About St. Mary · Winnebago, Minnesota
St. Mary's in Winnebago, Minnesota, is a small Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester with roots stretching back to 1892, when the first Mass was offered in town and the parish was formally dedicated in 1893. For more than a century the parish sustained regular weekend worship, served in its early decades by visiting circuit-riding priests from Blue Earth and then, from 1912 onward, by its own resident pastor. Because of a shortage of priests in the diocese, in 2022 the parish was reclassified as an oratory: it is no longer the site of a regular weekend Mass schedule, but it remains a place of prayer and is used for occasional Masses, funerals, weddings, and parish gatherings. Since February 1, 2023, St. Mary's has been formally merged into Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Blue Earth, and the Winnebago oratory is now part of the larger Faith Ministries cluster that includes Ss. Peter & Paul (Blue Earth), St. John Vianney (Fairmont), and Holy Family (East Chain), sharing one pastoral team.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Jeffrey Dobbs
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Why belong here
St. Mary's is the Catholic home of generations of Winnebago families — six generations in some cases — and although regular weekend Masses now take place at the cluster parishes in Blue Earth and Fairmont, the oratory building remains open for prayer, occasional Masses, funerals, weddings, and the parish's annual celebrations. The community gathers around Word and Sacrament, faith formation for all ages, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and outreach to those in need, all within a tight-knit southern Minnesota rural Catholic tradition.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:45 PM at St. John Vianney, Fairmont
- Sunday 7:45–8:15 AM at St. John Vianney, Fairmont
- Sunday 9:30–10:15 AM at Ss. Peter & Paul, Blue Earth
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Exposition and Adoration in the Adoration chapel: Sunday evening and throughout the day Monday through Friday (St. John Vianney, Fairmont)
About the Parish & Oratory
St. Mary's is a small Roman Catholic oratory in Winnebago, Minnesota, in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Originally established in 1892–1893, the parish was reclassified as an oratory in 2022 and merged with Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Blue Earth effective February 1, 2023, because of a shortage of priests available to serve rural congregations. St. Mary's building remains open for prayer and is used for occasional Masses, funerals, weddings, and annual parish gatherings.
Our Mission Statement
The parish mission statement, shared by Ss. Peter & Paul in Blue Earth and St. Mary's Oratory in Winnebago, reads: 'We the Catholic faithful of Ss. Peter & Paul Church in Blue Earth, Minnesota, and St. Mary Oratory in Winnebago, Minnesota, made God's children in baptism, strive by grace to be faithful in Word and Sacrament in building up our community of faith, stewarding our God-given time, talent and treasure for the greater glory of God, for the catechesis and faith formation of all our members, for the relief of the needy and for the evangelization of the inactive and unchurched.'
Parish History
St. Mary's traces its origins to November 1892, when the opening Mass was offered in Winnebago, and to its formal Dedication Service in 1893. In its early decades the parish was served by a circuit-riding priest from Blue Earth, Father Hughes, who came once a month in winter and twice a month in summer. The first church was a 36-by-70-foot frame building constructed at a cost of $3,000 on the northeast corner of town; it was relocated four blocks west in 1905 at a cost of $150.
- 1892 — Opening service of the congregation (November)
- 1893 — Dedication Service, the year the parish recognizes as its founding
- 1905 — Original church moved four blocks west at a cost of $150
- 1912 — Father William Colbert becomes Winnebago's first resident priest
- 1938 — Present church building constructed at a cost of $30,000
- 1939 — Original frame church demolished after the new building was occupied
- 1964 — Catechetical School built east of the church
- 2018 — Parish celebrates its 125th anniversary
- 2022 — Reclassified as an oratory; regular weekend Masses end in Winnebago
- February 1, 2023 — Parish merged with Ss. Peter & Paul, Blue Earth
Buildings & Campus
The present St. Mary's church was built in 1938 during the recovery years at the close of the Great Depression and paid off in just over five years. A Catechetical School was added to the east of the church in 1964; in its first years the building hosted two weeks of summer religious-education classes following the public-school year, and the building is now rented to Tri-Valley Head Start. The oratory basement continues to be used for parish meals.
