About St. Mary · Little Falls, Minnesota
St. Mary is a Catholic parish in Little Falls, Minnesota, one of six parishes that make up the Haven of Mercy Area Catholic Community (ACC) serving Little Falls, Randall, Flensburg, and Sobieski. The parish is part of the Diocese of St. Cloud and worships in a church dedicated in 1957, built on the site of the former Sacred Heart Church that was destroyed by fire in 1946. St. Mary's contemporary story is rooted in the 1944 merger of the French-Canadian St. Francis Xavier parish and the German Sacred Heart parish, with the Polish St. Adalbert community joining later — a unique history Bishop Donald Kettler celebrated when the parish marked its 150th anniversary in June 2018.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (parish dedicated to St. Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Ben (Haven of Mercy ACC pastor, as referenced in marriage-prep materials)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
St. Mary's is a welcoming, long-established parish at the heart of the Haven of Mercy Area Catholic Community, offering Mass in English throughout the week, weekday Reconciliation on Wednesday morning and Saturday afternoon, and a clear path into parish life through marriage preparation, faith formation, and youth ministry. Visitors and parishioners can draw on a wide network of six ACC parishes, with shared sacramental prep, a vibrant 1-10 Faith Formation program for children, and active youth ministry — all rooted in a parish whose Catholic community on the east side of Little Falls has endured for over 150 years.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM (not offered during summer months)
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
- Sunday 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM
About St. Mary Parish
St. Mary is a Catholic parish located at 305 4th Street SE in Little Falls, Minnesota, and is part of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. The parish belongs to the Haven of Mercy Area Catholic Community, a family of six parishes — Holy Family, Our Lady of Lourdes, Sacred Heart, St. James, St. Mary's, and St. Stanislaus — that together serve the Little Falls, Randall, Flensburg, and Sobieski area. The parish traces its roots to 1868, making the Catholic community on the east side of Little Falls one of the oldest in the region.
Parish History
St. Mary's unique history is really the story of four successive congregations. In 1868 Father Ignatius Tomazin organized San Salvador Parish for French-Canadian families who had left St. Andrew's in Belle Prairie; in 1892 Father Arthur Lamothe renamed it St. Francis Xavier and rebuilt the church. A German parish followed in 1886 (Sacred Heart, with Father William Lange celebrating the first Mass in the Morrison County Court House on Christmas Day), and a Polish community added St. Adalbert's on Seventh Street SE in 1896 under Father John Guzdek.
- 1868 – San Salvador Parish founded by Father Ignatius Tomazin
- 1886 – German Sacred Heart parish established; first Mass by Father William Lange in the Morrison County Court House on Christmas Day
- 1892 – San Salvador renamed St. Francis Xavier by Father Arthur Lamothe
- 1896 – St. Adalbert's Catholic Church built for the Polish community (pastor: Father John Guzdek)
- August 2, 1944 – Bishop Busch decrees the merger of St. Francis Xavier and Sacred Heart into St. Mary Parish
- February 28, 1946 – Sacred Heart church burns (cause unknown, began in the attic)
- June 12, 1957 – Present St. Mary church dedicated on the site of the old Sacred Heart church
- 1950s – St. Adalbert administered by St. Mary's
- 1970 – St. Adalbert formally merges into St. Mary's; the building is sold and demolished in 1976
- June 24, 2018 – 150th anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Donald Kettler
Haven of Mercy Area Catholic Community
St. Mary's is one of six parishes that together form the Haven of Mercy Area Catholic Community (ACC), which serves Little Falls, Randall, Flensburg, and Sobieski in Morrison County. The combined community shares sacramental preparation, faith formation, and youth ministry across parishes, and uses a single website at havenofmercycatholic.org. In 2023 the parishes of Holy Family, Our Lady of Lourdes, Sacred Heart, St. James, St. Mary's, and St. Stanislaus were formally combined under the Haven of Mercy banner.
- Holy Family – Little Falls (Belle Prairie)
- Our Lady of Lourdes – Little Falls area
- Sacred Heart – Flensburg (hosts the ACC's Sunday Latin Mass)
- St. James – Randall
- St. Mary's – Little Falls
- St. Stanislaus – Sobieski
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the Eucharist and Reconciliation on the regular weekly schedule above. For Matrimony, engaged couples are asked to contact the parish office upon engagement, or at least six months before their desired wedding date, to schedule a meeting with Fr. Ben or Fr. Patrick, complete the Fully Engaged Inventory, and begin working with a trained mentor couple. The parish also walks couples through Marriage Convalidation for those whose civil marriage is to be recognized by the Church, including a Diocese of St. Cloud marriage retreat.
- Eucharist – see Mass schedule
- Reconciliation – four weekly times at St. Mary's
- Matrimony – six-month preparation process with mentor couple
- Marriage Convalidation – for previously civil marriages
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The Haven of Mercy ACC runs a 1-10 Faith Formation program that meets on Wednesday evenings throughout the school year for students in grades 1 through 10. The program depends on volunteer small-group leaders, teachers, and adorers; volunteers working with youth must complete a background check and Diocese of St. Cloud training. A separate Youth Group is run out of the ACC for older teens.
- 1-10 Faith Formation (Wed evenings during school year)
- Volunteer catechists and small-group leaders
- Youth Group
- Diocese-required background check & training for youth volunteers
Clergy & Staff
St. Mary's is served through the Haven of Mercy Area Catholic Community, with Fr. Ben and Fr. Patrick named on the parish website as the priests who meet with engaged couples for marriage preparation. Inquiries can be directed to the parish office at [email protected] or (320) 632-8243.
- Fr. Ben (320-639-2669 – marriage prep contact)
- Fr. Patrick
- Parish office: [email protected]
Visit & Contact
St. Mary's is located at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 4th Street SE in Little Falls, Minnesota 56345. The parish office can be reached at (320) 632-8243, and the parish email is [email protected]. The full Haven of Mercy ACC website at havenofmercycatholic.org carries bulletins, the parish directory, and up-to-date Mass and event information for St. Mary's and the other five ACC parishes.
- Address: 305 4th St. SE, Little Falls, MN 56345
- Phone: (320) 632-8243
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: havenofmercycatholic.org/st-marys-church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Ignatius Tomazin1868
Organized the first Catholic parish in Little Falls (San Salvador)
- Father Arthur Lamothe1892
Renamed San Salvador to St. Francis Xavier and rebuilt the church