About St. Mary · Worthington, Minnesota
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a multi-cultural Roman Catholic parish in Worthington, Minnesota, in the Diocese of Winona–Rochester. The parish, pastored by Father Raul Silva with Parochial Vicar Father Jordan Danielson, serves one of the most ethnically diverse Catholic communities in southwestern Minnesota, with weekend Masses celebrated in both English and Spanish. The parish operates an attached parish school (St. Mary's School, founded in 1950) and runs an extensive lineup of faith formation, youth, music, and outreach ministries aimed at accompanying immigrant families from Latin America and longtime Minnesota parishioners side by side.
- Established
- 1880s (Archbishop Ireland's colonization era; parish school founded 1950)
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father Raul Silva
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winona–Rochester
Why belong here
St. Mary's is a bilingual, missionary-discipleship parish where newcomers are welcomed into a Catholic community shaped by immigrants from many continents. Whether a family is looking for an English or Spanish Mass, a Catholic grade school (Preschool–Grade 8), faith formation for children and youth, Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, the Knights of Columbus, the Rosary Society, or outreach to the homebound and those in need through the Social Concerns and Respect Life committees, there is an obvious place to belong. The parish's stated mission is to 'Build a Church of Missionary Disciples by Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and reaching the poor,' and its core values are intentional hospitality, contagious joy, and faithful, Christ-centered worship.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 pm
- Saturday 6:30 pm
- Sunday 8:30 am
- Sunday 10:30 am
- 30 minutes before Daily Masses if a priest is available
Adoration times
- Every Thursday, after the 8:30 am Mass until 7:30 pm
About St. Mary's Catholic Church
St. Mary's is a multi-cultural Roman Catholic parish in Worthington, Minnesota, in the Diocese of Winona–Rochester. According to the parish's own 'About' page, 'our community of immigrants from all continents reaches out in service to accompany all on their faith journey.' The parish's stated Mission is to 'Build a Church of Missionary Disciples by Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and reaching the poor,' and its Vision is to 'Share Jesus crucified and risen so that every heart is restored.' The parish lists its core values as intentional hospitality, contagious joy, and faithful, Christ-centered worship, and emphasizes a 'deep, personal relationship with Jesus Christ' for every parishioner.
- Mission: Build a Church of Missionary Disciples by Preaching the Gospel and reaching the poor.
- Vision: Share Jesus crucified and risen so that every heart is restored.
- Core Values: intentional hospitality, contagious joy, faithful and Christ-centered worship.
- Parish is part of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester.
History & Heritage
St. Mary's roots go back to the wave of Catholic colonization that Archbishop John Ireland of St. Paul brought to the open prairies of southwestern Minnesota in the 1880s. For more than a century the parish has gathered successive waves of Catholic immigrants — first the Irish, German and other European families of the original colony, and in recent decades large numbers of Latino families drawn to Worthington by its meat-packing and agricultural industries. Today the parish describes itself as 'a community of immigrants from all continents' and lives out that identity in its bilingual liturgy and outreach. The parish also operates St. Mary's School, which has served families from the greater Worthington area since 1950.
- Founded in the 1880s as part of Archbishop John Ireland's Catholic colonization of southwestern Minnesota.
- Parish school (St. Mary's School) founded in 1950, currently Preschool–Grade 8.
- Today a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish community serving immigrants from many countries.
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is currently led by Father Raul Silva as Pastor, who introduces himself on the parish website with 'I'm Father Raul and I'm your pastor here at St. Mary's Parish.' He is assisted by Father Jordan Danielson, Parochial Vicar, and Deacon Vernon Behrends. The lay staff includes Sandra Pineda (Director of Faith Formation), Luz M. Cazaras (Administrative Assistant), Peggy Herrig (Liturgy), Jeff Homan (Custodian), and Judy (Trustee & Cemetery). The parish contact line is 507-376-6005, with Father Raul also reachable directly at 507-343-8077 and Fr. Jordan at 507-343-8157.
- Fr. Raul Silva — Pastor (507-343-8077)
- Fr. Jordan Danielson — Parochial Vicar (507-343-8157)
- Deacon Vernon Behrends
- Sandra Pineda — Director of Faith Formation
- Luz M. Cazaras — Administrative Assistant
- Peggy Herrig — Liturgy
- Jeff Homan — Custodian
- Judy — Trustee & Cemetery
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments and provides preparation for each. Its 'Sacraments & Special Events' page lists Baptism, First Reconciliation & First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and OCIA (Becoming Catholic). The parish notes that Confirmation 'is usually the last sacrament our young adults receive before leaving home' and that those sacraments are meant 'to lead you closer to Christ.' For emergencies, the parish provides Anointing of the Sick on call by dialing the parish office at 507-376-6005.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation & First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick (emergency line 507-376-6005)
- OCIA / RCIA — Becoming Catholic
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Mary's is described as 'a continuous, lifelong process,' and the parish offers programs for every age. Its mission statement borrows the famous line from Fr. Patrick Peyton: 'The family that prays together stays together.' Sandra Pineda is the Director of Faith Formation, and parishioners can sign up through the parish website to register children, learn about upcoming activities and communicate with the Director. Children are encouraged to integrate religious truth into their lives through regular Mass attendance and family prayer at home.
