About St. Kilian Oratory · Saint Kilian, Minnesota
St. Kilian Oratory is a small historic Catholic chapel in the farming hamlet of Saint Kilian in Wilmont Township, Nobles County, in the far southwest corner of Minnesota. Founded in 1878 as a mission for German Catholic settlers too far from St. Adrian, the parish served its rural community continuously for 129 years before changing to oratory status in 2016/2017 under the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. It is now part of the four-parish St. Adrian Catholic Cluster (St. Adrian in Adrian, St. Anthony in Lismore, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Wilmont, and St. Kilian), and the 1900 church is still used for one weekly Mass and for special occasions such as weddings, funerals, and baptisms. The elaborately carved wood-frame church, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, remains a beloved landmark of German-American Catholic heritage on the southwestern Minnesota prairie.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- Saint Kilian (Killian/Cillian), 7th-century Irish missionary bishop, Apostle of Franconia, martyred c. 689 in Würzburg
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Richard Colletti
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Why belong here
St. Kilian Oratory remains a living church in a tiny hamlet, with one weekly Mass (Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m.) and the building still available for baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Joining the St. Adrian cluster means becoming part of a four-parish family of small southwestern Minnesota farming communities with active faith formation for all ages, OCIA (formerly RCIA), youth and young adult ministry, online giving, and a Flocknote communication network. For parishioners, it is the chance to belong to a 145-year-old German-Catholic heritage community whose 1900 wood-frame church is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mass times at St. Kilian Oratory
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 AM — Our Lady of Good Counsel, Wilmont
- Sunday 10:00 AM — St. Adrian, Adrian
- Saturday 4:30 PM — St. Anthony, Lismore
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM — St. Adrian, Adrian
History of St. Kilian Parish
St. Kilian was founded in 1878 as a mission of St. Adrian by the German-born priest Rev. Christian J. Knauf, with the support of Bishop John Ireland, to serve German Catholic settlers in Wilmont Township, Nobles County. The first church, built in 1887, burned after a lightning strike in 1898; the present wood-frame church in the Gothic / Late Victorian style was completed in 1900 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The parish served a peak of 144 families and 875 members in 1901, kept German-language records until about 1910, and heard its last German-language confession in 1957. After 129 years as an active parish it was merged with St. Anthony of Lismore on July 1, 2016 and reclassified as an oratory in 2017, with the church still used for weekly Mass and for weddings, funerals, and baptisms.
- 1877 — first Catholic congregation gathers in a one-room schoolhouse one mile west of the present site
- 1878 — Rev. C. J. Knauf buys a 40-acre tract from the railroad; parish founded
- 1887 — first dedicated church of St. Kilian is built
- 1891 — St. Kilian obtains its own resident pastor
- 1896 — rectory built
- 1898 — parochial school opens; original church struck by lightning and burns
- 1900 — current 116 × 44 ft Gothic / Late Victorian church completed
- 1901 — parish counts 144 families / 875 members
- 1910 — convent built
- 1957 — last German-language confession heard; second parochial school era begins
- 1973 — second parochial school closes
- 1998 — added to the National Register of Historic Places
- 2016 (June) — Gather 4 Faith Celebration with Bishop John Quinn and Rev. Andrew Beerman
- 2016 (July 1) — merged with St. Anthony Parish in Lismore
- 2017 — formally designated an oratory of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester
The Building and Its Architecture
The St. Kilian church is a 116-by-44-foot wood-frame structure with a vestigial Latin-cross plan, oriented east-west, designed by architect H. Yeub. Its Gothic and Late Victorian features — including seven short buttress-like structures along each side, 20 pointed-arch stained glass windows, a long narrow nave with high-pitched roof, and an entrance bay topped by a belfry — were intended to evoke the older churches of Germany. The elaborately carved communion rail and three altars were shipped in pieces from Germany and assembled by parishioners, and the church retains a freestanding nativity scene with painted figures attributed to mid-19th-century German artists. The current belfry was rebuilt in 1968 after the original deteriorated.
- Architect: H. Yeub
- Built 1900 on the site of the 1887 original
- Exterior originally red, later whitewashed
- 20 pointed-arch stained glass windows
- Belfry rebuilt 1968
- Altar, communion rail, and nativity figures of German origin
National Register of Historic Places
The Church of St. Kilian was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on March 30, 1998, under reference number 97001425. The registration form describes the property as eligible under Criterion A for its association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of American history in the areas of social history and European ethnic heritage, particularly as the parish church of a German Catholic immigration community in rural Minnesota.
- NRHP reference No. 97001425
- Listed March 30, 1998
- Period of significance: 1900–1947
- Areas of significance: Social History; Ethnic Heritage: European
- Acreage: 14.7 acres (5.9 ha)
Patron Saint: St. Kilian of Würzburg
The parish takes its name from St. Kilian (also spelled Killian or Cillian), a 7th-century Irish missionary bishop venerated as the Apostle of Franconia. Born around 640 in Ireland, Kilian travelled with eleven companions through Gaul to Rome to receive missionary faculties from Pope Conon, then preached Christianity in the pagan territory of East Franconia and Thuringia, converting Duke Gozbert of Würzburg. After he objected to the duke's marriage to his brother's widow, Geilana, Kilian and two companions — the priest Colmán and the deacon Totnan — were beheaded, traditionally on July 8, c. 689. His feast day is celebrated on July 8, and he is the patron of the Diocese of Würzburg.
