About St. Joseph · Pierz, Minnesota
St. Joseph Parish in Pierz, Minnesota is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of St. Cloud, and the flagship worship site of the Father Francis Xavier Pierz Area Catholic Community (ACC) — a four-parish cluster that also includes St. Michael's in Buckman, Holy Cross in Harding, and St. John Nepomuk in Lastrup. The parish traces its roots to 1865, when Slovenian missionary Father Francis Xavier Pierz began ministering to the German-Catholic settlers of Rich Prairie; the town itself was later renamed Pierz in his honor. The current brick church — built 1886–1888 in simplified Gothic Revival style on the site of an earlier log church — is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains the prominent landmark of downtown Pierz.
- Established
- 1865
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Aaron Nett
- Diocese
- Diocese of St. Cloud
Why belong here
St. Joseph's remains the historic heart of Pierz — both spiritually and geographically — and welcomes worshippers into a beautiful 1888 Gothic Revival church on Main Street. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass in a devout German-Catholic farming tradition, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, frequent confession times, and a lively slate of small-group faith study (Bible study for young women, a Saturday men's accountability group, a Saturday women's rosary-and-discussion group, and a Sunday-night adult-education series). Joining the ACC also links parishioners to Holy Trinity Catholic School and the Father Pierz School of Religion, which together form more than 500 young people across the four parishes.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM (30 minutes before 4:30 PM Mass)
- First weekend of the month: after the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass at St. Joseph's
- 30 minutes before weekday Masses at Pierz, Harding and Lastrup
- 30 minutes after morning Mass at Buckman
- By appointment (call 320-468-6033)
Adoration times
- Friday 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration, St. Joseph's Pierz)
- Friday 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Adoration with Stations of the Cross during Lent)
Parish Identity and the Father Pierz Area Catholic Community
St. Joseph's is the flagship parish of the Father Francis Xavier Pierz Area Catholic Community (ACC), a four-parish cluster serving rural Morrison County, Minnesota. The other ACC parishes are St. Michael's in Buckman, Holy Cross in Harding, and St. John Nepomuk in Lastrup. All four share one pastor (Fr. Aaron Nett), one pastoral team, one set of faith-formation programs, and — after the merger process — one Parish Pastoral Council, one Finance Council and two trustees, governed under diocesan policy and canon law. Each individual church keeps its historic name and building. The ACC itself takes its name from Father Francis Xavier Pierz, the Slovenian missionary often called the 'Father of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Cloud,' who ministered to settlers throughout central Minnesota in the 19th century and founded this parish in Pierz.
- Four parishes make up the ACC: St. Joseph's (Pierz), St. Michael's (Buckman), Holy Cross (Harding), St. John Nepomuk (Lastrup)
- Shared pastor: Fr. Aaron Nett (since June 2023)
- Parish office phone: 320-468-6033 · [email protected]
- Website: fatherpierzacc.org (formerly stjosephs-stmichaels.org)
History and the Building on Main Street
Catholic life in the Pierz area began with Mass celebrated among settlers by Father Francis Xavier Pierz in 1856. Formal parish organization came in 1865, with Father Pierz becoming resident pastor in 1871 and donating farmland to the young congregation. A log church was erected by the community in the fall of 1869. By the 1880s the congregation had outgrown that structure, and under Father Paneratins Maebren the cornerstone of the present brick church was laid in 1886; the church was dedicated December 25, 1888. The current church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and is recognized as a fine, largely unaltered example of the simplified Gothic Revival styling popular for central-Minnesota parish churches in the 1880s. It sits on the original lot in the center of Pierz, on what is still called 'Main Street' (Highway 25).
