About St. Mary · Deer River, Minnesota
St. Mary Catholic Church is a small rural parish serving the lakes-and-forests communities of northern Minnesota from the town of Deer River in Itasca County. It is the anchor church of the three-parish Lake Winnie Catholic Parishes cluster, which also includes St. Joseph Mission in Ball Club and St. Charles in Cass Lake, all within the Diocese of Duluth. The parish gathers for Sunday Mass at 8:30 a.m. and offers weekday Masses on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, along with weekly Eucharistic Adoration and a strong Faith Formation program. Under the pastoral care of Father Kuriakose Nediakala (Fr. KK) of the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS), and with three dedicated lay staff, the parish combines traditional Catholic sacramental life with active outreach, faith formation and parish-cluster fellowship.
- Established
- circa early 1900s (parish register from 1912)
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Kuriakose Nediakala, MCBS (Fr. KK)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Duluth (Bishop Daniel Felton)
Why belong here
St. Mary offers a faithful, family-sized Catholic community in the heart of Minnesota's lake country, with several Masses each week, frequent Confession opportunities, a weekly Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, and year-round faith formation for children and youth. As the anchor church of the Lake Winnie Catholic Parishes cluster, parishioners enjoy close fellowship across three rural parishes and an active parish life — from Bible study and the Seven Sisters Apostolate of prayer for priests, to the Catholic summer softball league. It is a great place for visitors, seasonal residents and snowbirds exploring the Deer River / Cass Lake / Ball Club region who want a welcoming Mass to attend.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:20 AM (before 8:30 Mass)
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM (about 30 minutes before weekday Mass)
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (during Adoration)
- Thursday: 30 minutes before 8:30 AM Mass
- Friday: 30 minutes before 8:30 AM Mass
- or by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday — Holy Hour, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (immediately following 8:30 AM daily Mass)
- Wednesday — 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (beginning directly after Mass)
Parish Cluster — Lake Winnie Catholic Parishes
St. Mary is the anchor church of the Lake Winnie Catholic Parishes cluster, which unites three rural Catholic communities of northern Minnesota under one pastor and one administrative office. The joint parish office is located at St. Mary's in Deer River, and the cluster shares staff, a bulletin program, faith formation and online giving.
- St. Mary, Deer River — Sunday 8:30 AM, Tue/Wed weekday Mass
- St. Joseph Mission, Ball Club — Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM
- St. Charles, Cass Lake — Sunday 11:00 AM; Thu/Fri weekday Mass
- Cluster name honors Lake Winnibigoshish ('Lake Winnie')
- Joint parish office at St. Mary, 15 1st Ave. NE, Deer River
Pastor, Clergy and Parish Staff
The parish is led by a pastor from the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS) supported by a tight lay-staff team that handles secretarial, financial and faith-formation duties. Three of the staff work at the parish office on Tuesdays through Fridays.
- Pastor: Rev. Kuriakose Nediakala, MCBS — 'Fr. KK' ([email protected], 218-246-2517)
- Secretary / Bulletin Coordinator: Rick Norris
- Bookkeeper: Kathy Gullickson
- Director of Religious Education: Liann Bommersbach ([email protected], cell 360-463-0517)
- Bishop of the Diocese of Duluth: Most Rev. Daniel Felton
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation is a major ministry at St. Mary. The Director of Religious Education, Liann Bommersbach, coordinates a parish program that grows children and youth in their relationship with Jesus through Scripture, virtue, prayer and the Sacraments. Parents are expected to participate in sessions and reinforce Christian values at home.
- Classes for Elementary, Middle School and High School students
- Online registration available through the parish website
- Calendar, handbook and Circle of Grace opt-out form downloadable online
- Diocesan-mandated Safe Environment training required for all volunteers
- Faith Formation calendar for the 2025–26 year is available online
Sacraments
St. Mary offers the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church — the Eucharist, Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, Baptism, Marriage and sacramental preparation through the Faith Formation program. Reconciliation is widely available before Mass and during Adoration. Couples and families should contact the parish office for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation and Marriage preparation.
- Holy Mass — see Mass Times section
- Confession — Sun/Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri + by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration — Wed and Fri
- Baptism, Marriage, First Eucharist and Confirmation preparation — contact parish office
- Faith Formation sacramental preparation for school-aged children
Bible Study & Spiritual Programs
Adult faith enrichment is an important part of cluster life. A new Bible Study has been announced for 2026, with both online sign-up on the parish homepage and paper sign-up available in the church vestibule. During Lent the parish joins other Catholic parishes worldwide in the St. Paul Center video series 'His Seven Last Words by Dr. Scott Hahn.'
- 2026 Bible Study — sign up via parish website or at the parish church
- Lent 30-minute weekly reflections on Christ's Seven Last Words with Dr. Scott Hahn (Free)
- Sacred music performed by the men's ensemble Floriani accompanies the videos
- Sign up at stpaulcenter.com/lent
Outreach & Vocations — Seven Sisters
The parish is launching a Seven Sisters Apostolate at the cluster level — a Holy Hour dedicated each week by one of seven women praying for the spiritual well-being of their pastor. Seven Sisters groups have become a popular way of supporting priests in the Diocese of Duluth and beyond.
- Cluster-wide Seven Sisters Apostolate being started for Fr. KK
- Seven women needed to launch the first cycle of prayer
- Contact parish office (218-246-8582) to sign up
Parish Life & Fellowship
Beyond the sacraments, St. Mary enjoys a lively and down-to-earth community life. The cluster hosts an annual Catholic Summer Softball schedule, has online giving through WeShare, and participates in seasonal events and bulletins shared across St. Mary, St. Charles and St. Joseph Mission.
- Catholic Summer Softball schedule (cluster)
- Bulletin coordination across all three cluster parishes
- Online giving through WeShare
- Joint calendar announcements and parish news on lakewinniecatholicparishes.com
Visiting & Office Info
The parish welcomes visitors, seasonal residents, and snowbirds traveling through Itasca County and the lake country of northern Minnesota. The Deer River Parish Office is the cluster's administrative hub and is staffed four days a week.
- Address: 15 1st Ave. NE, Deer River, MN 56636 (PO Box 98)
- Phone: 218-246-8582 — Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tue–Fri 9:00 AM – 12:00 noon; closed Mondays
- Driving: Hwy. 2 into Deer River, north on Hwy. 6 one block, right onto 1st Ave.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Kuriakose Nediakala, MCBS (Fr. KK)Until recent diocesan reassignment
Member of the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament; served as pastor of the Lake Winnie Catholic Parishes cluster (St. Mary Deer River, St. Joseph Ball Club, St. Charles Cass Lake).
- Rev. Trevor PetersonAssigned effective July 1 (most recent diocesan announcement)
Transferred from sacramental minister of St. Agnes (Walker) and Sacred Heart (Hackensack) to pastor of St. Mary, Deer River; St. Joseph, Ball Club; and St. Charles, Cass Lake, by Bishop Daniel Felton.