About St. Michael · Milroy, Minnesota
The Church of St. Michael is a small Catholic parish in the rural community of Milroy, Minnesota, part of the Diocese of New Ulm and a member of the Mary, Mother of God Area Faith Community (Our Lady of the Prairie), which links it with St. Mary in Cottonwood, St. Mary in Tracy, and Holy Redeemer in Marshall. The parish shares its pastor and pastoral team with the wider area faith community while retaining a local identity centered on its historic church at 200 Euclid Avenue. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:30 a.m., with weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and the parish remains active through religious education, the local CCW, and a network of dedicated lay staff.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Fr. Steven Verhelst
- Diocese
- Diocese of New Ulm
Why belong here
St. Michael's offers a warm, close-knit rural Catholic community in the heart of Redwood County where every parishioner is known by name. Worshippers enjoy a peaceful Sunday morning Mass at 8:30 a.m. with the convenience of additional weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, plus regular Reconciliation before Mass. As part of the Mary, Mother of God Area Faith Community, the parish draws on the strength of sister parishes in Tracy, Cottonwood, and Marshall — providing shared faith formation, Catholic Heart Work Camp opportunities for youth, a parish school (St. Mary's), and sacramental preparation for baptism, first Communion, Confirmation, and marriage.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before all Masses (typically Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 8:25 a.m., and before Tuesday/Thursday 5:30 p.m. Masses)
Mary, Mother of God / Our Lady of the Prairie Area Faith Community
St. Michael's is one of four parishes in the Mary, Mother of God Area Faith Community of the Diocese of New Ulm, commonly known by the AFC's patron title 'Our Lady of the Prairie.' The AFC coordinates pastoral care, sacramental preparation, faith formation, youth ministry, and communications across its member parishes — St. Mary's in Cottonwood, St. Mary's in Tracy, Holy Redeemer in Marshall, and St. Michael's in Milroy. A single pastor, currently Fr. Steven Verhelst, serves the AFC with the help of two associate pastors (Fr. Dennis Labat and Fr. Andrew Michels) and a large team of parish staff and lay ministers.
- St. Mary's, Cottonwood
- St. Mary's, Tracy
- Holy Redeemer, Marshall
- St. Michael's, Milroy
- Pastor: Fr. Steven Verhelst ([email protected], 507-532-5711)
- Senior Associate Pastors: Fr. Dennis Labat and Fr. Andrew Michels
Parish Staff & Lay Leaders
Although St. Michael's is small and shares its priests with the broader area faith community, the parish maintains its own dedicated lay staff who handle day-to-day ministry and operations. Pastoral Associates Don and Jean Schmidt serve as the local point of contact for the Milroy parish, while the religious education program is coordinated by Suzanne Lightfoot, who also serves as the parish's Safe Environment Coordinator.
- Pastoral Associates: Don & Jean Schmidt — 507-336-2583 — [email protected] / [email protected]
- Religious Education Coordinator / Safe Environment Coordinator: Suzanne Lightfoot — 507-336-2505 — [email protected]
- Bookkeeper: Kami Parker — 507-828-6515
- Church Cleaner: Linda Dolan — 507-829-1032
- Groundskeeper: Larry Karsten — 507-336-2624
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith formation for the parish's children and youth is offered in coordination with the wider AFC's religious education program. Weekly religion classes meet in Milroy on Wednesday evenings during the school year, with a meal served at the Tracy site before class. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation is provided through these programs.
- Religious Education classes in Milroy — Wednesdays (K–6 from 6:00–7:00 p.m.; grades 7–12 from 7:15–8:30 p.m.)
- Religious Education classes in Tracy — Wednesdays (meal 5:20–6:20 p.m.; class 6:30–7:30 p.m.)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — Sundays at St. Michael's during school year
- Catholic Heart Work Camp — annual summer mission trip for grades 8–12 (next camp July 6–12, 2025)
- Coordinated with St. Mary's School (Tracy) and Holy Redeemer School (Marshall)
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation at St. Michael's is coordinated through the parish and the wider Our Lady of the Prairie AFC. Parents preparing for a first baptism attend a one-time Baptism Preparation class (next class Tuesday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Faith Formation building next to Holy Redeemer School in Marshall). Couples planning to marry contact Fr. Steve Verhelst at 320-815-9148 at least six months in advance. The parish also arranges Anointing of the Sick and brings Holy Communion to homebound parishioners.
