About St. Joseph-Gnesen · Duluth, Minnesota
St. Joseph-Gnesen is a historic rural Catholic mission church located on Church Road in Gnesen Township, about ten miles north of Duluth, Minnesota. Founded in 1874 by Polish immigrants fleeing Prussian oppression, the parish is one of the oldest Polish Catholic communities in northeastern Minnesota and is part of the Diocese of Duluth. Today it serves as one of three parishes in the Tri-Parish Community of East Duluth, alongside St. Benedict and St. John the Evangelist, offering a Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM and Saturday confessions before Mass.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew Knop, OMI
- Diocese
- Diocese of Duluth
Why belong here
St. Joseph-Gnesen offers a small, historic country parish where generations of the same rural Catholic families have worshipped for 150 years. Visitors are welcomed to a Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM and to confession beforehand (4:30–4:50 PM). As part of the Tri-Parish Community of East Duluth, St. Joseph's members also share in the life, faith formation, and Latin Mass offerings of neighboring St. Benedict and St. John parishes — a compact Catholic community where belonging is personal, multi-generational, and deeply rooted in Polish-American Catholic heritage.
Mass times at St. Joseph-Gnesen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 4:50 PM (before the 5:00 PM Vigil Mass)
Parish History
St. Joseph's was founded in 1874 by Polish immigrants seeking freedom from Prussian oppression and grew into one of the most distinctive Polish-Catholic communities in northern Minnesota. The story begins with Martin Lepak's land donation, the self-built 1874 log church, and itinerant missionary priests who could only visit a few times a year. The community built a larger church in 1900, added a rectory in 1952, expanded the church entrance in 1982, and remodeled the social hall with a wheelchair lift in 2007 — each milestone reflecting the same spirit of sacrifice that founded the parish.
- 1874 — Parish founded by Polish immigrants from Prussian Poland (Poznań region)
- 1874 — Log church built by parishioners on land donated by Martin Lepak
- 1876 — First church completed
- November 1878 — Original log church dedicated
- 1895 — Parish cemetery established on church grounds; first burial
- 1900 — Larger replacement church built on the same site
- 1952 — Rectory built
- 1982 — New church entrance and expanded seating
- 2007 — Social hall remodeled; wheelchair lift added
Founding Community and Polish Heritage
The founders were agricultural Polish families from the Poznań district who had begun arriving in the Duluth area as early as 1867. They named the township 'Gnesen' after Gniezno, Poland's first royal and religious capital. Lacking trades, they tried to farm the thin northern soil while also working for logging and mining companies. As late as the 1890s, the residents of Gnesen and neighboring Rice Lake Township were almost exclusively Polish — a heritage the parish continues to honor through its mission and identity.
- Township name 'Gnesen' honors Gniezno, Poland
- Settlers largely from the Poznań / Gniezno region of Prussian Poland
- Polish families supplemented farming with logging and iron-range work
Clergy and Pastoral Care
For its first years St. Joseph's had no resident priest. Missionaries from elsewhere in the Northwest — Slovenian Father Chebul, Father J.B. Jeny, Monsignor Joseph Buh, and others — traveled in to say Mass a few times a year. After 1889, when the Diocese of Duluth was created, regular pastoral ministry became possible. Today the parish is pastored by Rev. Andrew Knop, OMI, as part of the Tri-Parish Community; diocesan clergy-assignment notices show Father Knop was later reassigned effective May 6, with Fr. Matt Miller also referenced in parish communications during a recent transition.
- Fr. J.B. Jeny — itinerant missionary priest (early years)
- Msgr. Joseph Buh (Slovenian) — itinerant missionary priest
- Rev. Andrew Knop, OMI — Pastor / Administrator (Tri-Parish listing)
- Fr. Matt Miller — departing pastor referenced on Tri-Parish site
Tri-Parish Community of East Duluth
St. Joseph-Gnesen is one of three parishes in the Tri-Parish Community of East Duluth, alongside St. Benedict (Kenwood) and St. John the Evangelist. The parishes share resources, faith life, and certain liturgical offerings, including a Traditional Latin Mass each Sunday at 1:00 PM at St. Benedict. The Tri-Parish also references a feast-day picnic for the patron of St. Benedict as a shared community event.
- St. Benedict Parish (Kenwood, Duluth)
- St. John the Evangelist (East Duluth)
- St. Joseph-Gnesen
- Traditional Latin Mass: Sundays 1:00 PM at St. Benedict
Cemetery
A parish cemetery was established on the church grounds in 1895, with the first burial that same year. It remains part of the parish's physical heritage alongside the 1900 church, the 1952 rectory, and the social hall.
- Cemetery established adjacent to the church in 1895
- First burial in 1895
Facilities and Accessibility
The parish plant includes the 1900 church, a rectory built in 1952, a parish social hall, and a cemetery. In 1982 the church entrance was rebuilt with expanded seating, and in 2007 the social hall was remodeled to add a wheelchair lift.
- 1982 — new church entrance, expanded seating
- 2007 — social hall remodel, wheelchair lift added
Visit and Contact
St. Joseph-Gnesen is located at 6110 Church Road in rural Gnesen Township, about ten miles north of Duluth (ZIP 55803). Parish phone is (218) 721-4857; the Tri-Parish / St. Michael's line (218) 525-1902 also serves the community.
- Address: 6110 Church Road, Duluth, MN 55803
- Phone: (218) 721-4857
- Tri-Parish line: (218) 525-1902
- Website: https://sbsjjtriparish.org/stjosephs
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Andrew Knop, OMIRecent pastor (Diocese of Duluth clergy-assignments list a reassignment away from St. Joseph, Gnesen effective May 6)
Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette (OMI) priest; listed as pastor/administrator of St. Michael, Duluth, and St. Joseph, Gnesen prior to May 6 reassignment to Immaculate Heart, Crosslake, and St. Emily, Emily.
- Fr. Matt MillerPrior to current listing
Referenced on the Tri-Parish site as the departing pastor at a parish feast-day picnic farewell event.