About St. Joseph · Bagley, Minnesota
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a small mission parish in Bagley, Minnesota, located in the Diocese of Crookston in the northwest corner of the state. The parish shares its pastor, Fr. John Melkies Suvakeen, with neighboring St. Mary's in Fosston, and is served by a small staff including a secretary and a Religious Education coordinator. St. Joseph's celebrates Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. and Thursday Mass at 11:30 a.m., with Reconciliation before the Thursday Mass and Tuesday afternoon Eucharistic Adoration. The parish also oversees St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Bagley and Our Lady of Victory Catholic Cemetery in Shevlin, Minnesota, through a joint Cemetery Association.
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. John Melkies Suvakeen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Crookston
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is a small, welcoming Catholic mission parish in Bagley, MN where Sunday Mass is celebrated at 10:30 a.m. and Thursday Mass at 11:30 a.m. The parish offers weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesday afternoons and the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Thursday Mass. With an active Religious Education program for families, a parish secretary, and trustees who help guide the community, St. Joseph's provides a personal, family-oriented place of worship in the Diocese of Crookston. Visitors and returning Catholics will find a quiet, faithful parish in the heart of Clearwater County.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday at 11:00 a.m. (before 11:30 a.m. Mass)
Adoration times
- Tuesdays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Parish Identity & Patron
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a Catholic mission parish dedicated to St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As a Catholic mission in rural northwestern Minnesota, the parish is part of the Diocese of Crookston and serves the small community of Bagley in Clearwater County.
- Patron: St. Joseph
- Liturgical Feast of St. Joseph: March 19
- Type: Mission parish
- Diocese: Crookston
Parish Staff
The parish is staffed by a small team that includes a pastor shared with St. Mary's in Fosston, a parish secretary, and a Religious Education coordinator. Two parish trustees support the temporal affairs of the parish alongside the pastor and Parish Pastoral Council.
- Pastor: Fr. John Melkies Suvakeen (also pastor of St. Mary's, Fosston) — [email protected]; phone 218-435-6484 (Fosston office) / 218-694-6416 (Bagley office on Tues & Thurs)
- Secretary: Terri Derby — [email protected]; 218-694-6416
- Religious Education Coordinator: Beth Huschle — 218-779-2873 or 218-694-2341
- Trustee: Keith Larson — 218-616-2604
- Trustee: Leslie Dahl — 218-290-8100
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Religious Education for children and families is coordinated locally by Beth Huschle. Families seeking to register children for faith formation classes, sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation), or inquiries about the RCIA for adults should contact the Religious Education Coordinator at the parish office.
- Religious Education Coordinator: Beth Huschle, 218-779-2873
Cemeteries
St. Joseph's Catholic Church oversees two Catholic cemeteries through the St. Joseph's / Our Lady of Victory Cemetery Association: St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Bagley, Minnesota, and Our Lady of Victory Catholic Cemetery in Shevlin, Minnesota. The Association operates under Chapter 307 of Minnesota Statutes, the 1983 Code of Canon Law, and the cemetery policies and rules adopted by the Diocese of Crookston. It is part of the Church's ministry to the deceased, the bereaved, and the poor, providing a sacred environment for Catholic liturgies, frequent visitation, prayer for the dead, and remembrance.
- St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery — Bagley, MN
- Our Lady of Victory Catholic Cemetery — Shevlin, MN
- Operated by the St. Joseph's / Our Lady of Victory Cemetery Association
- Governed by the Parish Pastoral Council of St. Joseph's Catholic Church
- Information on burial plots: contact the parish office
Contact & Office Hours
The parish office operates out of the Parish Rectory on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The mailing address is PO Box 67, Bagley, MN 56621. The church building is located at 215 Central St W, Bagley, MN 56621, on Hwy. 2 at the corner of Central St. West and Red Lake Ave NW.
- Mailing Address: PO Box 67, Bagley, MN 56621
- Parish Office Phone: 218-694-6416
- Parish Office Email: [email protected]
- Pastor Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1 p.m.–5 p.m.
- Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator: Cindy Hulst, LSW, 218-281-7895
Diocese & Wider Church
St. Joseph's is part of the Diocese of Crookston, which was formally erected on December 31, 1909 by Pope Pius X from territory taken from the Archdiocese of Saint Paul. The diocese covers the northwest corner of Minnesota and is currently led by Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens, installed December 6, 2021. The diocese supports parish life through offices, a newspaper, and a pastoral plan that St. Joseph's parish links to from its Resources page.
- Diocese of Crookston
- Diocesan offices, pastoral plan, and diocesan newspaper linked on the parish Resources page
- Minnesota Catholic Conference resources referenced on the parish site
Visit & Get Involved
Visitors and returning Catholics are warmly welcomed at St. Joseph's. Whether you are looking to attend Mass, spend time in Adoration on a Tuesday afternoon, arrange a sacramental preparation for a child, or inquire about a burial plot at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery or Our Lady of Victory Catholic Cemetery, the parish office staff is happy to help during office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Attend Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m.
- Pray during Tuesday Adoration (3–5 p.m.)
- Register children for Religious Education
- Contact the parish about cemetery plots
- Join the parish by contacting the parish office