- Born c. 640, Ireland; died c. 689, Würzburg
- Missionary to East Franconia and Thuringia
- Companions: Saints Colmán and Totnan
- Feast day: July 8
- Patron of the Diocese of Würzburg
Diocese and Cluster Relationship
St. Kilian Oratory belongs to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and is administered as part of the St. Adrian Catholic Cluster, a four-parish grouping that also includes St. Adrian in Adrian, St. Anthony in Lismore, and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Wilmont. After 129 years as an active parish, St. Kilian was merged with St. Anthony in Lismore effective July 1, 2016 and reclassified as an oratory in 2017; the building remains available for weddings, funerals, baptisms, and the regular Tuesday evening Mass of the cluster. The cluster is currently pastored by Rev. Msgr. Richard Colletti.
- Diocese of Winona-Rochester
- St. Adrian Catholic Cluster (4 parishes)
- Parish cluster office: 512 Maine Ave, Adrian, MN 56110
- Cluster pastor: Rev. Msgr. Richard Colletti
Sacraments at St. Kilian
Because St. Kilian is now an oratory rather than an active parish, sacramental celebrations are coordinated through the St. Adrian cluster office. The church building continues to be used for baptisms, weddings, and funerals, and the cluster's pastoral team and pastoral associate assist families in arranging these celebrations. Anointing of the Sick and other pastoral sacraments are available through the cluster's priests and pastoral staff.
- Baptism (celebrated at the oratory)
- Marriage / Wedding (celebrated at the oratory)
- Funeral (celebrated at the oratory)
- Anointing of the Sick — via cluster pastoral team
Staff and Parish Leadership
Day-to-day ministry across the cluster is led by Rev. Msgr. Richard Colletti (Pastor), with a pastoral associate, a director of faith formation, a coordinator of faith formation, an OCIA/elementary catechist, a youth and young adult minister, and cluster office staff including a bookkeeper and secretary. The cluster also employs custodians for the Adrian and Wilmont church facilities. Pastoral inquiries and sacramental scheduling are handled through the cluster office at 512 Maine Ave, Adrian.
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Richard Colletti
- Pastoral Associate: Roxanne Kemper
- Director of Faith Formation: Pam Konz
- Faith Formation Coordinator: Mary Krogman
- Elementary Classes & OCIA: Amelia Brake
- Youth and Young Adult Ministry: Kadence Entinger
- Cluster Bookkeeper: Jody Richters
- Cluster Secretary: Mary Christensen
- Custodian: Ben Cook
- Custodian (OLGC): Mara Hotovec
Faith Formation and OCIA
Cluster-wide faith formation serves parish families with elementary-level catechesis, sacramental preparation, and youth and young adult ministry, coordinated by Director Pam Konz with assistance from Mary Krogman and elementary catechist Amelia Brake. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) prepares adults for full initiation into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.
- Elementary Faith Formation classes
- OCIA / RCIA for adults
- Sacramental preparation
- Youth and Young Adult Ministry with Kadence Entinger
Parish Communications and Giving
The cluster uses Flocknote to send parish news, schedules, and ministry updates to registered parishioners, and offers online giving through the cluster website. Ministry schedules (lector, EMHC, server, etc.) are also published online for the four-parish community.
- Flocknote parish communications
- Online Giving
- Cluster Ministry Schedule
- Easter & Christmas Schedule
- Holy Week Schedule
Sacred Heart Cemetery and Parish Grounds
The parish cemetery, in use since the 1880s, lies on the unplatted portion of the original 40-acre church tract together with the church and other parish buildings. Care of the cemetery, church, and grounds is supported by ongoing fundraising — including sales of history booklets, greeting cards, ornaments, and quilt and raffle chances at parish events — by volunteer parishioners such as Julie Brake and Margie Loosbrock. The adjacent St. Joseph Hall, the former 1957–1973 parochial school, continues to serve as a community gathering place for dinners, dances, plays, and card games.
- Cemetery dating from the 1880s on the original 40-acre church tract
- St. Joseph Hall (former 1957–1973 school) as community center
- Volunteer fundraising for grounds and cemetery upkeep
- History booklets and parish ornaments supporting church care
Heritage and Community Traditions
The community has long traditions rooted in its German Catholic immigrant origins. Early parishioners practiced the European custom of ringing the Angelus bell at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m., and the Feast of Corpus Christi was marked by a Mass inside the church followed by an outdoor procession to three or four altars decorated with linens, flowers, candles, and religious items throughout the village. In 2016 the community marked 129 years of parish life with a Gather 4 Faith Celebration featuring a Mass celebrated by Bishop John Quinn and Rev. Andrew Beerman, a steak sandwich dinner, live entertainment, history booklet sales, and a quilt raffle — all to support the continued care of the church, grounds, and cemetery.
- Angelus bell tradition at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m.
- Corpus Christi outdoor procession to village altars
- 2016 Gather 4 Faith Celebration with Bishop John Quinn
- Six generations of the Brake family in the parish
- Parish-published history booklets (Vosburgh)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Christian J. (C.J.) Knauf1878–1891
German-born founding pastor of St. Kilian; simultaneously pastor of St. Adrian. Persuaded the railroad to sell him the 40-acre church tract in Wilmont Township, oversaw construction of the first church in 1887, named the parish for the Irish missionary St. Kilian, and served until St. Kilian received its own resident pastor in 1891.
- Rev. Andrew Beermanc. 2016
Co-celebrated the 2016 Gather 4 Faith Celebration Mass with Bishop John Quinn when the parish transitioned to oratory status.
- Rev. Timothy J. Hallprior to current assignment
Listed as Pastor on the legacy St. Kilian staff directory and on the St. Anthony parish page of the St. Adrian cluster website.
- Rev. Msgr. Richard Colletticurrent
Former Vicar General of the Diocese of Winona; assigned as pastor of the St. Adrian cluster of parishes (St. Adrian, St. Anthony, Our Lady of Good Counsel, and St. Kilian Oratory) by the diocese following review.