St. Mary

About St. Mary's Parish

St. Mary's is a Roman Catholic parish in Chokio, Minnesota, in the Diocese of Saint Cloud. The parish serves about 120 families and gathers weekly for Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. and Tuesday Mass at 8:30 a.m. The parish describes itself as one that 'worships and works together,' with active lay participation across liturgical, formation and fundraising ministries.

History

Catholic life in the Chokio area began in 1895 when Mass was first celebrated in private homes, with a priest traveling by train from Collis. Two parish families donated land, and the community raised funds to build the first church, in which Mass was first celebrated on March 25, 1897. As the congregation grew, the current church was dedicated on June 21, 1959, and a parish hall with a full kitchen, gathering space and classrooms below was added in 1984.

• 1895 — first home Masses in the area, priest traveling by train from Collis
• March 25, 1897 — first Mass in the original church (Feast of the Annunciation)
• June 21, 1959 — current church dedicated
• 1984 — parish hall added (kitchen, gathering space, lower-level classrooms)
• May 2019 — MAAA Area Catholic Community formed with Ave Maria (Wheaton), St. Anthony of Padua (Browns Valley), and Assumption (Morris)

MAAA Area Catholic Community

Since May 2019, St. Mary's has been part of the MAAA Area Catholic Community — a pastoral commission of four rural prairie parishes in the southwestern portion of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. MAAA stands for Mary's (Chokio), Ave Maria (Wheaton), St. Anthony of Padua (Browns Valley), and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Morris). Father John Paul Knopik serves St. Mary's, St. Anthony's and Ave Maria. The ACC shares a combined Confirmation Mass (rotating sites), bulletins, youth retreats, and events such as the Shroud of Turin visit and Eucharistic Revival programming.

• M — Mary's, Chokio
• A — Ave Maria, Wheaton
• A — St. Anthony of Padua, Browns Valley
• A — Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Morris
• Combined Confirmation Mass at rotating sites
• ACC picnic held in Chokio on August 2, 2025 with Bishop Patrick Neary

Parish Staff & Leadership

The parish is led by Father John Paul Knopik, who can be reached at the parish office. Sandi Marlow-Weber serves as Secretary/Bookkeeper. The parish is represented on the MAAA ACC Council by Fr. John Paul Knopik, David Asfeld, Rachel Schott (ACC Secretary/Treasurer) and Sandi Marlow-Weber.

• Fr. John Paul Knopik — Pastor (320-324-2680, [email protected])
• Sandi Marlow-Weber — Secretary/Bookkeeper ([email protected])
• Rachel Schott — Parish/ACC Council (ACC Secretary/Treasurer)
• David Asfeld — Parish/ACC Council

Faith Formation & Youth

Faith Formation classes for parish children are held on Sundays during the school year, before or around the 8:00 a.m. Mass. The parish also has an active youth group that hosts an annual Palm Sunday Brunch. The MAAA ACC brings students together across parishes for combined events, including a summer Totus Tuus youth program held at Ave Maria June 9–14, 2024, and shared retreats such as the Confirmation Retreat.

• Faith Formation classes — Sundays during the school year
• Parish youth group — hosts annual Palm Sunday Brunch
• Totus Tuus summer youth program with MAAA ACC
• Combined Confirmation Retreat with MAAA ACC

Liturgical Ministries & Volunteer Groups

Parishioners serve in a wide range of liturgical and parish-life roles. The parish relies on council members, lectors, sacristans, choir members, altar servers, faith-formation teachers and students, Christian Mothers, guild members and youth-group members. Christian Mothers and the Women's Guild are long-standing parish organizations, and a Polka Mass is celebrated each year for parishioners and visitors of all ages.

• Parish Council
• Lectors
• Sacristans
• Choir
• Altar Servers
• Christian Mothers
• Guild
• Youth Group
• Annual Polka Mass

Annual Fall Bazaar & Fundraising

The Fall Bazaar, held the last Saturday in October at the parish center, is a community highlight that draws people from across the area. Each Wednesday throughout the year, a group of volunteers gathers to make seasonal crafts and household items for the bazaar. The event features a bake sale, crafts, grab bags, a country store, and a homemade soup, chili and barbecue lunch that frequently sells out. A calendar raffle and Bazaar raffle with donated and cash prizes raise funds for the parish's ongoing financial needs.

• Annual Fall Bazaar — last Saturday in October, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Weekly craft-making on Wednesdays year-round
• Bake sale, crafts, grab bags, country store
• Homemade soup, chili and barbecue lunch
• Calendar raffle and Bazaar raffle with quilt, cash, gift certificates and prizes

Sacraments

St. Mary's celebrates the Sunday and weekday Eucharist and offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Tuesday evenings. Confirmation is celebrated in a combined Mass with the other MAAA ACC parishes, rotating among the churches; Bishop Patrick M. Neary celebrated a combined Confirmation at St. Mary's on March 3, 2024. Eucharistic Adoration is offered as part of the Tuesday 'Hour of Power.'

• Eucharist — Sunday 8:00 a.m. and Tuesday 8:30 a.m.
• Reconciliation — Tuesday 5:30–6:00 p.m.
• Eucharistic Adoration — Tuesday 7:00 a.m.
• Confirmation — combined with MAAA ACC