About St. Margaret Mary Church · Golden Valley, Minnesota
The Church of St. Margaret Mary is a Catholic parish in Golden Valley, Minnesota, officially founded on January 9, 1946, with its first Mass celebrated by Fr. John Phelan on January 14, 1946, in the basement of the administration building at Glenwood Hills Hospital. Part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, the parish serves a vibrant community on Zenith Avenue North and continues a Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m. along with a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Tuesday daily Mass, and a monthly Tamil-language Mass. The parish is named for St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the French Visitation nun and apostle of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
- Rector
- Reverend Thomas Rayar
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Margaret Mary is a welcoming Golden Valley parish with a clear post-war founding story and a tightly-knit parish life. The community offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, a single Sunday Mass with a Children's Liturgy of the Word, a Tuesday daily Mass with Adoration, and a monthly Tamil Mass, alongside adult faith formation, RCIA sponsorship, catechist teams for children in grades 1-8, an active Music and Liturgy ministry, and shared ministry volunteer opportunities. It's a parish that openly invites newcomers to 'discover God's kingdom' and to call it 'home.'
Mass times at St. Margaret Mary Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM - 3:50 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
History of St. Margaret Mary Parish
The parish was established in 1946 in the post-WWII housing boom around Glenwood Terrace and McNair Manor. The first Mass was celebrated by Fr. John Phelan on January 14, 1946, in the basement of the Glenwood Hills Hospital administration building, and the basement church was dedicated on January 12, 1948. The building that still serves as the church was dedicated in 1959; it was originally planned as a temporary school gym while a permanent church was to be erected on top of the school cafeteria basement.
- Founded January 9, 1946
- First Mass: January 14, 1946 — Fr. John Phelan, Glenwood Hills Hospital basement
- Basement church dedicated January 12, 1948
- Current church dedicated 1959 (originally intended as the school gym)
- Parish grade school opened September 1953 (grades 1-5); expanded to grade 8 in 1959; added kindergarten in 1973
- School enrollment peaked at 720 students in 1965/66; school closed in 1995; space now home to LoveWorks Academy
Our Pastor and Staff
The parish is served by Father Thomas Rayar, who began as pastor on September 1, 2016. Originally from Punalvasal in southeastern India, he was ordained in 1993 and came to the United States in 1995, with prior pastorates at St. Raphael's in Crystal, St. Rose of Lima in Roseville, St. Luke's in Clearwater, and St. Francis Xavier in Buffalo. He holds degrees in psychology, philosophy, theology, political science, English literature and business administration, and is pursuing a doctorate in business administration.
- Pastor: Fr. Thomas Rayar (since Sept 1, 2016)
- Director of Music and Liturgy: Mary Bur ([email protected]); 25+ years in parish music ministry; completing Certificate in Liturgy from the University of Notre Dame
- Business Administrator: Mary Muntifering ([email protected])
- Adult Faith Formation contact: Jean Plucinski ([email protected])
- Faith Formation inquiries: [email protected]
- General inquiries: [email protected]
Mass, Ministry and Prayer Schedule
The parish keeps a focused weekly schedule centered on a Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m., a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m., and a Tuesday daily Mass at 6:00 p.m. A Tamil-language Mass is celebrated on the second Sunday of every month at 5:00 p.m. The parish also publishes recorded Masses on YouTube (channel: St. Margaret Mary Golden Valley) for those unable to attend in person.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:00 PM (English)
- Sunday Mass — 10:00 AM (English), with Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Tamil Mass — 5:00 PM on the 2nd Sunday of each month
- Tuesday Daily Mass — 6:00 PM (English)
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday — No Mass
- Recorded Masses available on the parish YouTube channel
Faith Formation
Faith Formation at St. Margaret Mary serves both adults and school-age children. The school-age program is combined with neighboring St. Joseph, New Hope for grades 1-8, while the Confirmation program is run directly by St. Margaret Mary. Adult Faith Formation, coordinated by Jean Plucinski, includes an Adult Faith Formation Committee that meets ten months a year to plan adult events, plus adult-to-adult catechist opportunities.
- Adult Faith Formation Committee (plans and assesses adult events)
- Adult-to-Adult Catechist opportunities
- Faith Formation for Children (grades 1-8) — shared with St. Joseph, New Hope
- Confirmation Program — parish-based at St. Margaret Mary
- RCIA Sponsor teams
- Faith Formation contact: [email protected]
Shared Ministry (Volunteer Opportunities)
The parish's Shared Ministry page lists active volunteer roles for parishioners who want to put faith into action, from leading children's liturgy to catechist teams to event planning. Catechist roles include ongoing in-service training, while adult roles emphasize formation and leadership in adult faith life.
- Sunday Morning Liturgy of the Word for Children Leader (one Sunday/month)
- Wednesday Night Catechist
- Wednesday Night Assistant Catechist
- Substitute Catechist
- RCIA Sponsor
- Adult Faith Formation Committee member
Music and Liturgy
Music and Liturgy at St. Margaret Mary is led by Mary Bur, Director of Music and Liturgy, with more than 25 years of parish experience as music minister, liturgy director, pianist, cantor and choir director. Her formal training is in Music Education, and she is completing a Certificate in Liturgy from the University of Notre Dame. The parish also produces recorded Masses (Saturdays, Sundays, and Funeral Masses) shared on its YouTube channel.
- Director of Music and Liturgy: Mary Bur ([email protected])
- Roles: music minister, liturgy director, pianist, cantor, choir director
- Recorded Masses on YouTube: St. Margaret Mary Golden Valley
Contact and Parish Center
The Parish Center is at 2323 Zenith Avenue North in Golden Valley, MN 55422. Office hours run Tuesday through Thursday from 9 AM to 3 PM and Friday from 9 AM to noon (the office is closed Mondays). The general inbox is [email protected]; specific staff email addresses are listed on the contact page for Music Ministry, Finance Administration, Faith Formation, and Adult Faith Formation.
- Address: 2323 Zenith Avenue North, Golden Valley, MN 55422
- Phone: 763-588-9466
- Office hours: Tuesday-Thursday 9 AM-3 PM; Friday 9 AM-noon; closed Monday
- General email: [email protected]
- Music: [email protected] | Finance: [email protected] | Faith Formation: [email protected] | Adult Faith: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend John Phelan1946-
Celebrated the parish's first Mass on January 14, 1946, in the basement of the administration building at Glenwood Hills Hospital.
- Reverend Thomas Rayar2016-present
Originally from Punalvasal in southeastern India; ordained 1993; came to the United States in 1995; previously pastor at St. Raphael's (Crystal), St. Rose of Lima (Roseville), St. Luke's (Clearwater), and St. Francis Xavier (Buffalo). Started at St. Margaret Mary on September 1, 2016.