- Lifelong, family-based faith formation programs.
- Sandra Pineda, Director of Faith Formation.
- Families encouraged to attend weekly Mass and pray together at home.
Youth Ministry
The parish's Youth Ministry brings together middle school and high school students 'with dynamic activities and engaging programs that inspire and challenge them in their faith journey.' The ministry offers high-energy retreats, service projects, and faith-based social events, creating a space where young Catholics can explore their faith, build lasting friendships and deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Middle School and High School programming.
- Retreats, service projects, faith-based social events.
- Contact Libby, the parish youth minister, via the parish website sign-up.
Music Ministry
Music Ministry is described by the parish as 'an integral part of our parish.' Volunteers provide music for weekend Masses, all Holy Day Masses, and holiday Masses. The parish is bilingual, so the music repertoire draws on resources like Breaking Bread, Spirit & Song, and Flor y Canto, which a prior pastor and music director used to bridge the Anglo and Hispanic communities. Anyone who plays an instrument or enjoys singing is welcome to join.
- Music for weekend Masses, Holy Days and holidays.
- Bilingual repertoire (English and Spanish).
- Instrumentalists and singers welcome.
Outreach & Social Concerns
The Social Concerns Committee of St. Mary's 'follows Jesus' call to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need (Matthew 25:31) through prayer, advocacy, stewardship, service, and collaboration. We are guided by the Catholic principles of social justice.' It is dedicated to all in need within the parish, the community and the world, including those challenged by poverty, homelessness, disability and injustice. Its projects include the parish Jesse Tree, assistance for families in transitional-apartment living, nursing-home gifts, jail ministry, and the inclusion of parishioners with disabilities. The Respect Life Committee 'promotes the sanctity of life from conception to natural death' and assists those working with people in crisis to make decisions that affirm God's gift of life.
- Social Concerns Committee — Jesse Tree, transitional-apartment support, nursing-home gifts, jail ministry, disability inclusion.
- Respect Life Committee — sanctity of life from conception to natural death.
- Homebound Ministry — rotating Communion visits to parishioners who cannot attend Mass.
- Funeral Hospitality — supports grieving families with funeral luncheons.
St. Mary's School
St. Mary's School is the parish's Catholic grade school, founded in 1950 and located on the parish grounds in Worthington. The school serves Preschool through Grade 8 with small class sizes (averaging about 8 students) and a current enrollment of roughly 74 students. Its motto is 'Forming tomorrow's saints today,' and its mission reads: 'St. Mary's School is a Christ-centered learning community that embraces all of God's children and is committed to Catholic faith formation, academic excellence, and practicing Christian service. Enter to learn; Go forth to serve.' David Stone serves as Principal.
- Founded in 1950.
- Preschool through Grade 8.
- Enrollment approximately 74 students; average class size about 8.
- Motto: 'Forming tomorrow's saints today.'
- Principal: David Stone.
Parish Life & Community Groups
Beyond the Mass and the sacraments, St. Mary's offers several ways for parishioners to build community and grow in faith. Small Communities groups meet in lecture, discussion, and online formats on a variety of topics. The Knights of Columbus council is active in the parish, and the Rosary Society promotes Marian devotion and leads the rosary at wakes for parishioners. Funeral Hospitality volunteers organize the funeral luncheon to support grieving families.
- Small Communities — Bible-study and discussion groups.
- Knights of Columbus.
- Rosary Society.
- Funeral Hospitality.
Visit, Contact & Location
St. Mary's Catholic Church is located at 1215 7th Avenue, Worthington, MN 56187. The parish office can be reached at (507) 376-6005. The parish is listed in the Diocese of Winona–Rochester's official directory and on GCatholic (Church ID 32155). The parish is bilingual, with weekend Masses and sacramental preparation offered in both English and Spanish.
- Address: 1215 7th Avenue, Worthington, MN 56187.
- Phone: (507) 376-6005.
- Diocese: Diocese of Winona–Rochester.
- GCatholic ID: 32155.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. JimPrior pastor (ca. 2010s)
Featured in OCP profile for helping unite Anglos and Hispanics through multilingual liturgical music; envisioned a single unified Mass for all cultures.