About St. Nicholas · Saint Nicholas, Minnesota
The Church of St. Nicholas is a small Roman Catholic parish in the rural town of St. Nicholas, Stearns County, Minnesota, within the Diocese of Saint Cloud. Founded in 1857 by German-Luxembourgish settlers and originally served by Benedictine missionaries, the parish has worshipped through three successive church buildings on or near its present site. Today it is one of five parishes in the Holy Saints Area Catholic Community (ACC), worships in English with a Sunday morning Mass and weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday, and maintains a strong connection to its agricultural roots through events such as the annual Nicktoberfest celebration.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- Saint Nicholas (of Myra)
- Rector
- Fr. James Statz (Pastor of St. Anne and St. Nicholas within the Holy Saints ACC)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Cloud
Why belong here
St. Nicholas offers a small, deeply rooted rural Catholic community in the heart of Stearns County's historic Luxembourg country, with Mass celebrated each Sunday morning and on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Parishioners worship in a church that has stood on (or near) the same site since 1891, maintain the Old St. Nicholas chapel as a living memorial to the pioneers, and gather annually for Nicktoberfest. As part of the five-parish Holy Saints Area Catholic Community, the parish shares faith formation, sacramental preparation, RCIA, and pastoral care with neighboring St. Anne, Holy Cross, St. Mary Help of Christians, and St. Wendelin parishes.
Mass times at St. Nicholas
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:15 AM – 7:45 AM (per published schedule)
- Thursday 7:30 AM – 7:45 AM (per published schedule)
- Sunday 8:30 AM or by appointment (per 2020 ACC bulletin)
History of St. Nicholas Parish
The Parish of St. Nicholas was founded in 1857, about three miles north of the present church site, in an area of Stearns County settled largely by immigrants from Luxembourg. The first Masses were celebrated in the homes of these pioneer families by Benedictine Fathers. In 1866 the parish built its first wood-frame church on land donated by Nicholas Schmitt, and the surrounding settlement became known as 'Old St. Nicholas'. As the Catholic population grew, that original church became too small, and a long-running dispute arose over where to build a larger replacement. On September 10, 1890 seven acres were transferred to Bishop Otto Zardetti, and the present site was chosen. The second church was completed and dedicated by Bishop Zardetti in 1891, sitting facing north and south in what is now the parking lot. The relocation led to the rise of the new town of St. Nicholas and the gradual decline of Old St. Nicholas. The second church burned to the ground on Sunday, May 17, 1914. The present church was dedicated by Bishop Busch on November 4, 1915. In October 1935 the parish built a small chapel at the Old St. Nicholas site to honor the first parishioners and help heal the old disagreements; that site has since been recognized for its historical significance by the Stearns County Historical Society. The present church suffered another fire in 1965 that destroyed a much-acclaimed interior altar. In 2007 the parish celebrated its 150th anniversary under Monsignor Daniel J. Taufen and published a short illustrated history of all three church buildings, which can still be obtained through the parish secretary. Monsignor Taufen died on September 8, 2013 and was buried at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Rockville, MN.
- Founded 1857; first Masses by Benedictine Fathers in private homes
- First church: 1866 wood-frame building on land donated by Nicholas Schmitt
- Second church: completed and dedicated 1891 by Bishop Otto Zardetti
- Second church burned May 17, 1914
- Present (third) church dedicated November 4, 1915 by Bishop Busch
- 1935 chapel built at Old St. Nicholas site (Stearns County Historical Society landmark)
- Fire in 1965 destroyed original interior altar
- 150th anniversary celebrated in 2007 under Msgr. Daniel J. Taufen; history book published
- Original bell from 1866 church now atop former St. Anthony's, St. Cloud
Holy Saints Area Catholic Community (ACC)
St. Nicholas is one of five parishes in the Holy Saints Area Catholic Community in the Diocese of Saint Cloud. The ACC is led collaboratively by two pastors and shared lay and administrative staff, and it pools faith formation, sacramental preparation, RCIA, and other ministries across the member parishes. The other four parishes are St. Anne (Kimball, est. 1920), Holy Cross (Marty/Pearl Lake, est. 1897), St. Mary Help of Christians (St. Augusta, est. 1873), and St. Wendelin (Luxemburg, est. 1859).
- Fr. James Statz — Pastor of St. Anne and St. Nicholas
- Fr. Matthew Crane — Pastor of Holy Cross, St. Mary Help of Christians, and St. Wendelin
- Director of Faith Formation: Kelli Kleinschnitz (holysaintsmn.org)
- St. Nicholas has approximately 248 parishioners
- Annual events across the ACC include Quilt Bingo, Fall Festival, Fish Fry, SMHOC Festival, German Dinner, Luxemburg Festival, and Nicktoberfest
Sacramental Life
The parish celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments either directly at St. Nicholas or in collaboration with the Holy Saints ACC. Sacramental preparation is handled through the parish office, with faith formation shared across the ACC.