- 1938 church building (current)
- 1964 Catechetical School / education building
- Oratory basement used for meals and gatherings
Cluster Parishes
St. Mary's Oratory is part of a four-parish cluster sharing one pastoral team in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester: Ss. Peter & Paul in Blue Earth (214 S Holland St), St. John Vianney in Fairmont (901 S Prairie Ave), Holy Family in East Chain, and St. Mary's Oratory in Winnebago.
- Ss. Peter & Paul — 214 S Holland St, Blue Earth, MN 56013
- St. John Vianney — 901 S Prairie Ave, Fairmont, MN 56031
- Holy Family — East Chain, MN
- St. Mary's Oratory — 32 1st St. NE, Winnebago, MN 56098
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Leadership
Fr. Jeffrey Dobbs was appointed Pastor of St. John Vianney, Ss. Peter & Paul, and Holy Family parishes (with St. Mary's Oratory part of the cluster) effective July 1, 2023, coming from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona where he had served as Director of Spiritual Life. Fr. Nicholas Gawarecki, ordained June 8, 2024, was appointed Parochial Vicar of the cluster effective June 9, 2024; Fr. Kurt Farrell served as Parochial Administrator for July 2024. The parish's lay staff includes Angie Nagel (Faith Formation / Youth Ministry) and Pat Boettcher (Secretary).
- Fr. Jeffrey Dobbs — Pastor
- Fr. Nicholas Gawarecki — Parochial Vicar (since June 9, 2024)
- Fr. Kurt Farrell — Parochial Administrator (July 2024)
- Angie Nagel — Faith Formation / Youth Ministry (507-526-5626, [email protected])
- Pat Boettcher — Secretary (507-526-5626, [email protected])
Ministries & Faith Formation
Parish life centers on Word and Sacrament, faith formation for all ages, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and outreach. Programming includes faith formation and youth ministry coordinated by Angie Nagel, an Adoration chapel, Women's Bible Study, the Alpha program, and the RCIA / OCIA process for adults becoming Catholic. First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation is handled through the cluster parishes — Tamarae Schmidt at St. John Vianney and Angie Nagel at Ss. Peter & Paul.
- Faith Formation / Religious Education
- Youth Ministry
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
- Women's Bible Study
- Alpha
- RCIA / OCIA — Becoming Catholic
- First Reconciliation & First Communion preparation
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments through its cluster arrangement. Confession is offered at scheduled times at St. John Vianney and Ss. Peter & Paul and by appointment; funerals, weddings, and occasional Masses continue to be celebrated at St. Mary's Oratory in Winnebago.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Eucharist / First Communion
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Matrimony
- Holy Orders (vocations supported)
- Funerals (held at St. Mary's Oratory)
- Weddings (held at St. Mary's Oratory)
Diocese of Winona-Rochester
St. Mary's Oratory is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester, which is led by Bishop Robert Barron. The diocesan directory lists St. Mary's as merged with Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Blue Earth effective February 1, 2023.
- Diocese: Winona-Rochester
- Bishop: Most Reverend Robert Barron
- Diocesan directory notes parish merged with Ss. Peter & Paul as of 2/1/2023
Contact & Location
Parish office correspondence is handled through the cluster. The oratory building itself remains at 32 1st St. NE in Winnebago, while mail and phone inquiries are routed through the Ss. Peter & Paul parish office in Blue Earth.
- Address: 32 1st St. NE, Winnebago, MN 56098
- Phone: (507) 526-5626
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.fmcatholic.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Hughes of Blue Earth1892s–early 1900s
Circuit-riding priest from Blue Earth who celebrated Mass once a month in winter and twice a month in summer.
- Father William Colbert1912 onward
First resident priest of Winnebago, ending the era of the circuit rider.
- Fr. Andrew BeermanPrior to July 1, 2023
Served the four-parish cluster (Ss. Peter & Paul, St. John Vianney, Holy Family, and St. Mary's); reassigned as Pastor of St. Augustine and St. Edward parishes in Austin effective July 1, 2023.
- Fr. Gregory Parrott
Co-served the four-parish cluster with Fr. Beerman; later appointed Parochial Administrator of St. Ignatius, St. Finbarr, and St. Patrick parishes effective July 1, 2024.
- Fr. Jeffrey DobbsJuly 1, 2023–present
Appointed Pastor of St. John Vianney (Fairmont), Ss. Peter & Paul (Blue Earth), and Holy Family (East Chain) effective July 1, 2023, with St. Mary's Oratory in Winnebago now part of that cluster.