- Baptism — contact Fr. Steve at 320-815-9148 for St. Michael's or St. Mary's Tracy
- First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion — through parish religious education
- Confirmation — through AFC religious education program
- Marriage — six months preparation; contact Fr. Steve Verhelst, 320-815-9148
- Anointing of the Sick & Communion to Shut-ins — contact the parish office
Parish Groups & Outreach
St. Michael's runs an active parish life centered on its Council of Catholic Women (CCW) chapter and a parish Prayer Network that fields prayer requests from the wider community. Funeral Circles provide meals and support to grieving families. Liturgical ministries — lectors, cantors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, servers, and gift-bearers — are filled by parish volunteers each week.
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — Milroy chapter with parish functions and circles
- Prayer Network (Alita Lenertz & Lota Hannasch) and WG Prayer Line (Pam Baumann)
- Funeral Circles — organized parish meal support (current circle: Circle 1)
- Liturgical ministries: lectors, cantors, Eucharistic ministers, servers, ushers, gift-bearers
- Catholic Heart Work Camp youth fundraisers (e.g., hot breakfast served after Mass in Milroy)
Bulletin & Communications
Parish news, Mass intentions, and the AFC's combined announcements are published in a weekly bulletin distributed at all four Our Lady of the Prairie parishes. The bulletin is also posted online as a PDF on the AFC website. Bulletin announcements for the entire AFC are submitted to the St. Mary's, Tracy office by 10:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.
- Weekly bulletin — PDF available at ourladyoftheprairie-afc.org (e.g., Bulletin-January-19-2025.pdf, Bulletin-November-24-2024.pdf, Bulletin-Apr.-24-2022.pdf)
- Bulletin submission deadline: Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. — submit to [email protected] or 507-629-4075
- Diocesan communications: New Ulm Diocese Catholic Charities (counseling & adoptions, 1-866-670-5163)
- FORMED.org digital library for parishioners — access code YW2JXQ at www.ourladyoftheprairie-afc.formed.org
History of St. Michael's Parish
St. Michael's parish was organized in 1904 in the southwestern Minnesota village of Milroy, the result of a friendly split of the older Catholic parish that had been established in 1899 in rural Westline Township, Redwood County. The original frame church was built that year on five acres donated by Joseph McGough, with visiting priests from New Ulm, Ghent, Morgan, Tracy, and Redwood Falls serving the scattered farming community since 1871. As the nearby villages of Lucan and Milroy grew, the parish voted in September 1903 to divide; Lucan kept the original building (relocated to its present village site in 1904 as Our Lady of Victories), and Milroy organized St. Michael's with John F. Cain as treasurer and Thomas Reed as secretary. Today the parish continues its Catholic mission as part of the Mary, Mother of God / Our Lady of the Prairie Area Faith Community of the Diocese of New Ulm.
- 1871 — Catholic worship begins in the Murray Settlement at the home of Martin Murray; visited by Fr. Alexander Berghold of New Ulm.
- 1879 — Rev. Father Johnson of Ghent holds regular monthly services.
- 1899 — Parish formally organized; Joseph McGough donates five acres in Westline Twp.; frame church (32x56 ft., $1,700) built under Fr. Wood of Redwood Falls.
- September 1903 — Parish votes to split between Lucan and Milroy.
- 1904 — Original church moved to Lucan (becomes Our Lady of Victories); St. Michael's of Milroy organized (charter members include Mrs. John Cull, John Dobias Jr., Martin Murray, Hugh Reed, Joseph Casserly, Daniel Redding, Charles Gahagan).
- Late 20th–21st c. — St. Michael's becomes part of the Mary, Mother of God / Our Lady of the Prairie Area Faith Community.
- 2024–present — Fr. Steven Verhelst serves as Pastor of the AFC.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Father Wood (of Redwood Falls)1899–1903
Oversaw organization of original Westline Township parish and construction of first frame church; also served the Lucan side after the 1903 division.
- Rev. Father Emil Polasek (from Lamberton)1903–c.1904
Succeeded Fr. Wood in the fall of 1903; served the Westline/Lucan-area parish.
- Rev. Father Valentine SchatzFall 1903–1904
Took charge of the Lucan portion after the parish split; built the Lucan parish house in 1904.
- Fr. Mark Stefflc.2019–c.2022
Pastor of Our Lady of the Prairie AFC during the early 2020s; led parish school and faith-formation programs.
- Fr. Anthony Stubeda2022
Listed as Pastor of the AFC in the April 24, 2022 bulletin.
- Fr. Steven Verhelst2024–present
Current Pastor of Our Lady of the Prairie AFC; also serves as Director of the Office of Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of New Ulm.