About St. John Baptist De La Salle · Dodge Center, Minnesota
St. John Baptist de La Salle is a Catholic parish in Dodge Center, Minnesota, founded in 1945 and part of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. It serves as the flagship church of the Triton Parishes — clustered since 1988 with St. Francis de Sales in Claremont and St. Vincent de Paul in West Concord, all in Dodge County within the Triton school district. Today the parish is home to over 120 English-speaking families and a sizeable Latino community, and offers a Sunday Mass in Spanish each week. The parish takes its patron from St. John Baptist de La Salle, founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, suggested by Bishop Leo Binz because of the Christian Brothers community in nearby Winona.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- St. John Baptist de La Salle
- Rector
- Father John Lasuba
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Why belong here
St. John Baptist de La Salle is the spiritual home of a small but active Catholic community of more than 120 families in Dodge Center, with a strong Latino presence and a weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish. As part of the Mary, Mother of Mercy Catholic Cluster, it offers weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, regular Saturday confessions, and faith formation for all ages. Newcomers can expect a parish with deep roots — built literally with donated blood and bake-sale labor — and a willingness to keep renewing itself, from its 1958 church to its 21st-century accessibility upgrades.
Mass times at St. John Baptist De La Salle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15 PM — St. John's, Dodge Center
Adoration times
- No regular adoration available at this time
Parish History
St. John Baptist de La Salle was founded in 1945 from the chapel of a remodeled house in Dodge Center. Thirty-eight charter families rallied under founding pastor Fr. George Smith, and within a decade had dug their own basement, sold blood to the Mayo Clinic to fund construction, and watched Bishop Leo Binz dedicate the upper church on October 26, 1958. Growth, renovations, and clustering followed: the 1979 red-oak and copper Stations remodel, the 2006–07 elevator, and the 2016 absorption of the Claremont and West Concord parishes that formed today's Triton cluster.
- Nov 26, 1944 — Bishop Leo Binz commissions Fr. George Smith to found the parish.
- Dec 12, 1944 — Site purchased (large house on it).
- Feb 15, 1945 — Incorporated as a religious corporation.
- Apr 29, 1945 — First Mass celebrated by Fr. Smith.
- 1950–52 — Basement built; parishioners sell blood to Mayo Clinic to fund construction.
- May 13, 1958 — Cornerstone laid.
- Oct 26, 1958 — Church dedicated on the Feast of Christ the King.
- 1959 — Old rectory sold; new residence built on north side.
- 1962 — Garage added.
- Sep 16, 1979 — Church rededicated after red-oak and copper Stations remodel.
- 1988 — Clustered with St. Francis de Sales, Claremont.
- 1990 — Clustered with St. Vincent de Paul, West Concord (Triton Parishes complete).
- 2005 — Fr. Kurt Farrell arrives as first bilingual pastor; Spanish Sunday Mass begins.
- 2006–07 — Elevator installed for accessibility.
- 2008 — New carpet and pew coverings.
- Oct 1, 2016 — St. Francis de Sales and St. Vincent de Paul absorbed into St. John's as part of the Mary, Mother of Mercy Catholic Cluster.
Cluster & Diocese
St. John Baptist de La Salle belongs to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and is the lead parish of the Mary, Mother of Mercy Catholic Cluster, alongside Holy Family in Kasson and Christ the King in Byron. Within the cluster, St. John's retains its Dodge Center identity while sharing clergy and staff with the partner parishes; the parish offices are in West Concord and the pastor resides in Dodge Center.
- Diocese: Winona-Rochester
- Cluster: Mary, Mother of Mercy Catholic Cluster
- Partner parishes: Holy Family (Kasson), Christ the King (Byron)
- Historical cluster: Triton Parishes (also St. Francis de Sales, Claremont; St. Vincent de Paul, West Concord)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by Father John Lasuba as pastor of the cluster. Lay staff support faith formation and parish administration across the Triton parishes.
- Father John Lasuba — Pastor
- Dianne Vangness — Faith Formation Director
- Colleen Wilmes — Secretary (parish office)
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. John's is the Saturday-evening and one of the Sunday-morning Mass sites for the cluster. A Spanish Mass is celebrated every Sunday to serve the parish's Latino community. Confessions are heard before the Vigil Mass.
- Saturday 5:00 PM — St. John's, Dodge Center (Vigil)
- Sunday 8:30 AM — Holy Family, Kasson
- Sunday 10:30 AM — Christ the King, Byron
- Sunday — Spanish Mass at St. John's (weekly; consult bulletin)
- Saturday 4:15 PM — Confessions at St. John's
- Weekday Masses rotate among Christ the King (Byron) and Holy Family (Kasson); no regular weekday Mass at St. John's
Sacraments
Information on Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation is coordinated through the parish office. Confession times at St. John's are listed above; other sacramental preparation is arranged through the Faith Formation office.
- Holy Mass (weekend and weekday across the cluster)
- Confession / Penance / Reconciliation
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
Faith Formation
Faith Formation for the Triton Parishes is directed by Dianne Vangness, coordinating religious education and sacramental preparation for families across the cluster.
- Faith Formation Director: Dianne Vangness
- Phone: (507) 374-6830
- Email: [email protected]
Patron: St. John Baptist de La Salle
The parish is named for St. John Baptist de La Salle (1651–1719), founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and patron saint of teachers. Bishop Leo Binz suggested the name because of the Christian Brothers community in Winona, whose patron he also was. His feast day is celebrated on April 7.
- Patron: St. John Baptist de La Salle
- Feast Day: April 7
- Reason for patron: Christian Brothers presence in Winona
Contact & Location
Parish offices for the cluster are reached through the West Concord office, with the pastor residing in Dodge Center. The St. John's church building sits at 20 2nd St NE in Dodge Center.
- St. John Baptist de La Salle: 20 2nd St NE, Dodge Center, MN 55927
- Mailing: PO Box 310, Dodge Center, MN 55927
- Phone: (507) 374-6830
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.dodgecatholic.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. George Smith1944–1945 (founding pastor; also pastor of St. Francis de Sales, Claremont)
Commissioned by Bishop Leo Binz to establish the parish; celebrated the first Mass on April 29, 1945.
- Fr. Kurt Farrell2005–
First bilingual pastor of the cluster; inaugurated the weekly Sunday Spanish Mass.
- Fr. John Lasuba
Current pastor of the Mary, Mother of Mercy Catholic Cluster (Triton Parishes / Holy Family Kasson / Christ the King Byron).