- Parish founded: 1865; first Mass with settlers: 1856
- Log church: built 1869 on the present site
- Brick church: cornerstone 1886, dedicated December 25, 1888
- Architectural style: simplified/box-type Gothic Revival, brick-veneered
- National Register of Historic Places: listed 1985
- Named for Father Francis Xavier Pierz (1785–1880), Slovenian-born missionary
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by an ACC-wide pastoral team rather than a single priest stationed at one church. Fr. Aaron Nett serves as pastor of the entire Father Francis Xavier Pierz Area Catholic Community. Two deacons — Dcn. Craig Korver and Dcn. Leo Wehseler — assist with liturgy, marriage prep, and pastoral outreach across the four parishes. Seminarian Tobias Ellis, who is preparing for ordination in 2027 for the Diocese of St. Cloud, is assigned to the ACC for mentorship during his final years of formation. Office secretaries Michelle Thompsen and Jessica Gunther handle day-to-day parish administration from the Pierz office.
- Pastor: Rev. Aaron Nett ([email protected])
- Deacon Craig Korver ([email protected])
- Deacon Leo Wehseler ([email protected])
- Seminarian: Tobias Ellis
- Office Secretaries: Michelle Thompsen, Jessica Gunther
Faith Formation and Schools
The ACC supports two Catholic education programs. Holy Trinity Catholic School in Pierz is a PreK–6 elementary school where spiritual formation — daily religious studies, service, and Catholic faith formation — is integrated into the school day. For older students who attend public school, the Father Pierz School of Religion is a combined, ACC-wide program serving more than 500 K–12 students with faith formation classes, sacramental preparation, leadership training, Jr./Sr. Youth Group, retreats, service trips, and Summer Bible School. OCIA (the new name for the adult RCIA process) is coordinated out of the parish office for adults seeking full initiation.
- Holy Trinity Catholic School (PreK–6)
- Father Pierz School of Religion (K–12, 500+ students)
- OCIA / RCIA for adults
- Jr./Sr. Youth Group, retreats, service trips, Summer Bible School
Small-Group Ministries and Adult Faith Life
Beyond Sunday Mass, the parish offers a layered adult-faith life organized around small groups meeting in the Pierz parish office and the church basement. A young women's Bible study meets every other Sunday evening, a men's accountability group gathers Saturday mornings for Gospel prayer and small-group accountability, and the women's group meets Saturday mornings to pray the rosary before group discussion. A Sunday-night adult-education series uses short video presentations on Catholic topics to spark discussion.
- Young women's Bible study (grades 9+, alternate Sunday evenings, 7:00 PM)
- Men's Accountability: Saturdays 6:45–8:00 AM (Mark Loidolt 701-388-2323)
- Women's Group: Saturdays 8:15–9:30 AM (Cari Stumpf 320-761-6336)
- Sunday-night Adult Education: 7:00 PM (Al Pekarek 320-468-0220)
Sacraments and Pastoral Care
The ACC maintains a centralized sacramental and pastoral-care program. Baptisms are scheduled through the parish office; First Eucharist and Confirmation are prepared for through the Father Pierz School of Religion; marriage preparation is coordinated by a full-time pastoral administrator working with the pastor; and the Homebound Ministry brings Holy Communion to parishioners who can no longer attend Mass. Funeral liturgies are planned in close coordination with families.
- Baptism, First Eucharist, Confirmation
- Marriage preparation program
- Homebound ministry (Communion visits)
- Anointing of the Sick and funeral planning
- Pastoral Administrator position shared across the ACC
Parish Life and Community Events
St. Joseph's hosts the social and fund-raising life of the wider Pierz-area Catholic community, including the long-running Quilt Bingo — an evening of food, music, kids' games and inflatable attractions — and ongoing support for the local food shelf. The church also hosts funerals, civic memorial events, and the seasonal liturgies (Christmas, Holy Week, Easter) of the ACC.
- Quilt Bingo and parish fund-raisers
- Support for the local area food shelf
- Seasonal liturgies (Christmas, Holy Week, Easter)
- Tuesday-evening and Friday-morning weekday Masses open to all four parishes
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis Xavier Pierz1871–1873
Founder; Slovenian missionary who donated farmland and served as first resident pastor before retiring to Slovenia. Town of Pierz is named after him.
- Rev. Paneratins Maebrenfrom 1884
Presided over the laying of the cornerstone in 1886 and the dedication of the present brick church on December 25, 1888.