About St. Mary's University of Minnesota · Winona, Minnesota
St. Mary's University of Minnesota is a Lasallian Catholic university in Winona, Minnesota, founded in 1912 by Bishop Patrick R. Heffron, the second bishop of Winona, and entrusted to the De La Salle Christian Brothers in 1933. Campus Ministry — housed in Saint Mary's Hall (SM 100) on the Winona campus — serves as the spiritual heart of the university, providing daily and Sunday Mass in Saint Thomas More Chapel, retreats, service immersion trips, peer ministry, and community life rooted in the tradition of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, Patron Saint of Teachers. The office is led by University Chaplain Fr. Kevin Stolt, IVE, and Director of Campus Ministry Eamon Naughton, alongside a team of student peer ministers and supported by Fr. Nathan LaLiberte, SGPP, who serves as chaplain for the Minneapolis campus. Although it is not a territorial parish, Campus Ministry functions as the worshipping community for the Saint Mary's student body, celebrating Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the full liturgical life of the Church in the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- Saint John Baptist de La Salle (Patron Saint of Teachers)
- Rector
- Father Kevin Stolt, IVE (University Chaplain, Winona Campus)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Why belong here
Students at Saint Mary's find in Campus Ministry a Lasallian Catholic community that welcomes everyone, whether deeply committed to the faith or simply seeking purpose. The office offers daily and Sunday Mass in Saint Thomas More Chapel, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, peer ministry led by fellow students, weekly Community Nights, Bible studies, retreats, and the S.O.U.L. service-immersion trips that send students to cities like Tulsa, Rochester (NY), New Orleans, Chicago, Browning (MT), El Paso, and East Los Angeles to serve alongside those on the margins. It is a place to grow in faith, service, and community under the spiritual care of chaplains and a vibrant peer minister team.
Mass times at St. Mary's University of Minnesota
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 60 minutes before Sunday Mass in Saint Thomas More Chapel
- First Fridays at 7:00 PM
- By appointment with Father Kevin Stolt, IVE ([email protected])
Campus Ministry at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Campus Ministry is a Lasallian Catholic ministry committed to helping students grow in faith, service, and community. Everyone is welcome and has something to offer. The office, located in Saint Mary's Hall (SM 100) on the Winona campus, is staffed Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., throughout the academic year. Its mission is to celebrate the image of God in each human person while inviting all to become the hands and feet of the Lasallian Catholic mission through faith, service, and community.
History and Lasallian Heritage
Saint Mary's was founded in 1912 by Bishop Patrick R. Heffron as Saint Mary's College to provide higher education for young men in southern Minnesota's Diocese of Winona. In 1933 the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (the De La Salle Christian Brothers) purchased the college from the Diocese; their spirituality continues to animate the university today. The Lasallian tradition traces back to Saint John Baptist de La Salle, a 17th-century French priest and educational innovator who founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1680 and is the Patron Saint of Teachers. Saint Mary's became coeducational in 1969 and was renamed Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in 1995. Today it is one of six Lasallian colleges and universities in the United States and about 60 worldwide.
Meet Our Staff
Campus Ministry is led by University Chaplain Father Kevin Stolt, IVE (a priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word with faculties through the Diocese of Winona-Rochester) and Director of Campus Ministry Eamon Naughton, who also serves as endowed Co-Chair of the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership. Fr. Nathan LaLiberte, SGPP, serves as University Chaplain for the Minneapolis campus. A team of student peer ministers — Cole Smith, Rylee Stoltz, Rachel Sandberg, Anna Rolli, Ava Lust, Eva Ferdinandt, Bella Keene, and Rachel Daniels — minister to fellow students in the areas of faith, service, and community.
- Father Kevin Stolt, IVE — University Chaplain, Winona Campus
- Father Nathan LaLiberte, SGPP — University Chaplain, Minneapolis Campus
- Eamon Naughton — Director of Campus Ministry
- Student Peer Ministers (8 named on the staff page)
Saint Thomas More Chapel
Saint Thomas More Chapel is the liturgical heart of the Winona campus. After a two-month refurbishment, the chapel was re-dedicated on March 13, 2012, when Bishop John Quinn consecrated a new 7,000-pound tapestry-stone altar cut from a quarry a few miles from campus and carved with the four seasons of the Winona area. The redesign, led by Father James Notebaart, added lattice screens before the tabernacle and commissioned artwork. Statuary includes images of the Holy Family, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary, Joseph, the Infant of Prague, Our Lady of Fatima, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The chapel is also equipped with livestreaming technology so that Sunday Masses can be watched remotely.
