school.' The school participates in the State of Minnesota's nonpublic school organization (MDE listing) and has been listed under the name 'St. Jerome' (abbreviation SJRM-ES) since at least July 1998. The principal listed by the Minnesota Department of Education is Anne Gattman.
- Grades PK–8
- Address: 384 Roselawn Avenue East, Maplewood, MN 55117
- Phone: (651) 771-8494
- Principal: Anne Gattman
- School Mass Wednesdays 9:45 AM (school year)
Sacraments
St. Jerome celebrates all seven sacraments. In addition to the daily and Sunday Mass schedule, the parish prepares children and adults for Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, and welcomes couples preparing for Marriage. Anointing of the Sick is offered to parishioners in need, including house calls — a ministry that Father Valencia, the late pastor, was known for personally accepting. The sacrament of Reconciliation is heard every Saturday from 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation & First Communion (CCD grade 2)
- Confirmation (grade 8+)
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick / house calls
- Reconciliation (Saturdays 3:30–4:00 PM)
- OCIA for adult initiation
Outreach and Mission
The parish's mission statement commits it to 'respond to the needs of those in and beyond our parish through worship and service,' and outreach has been a defining mark of its recent pastoral leadership. Father Victor Valencia, who served as pastor from 2019 until his death in August 2025, grew up on Negros island in the Philippines and built a sister-parish relationship between his former parish of St. Ignatius in Annandale and St. Vincent Ferrer in Pacuan, Philippines. In August 2025 he finally realized a long-held dream of leading a weeklong medical mission trip to Pacuan, providing triage, minor surgery, dental care, eye care, and health education to four local elementary schools. Father Valencia died of heart failure during that mission; the work continues in his memory, with another medical mission held in Bayawan City, Philippines in March 2026.
- Sister-parish relationship: St. Ignatius (Annandale) ↔ St. Vincent Ferrer (Pacuan, Philippines)
- Medical mission trips to the Philippines (founded by Fr. Valencia)
- Work with Negrenses del Oriental del Minnesota and Foundation for Philippine Medical Missions
- Annual Memorial Mass to honor Fr. Valencia's legacy
Visiting and Contact
St. Jerome welcomes new visitors and parishioners. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and the parish can be reached by phone at (651) 771-1209. The church is located at 380 Roselawn Avenue East in Maplewood, Minnesota 55117, with its PK–8 school directly next door at 384 Roselawn Avenue East. The website's 'I'm new here' button invites newcomers to learn more about the parish community, its schedule, and its ministries.
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Phone: (651) 771-1209
- Address: 380 Roselawn Avenue East, Maplewood, MN 55117
- School address: 384 Roselawn Avenue East, Maplewood, MN 55117-2033
- New-visitor outreach via the website 'I'm new here' button
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Victor Valencia2019–2025
Appointed pastor of St. Jerome in 2019, transferring from Most Holy Redeemer in Montgomery and St. Patrick in Shieldsville (where he had served since 2014). Previously pastor of St. Ignatius in Annandale (2003–2014) and chaplain at United Hospital in St. Paul (2002–2003). Originally from the Diocese of San Carlos, Negros Occidental, Philippines; ordained April 21, 1993; incardinated into the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2020. Died unexpectedly of heart failure on August 24, 2025, while on a medical mission trip to the Philippines.