- Baptism — contact parish office for preparation
- Reconciliation (Confession) — Sundays 7:15–7:45 AM, Thursdays 7:30–7:45 AM, or by appointment
- First Communion and Confirmation — prepared through Holy Saints ACC faith formation
- Marriage — at least 6 months' notice required; contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — call the parish office for homebound or hospitalized visits
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) — call the parish office
Parish Staff and Council
Day-to-day operations of the parish are run from the rectory by the parish secretary, with lay leadership provided by the Parish Council, Trustees, Finance Committee, and ministry leaders. The pastoral team is shared with the wider Holy Saints ACC.
- Stacy Dufner — Parish Secretary (after-hours cell: 320-493-7614)
- Kelli Kleinschnitz — Director of Faith Formation, Holy Saints ACC ([email protected], 320-333-6992)
- Parish Council members (2020): Elmer Frank, Kelly Bautch, Tom Frank, Judi Schreiner, Jerry Boeckmann, Denise Gathje
- Trustees (2020): Ken Lutgen and Mary Caskey
- Parish Nurse: Sandy Stang (2020)
- Prayer Line: Sue Frank, 764-9112
Faith Formation and Education
Religious education at St. Nicholas is organized at the ACC level so that children and families across the five parishes share a common formation program. Faith formation is coordinated by the ACC Director of Faith Formation, Kelli Kleinschnitz, with class locations and schedules shared via the Holy Saints ACC website.
- Director of Faith Formation: Kelli Kleinschnitz ([email protected])
- ACC Faith Formation website: http://holysaintsmn.org/
- Sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation) is done ACC-wide
- Confirmation celebrated annually by the Bishop at one of the ACC parishes
Parish Life and Outreach
St. Nicholas has long been a farming-community parish, and several of its families have been honored through the Diocese of Saint Cloud's Catholic Century Farm Award program, which recognizes Catholic families who have farmed the same land for 100 years or more. Parish life is marked by small but lively ministries such as a parish prayer line and a parish nurse who can visit the homebound.
- Prayer Line ministry (Sue Frank, 764-9112)
- Parish Nurse ministry (Sandy Stang)
- Catholic Century Farm Award families within the parish
- Liturgical ministries: Lectors, Ushers, Sacristans
- Outdoor Mass occasionally celebrated at the Old St. Nicholas chapel
Annual Celebration: Nicktoberfest
Nicktoberfest is the signature parish celebration at St. Nicholas, typically held on the last Saturday of September. The day begins with a special Mass (for example, a 4:00 PM Saturday Mass) and continues with a parish festival. It is one of several 'parish festival' traditions within the Holy Saints ACC, alongside the Luxemburg Festival at St. Wendelin, the Fall Festival at St. Anne, and the German Dinner at St. Mary Help of Christians.
- Annual Saturday celebration, last weekend of September
- Begins with a special Mass at the church
- Tickets reserved in advance through the parish office ([email protected])
All Things New — Diocesan Planning Process
St. Nicholas is participating in the Diocese of Saint Cloud's 'All Things New' planning process, an intentional diocesan-wide effort to plan for the future of parishes given changing demographics and priest availability. Within the Holy Saints ACC, the Committee for Affirming Plans has proposed merging the five parishes into one parish and corporation, and closing the church buildings at Holy Cross, St. Nicholas, and St. Anne. The diocesan plan was to be presented to the Presbyteral Council for consideration.
- Local 'All Things New' committee members from St. Nicholas: Mike Lutgen and Lee Bautch
- ACC-wide proposal: merge St. Anne, Holy Cross, St. Mary Help of Christians, St. Nicholas, and St. Wendelin into a single parish
- Proposed closures: Holy Cross, St. Nicholas, and St. Anne church buildings
- Plan driven in part by the reality that only one priest is expected to be assigned to the ACC after recent retirements
Visiting and Contact Information
The parish office is staffed by the parish secretary, Stacy Dufner, who can be reached at the rectory during business hours and after hours at her cell number. Mass attendees and visitors are warmly welcomed at the church, which sits in the rural town of St. Nicholas south of Cold Spring.
- Parish Office Address: 15862 Co Rd 165, Watkins, MN 55389-9610
- Rectory: 320-764-7345
- Church Basement: 320-764-7385
- Parish Secretary after-hours cell: 320-493-7614
- Parish Email: [email protected]
- Directions: Hwy. 23 to Cold Spring; south on Hwy. 2, five miles, to the town of St. Nicholas
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Benedictine Fathers1857 onward
Celebrated the first Masses in the homes of the early Luxembourgish settlers before any church existed.
- Bishop Otto Zardetti1890–1891
Accepted the seven-acre site on September 10, 1890 and dedicated the second church in 1891.
- Bishop Busch1915
Dedicated the present (third) church on November 4, 1915.
- Reverend Monsignor Daniel J. Taufen
In residence when the parish celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2007. Died September 8, 2013; Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Mary, St. Cloud on September 13, 2013 with Bishop John F. Kinney presiding.
- Fr. James Statz
Listed as Pastor of St. Anne and St. Nicholas in the Holy Saints ACC bulletin (320-398-2211 or 320-764-7345).
- Fr. Matthew Crane
Listed as Pastor of Holy Cross, St. Mary Help of Christians, and St. Wendelin within the same ACC (320-252-1799 or 320-251-6944).