Mass and the Sacraments
Mass is celebrated in Saint Thomas More Chapel on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., weekdays (Monday–Friday) at 12:15 p.m., and on First Fridays at 7:00 p.m. There is no Mass on campus when students are on break. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered approximately 60 minutes before Sunday Mass and on First Fridays at 7:00 p.m., or by appointment with Father Kevin Stolt, IVE, via [email protected].
- Sunday — 10:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
- Monday–Friday — 12:15 p.m.
- First Friday — 7:00 p.m.
- Reconciliation: 60 minutes before Sunday Mass, First Fridays at 7:00 p.m., or by appointment
Music and Liturgy
The Liturgical Choir (MUE100) is an open, non-auditioned ensemble that principally provides music for Mass at Saint Thomas More Chapel. Members rehearse weekly and sing at the Sunday Mass each weekend when the university is in session, as well as at certain special liturgies scheduled by the Office of Campus Ministry. Musicians of all experience levels are welcome, and instrumentalists may register if they wish to regularly play for liturgies.
- Liturgical Choir (MUE100) — Sunday Mass and special liturgies
S.O.U.L. Service-Immersion Trips
S.O.U.L. (an acronym the office uses for its service-immersion program) sends students during spring break and beyond to cities across the country to volunteer with organizations serving people on the margins. Recent destinations include Tulsa (OK), Rochester (NY), New Orleans (LA), Narragansett and Pawtucket (RI), Flint (MI), Browning (MT), El Paso (TX), East Los Angeles (CA), and Chicago (IL). Students serve at sites such as St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center in Rochester, Morning Star in Chicago, the San Miguel School, DayStar (a daycare for medically fragile children), and Christina's foster-care ministries. A student-maintained S.O.U.L. Blog on the campus ministry website collects reflections from each trip.
- S.O.U.L. Blog with student reflections
- Recent destinations: Tulsa, Rochester NY, New Orleans, Narragansett/Pawtucket, Flint, Browning MT, El Paso, East Los Angeles, Chicago
Community Life and Student Groups
On Tuesday evenings Campus Ministry hosts Community Nights — events for growing in community through competitions, games, and shared activities. Bible studies, retreats, and student faith organizations round out the rhythm of campus spiritual life. Newman Connection also lists Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Power Hour, and Students for Life among the affiliated groups.
- Community Nights (Tuesday evenings)
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Power Hour
- Students for Life
- Bible Studies
- Retreats
The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership
Established during the 1980s as part of Saint Mary's Lasallian commitment to ethical formation, the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership shapes ethical-leadership initiatives for undergraduate students and the broader Winona and Rochester communities. The Director of Campus Ministry currently serves as endowed Co-Chair of the Institute.
Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Saint Mary's University sits within the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Bishop Patrick R. Heffron, the second Bishop of Winona, founded Saint Mary's College in 1912. The Catholic chaplaincy team serves with faculties through the Diocese, and the Bishop of Winona-Rochester participates in major liturgical moments on campus — Bishop John Quinn, for example, consecrated the new altar of Saint Thomas More Chapel in March 2012.
Plan a Visit
The Office of Campus Ministry is located in Saint Mary's Hall, room 100 (SM 100), on the Winona campus at 700 Terrace Heights #42, Winona, MN 55987-1399. Office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visitors are warmly welcomed to stop by to meet the chaplains, student staff, and peer ministers, or to join the Community Night held each Tuesday evening. Sunday Mass is livestreamed from Saint Thomas More Chapel on the Campus Ministry Facebook page for those unable to attend in person.
- Office: Saint Mary's Hall (SM 100), 700 Terrace Heights #42, Winona, MN 55987-1399
- Phone: (507) 457-7268
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.