About St. Pascal Baylon · Saint Paul, Minnesota
St. Pascal Baylon is a Roman Catholic parish on the East Side of Saint Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1946 and part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The parish is known for its welcoming, inclusive spirit — summed up in its tagline, "St. Pascal's...where all people matter" — and notably offers an ASL-interpreted Sunday Mass each week, along with a livestream option for those at home. Parishioners worship in a worship space completed in 2002 that replaced an earlier Quonset-hut church, and the parish has long been home to a Catholic elementary school now operated as St. Pascal Regional Catholic School within Ascension Catholic Academy.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- Saint Pascal Baylon (Paschal Baylón, OFM)
- Rector
- Fr. John Mitchell
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Pascal's is a parish that explicitly welcomes everyone — visitors, newcomers, and long-time parishioners alike — with the message that 'all people matter.' A weekly ASL-interpreted Sunday Mass and a livestream option make the parish accessible to the Deaf community and to those unable to attend in person. Parishioners find a robust liturgical life supported by choirs, cantors, and instrumentalists; meaningful service through ministries such as the Funeral Lunch Ministry; and a deep connection to Catholic education through St. Pascal Regional Catholic School on the same campus.
Mass times at St. Pascal Baylon
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45 PM – 4:15 PM (Reconciliation Room, off St. John's Chapel)
- Or contact Fr. John Mitchell to schedule a Reconciliation session
Parish History
Founded May 28, 1946, by Archbishop John Gregory Murray as one of eleven new parishes that year, St. Pascal Baylon began with 18 families celebrating Mass in the gymnasium at the Ramsey County Correctional School for Boys ('Totem Town') in Highwood. Two Sunday Masses were then held at the home of parishioners Vincent and Mrs. Norton from July through September 1946. The first church on parish grounds was two Quonset huts built by the parish men at Conway Street and White Bear Avenue; groundbreaking for a permanent church, social hall, and school followed on October 2, 1949. The Quonset huts became a convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and the parish school opened September 7, 1950.
- Founded: May 28, 1946 by Archbishop John Gregory Murray
- First pastor: Fr. John Vincent Ryan
- First Mass: June 1946 at 'Totem Town,' Highwood
- First church: two Army Quonset huts at Conway & White Bear
- School opened: September 7, 1950 (Sr. Alice Gertrude Hassing, CSJ, first principal)
Our Building — The 2002 Worship Space
Planning for the current church began in 1998 when the Maintenance Team documented serious facility problems. After parish-wide consultation, the consensus was to build a new worship and gathering space while performing basic repairs and significant upgrades to the school building. A capital campaign launched in October 2000 funded the project; construction began in spring 2001 and the first Mass in the new worship space was celebrated July 27, 2002 — the first new church built in Saint Paul in more than fifty years.
- Planning process began: 1998
- Capital campaign launched: October 2000
- Construction began: Spring 2001
- First Mass in new worship space: July 27, 2002
- Project also remodeled the school building, converting the old 'temporary' worship space into two classrooms and a large activities area
Saint Pascal Baylon — Our Patron
Saint Pascal Baylon (1540–1592) was born in Torre-Hermosa, in the Kingdom of Aragon, Spain. A peasant, shepherd, and lay Franciscan Brother of the Alcantarine Reform, his chief loves in life were Christ in the Eucharist and Christ's poor. Pope Alexander VIII canonized him in 1690, and in 1897 Pope Leo XIII declared him the heavenly patron of all Eucharistic Congresses and Associations. His feast day is May 17. He is traditionally depicted in adoration before a vision of the Host.
- Born: 1540 in Torre-Hermosa, Kingdom of Aragon, Spain
- Died: May 17, 1592 in Villarreal, Spain
- Lay Franciscan Brother of the Alcantarine Reform
- Canonized: 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII
- Patron of Eucharistic Congresses and Associations (Leo XIII, 1897)
- Feast day: May 17
Music & Liturgy Ministry
St. Pascal Baylon maintains a strong musical tradition. The Adult Choir (SATB) rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM and sings roughly twice a month plus major feasts. The Contemporary Ensemble and Singing Ensemble are smaller groups who minister approximately every three weeks. Cantors, instrumentalists, and pianists are also called forth to support liturgical celebrations. Liturgy ministry is led by Keri Mader (Liturgy Assistant).
- Adult Choir (SATB) — Wed 7:00–8:30 PM, sings ~2x/month + major feasts
- Contemporary Ensemble
- Singing Ensemble
- Cantor Ministry
- Instrumentalists & Pianists (competency-based)
- Contact: Keri Mader, Liturgy Assistant, ext. 127
Funeral Ministry
St. Pascal's has a robust Funeral Ministry with both liturgical and hospitality components. Adult men and women serve as sacristans, altar servers, ministers of hospitality, lectors, and communion ministers at funeral liturgies. The Funeral Lunch Ministry provides a vital ministry of comfort, with parishioners providing desserts and serving at luncheons for the bereaved.
- Liturgy Ministry: sacristans, altar servers, hospitality, lectors, communion ministers
- Funeral Lunch Ministry: set-up, kitchen service, clean-up, desserts
- Open to both men and women
- Contact: Fr. John Mitchell (liturgy), parish office (lunch)
St. Pascal Regional Catholic School
Originally opened September 7, 1950 as the parish school, the school was re-formed in 2019 as St. Pascal Regional Catholic School (SPRCS), a non-parochial regional archdiocesan school leasing space in the existing school building on Conway Street. As of July 1, 2022, SPRCS joined Ascension Catholic Academy, a consortium of four schools across the metro area.
- Parish school opened: Sept 7, 1950 (~200 students)
- Kindergarten added: 1974 (enrollment ~600)
- Preschool/Pre-K licensed: 2015
- Re-formed as SPRCS: 2019
- Joined Ascension Catholic Academy: July 1, 2022
- Website: stpascalschool.org
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Fr. John Mitchell, pastor (assigned 2018). The staff team includes pastoral associates for pastoral care, faith formation, and music; a liturgy assistant; a business administrator; a director of facilities and maintenance; a communications and office manager; and a welcome-desk receptionist.
- Fr. John Mitchell — Pastor
- Barb Uschold Anderson — Pastoral Associate for Pastoral Care
- Kim Roering — Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation
- Emily Cicha — Pastoral Associate for Music
- Keri Mader — Liturgy Assistant
- Theresa Ruttger — Business Administrator
- Mike Kelleher — Director of Facilities & Maintenance
- Thea Munoz — Communications & Office Manager
- Fletcher Tate — Welcome Desk Receptionist
Volunteering & Safe Environment
St. Pascal's offers a wide range of one-time and ongoing volunteer opportunities, with a downloadable Time and Talent Opportunities List available on the parish website. All volunteers working with children, youth, and vulnerable adults must complete Safe Environment training, a background check, and sign a code of conduct.
- Time & Talent Opportunities List (PDF) on parish website
- Safe Environment training required for youth/vulnerable-adult ministry
- Background check and code of conduct required
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at 1757 Conway Street on the East Side of Saint Paul. Office hours are Monday–Friday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (summer hours July 10 – August 28: Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, closed Friday), with holiday closures as announced. The parish phone line is 651-774-1585, and confidential messages to the pastor or other staff can be sent through the Parish Staff page.
- Address: 1757 Conway Street, Saint Paul, MN 55106
- Phone: 651-774-1585
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
- Summer Hours (Jul 10 – Aug 28): Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–3:00 PM (closed Friday)
- Livestream Mass available online
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Vincent Ryan1946–
First pastor, assigned by Archbishop John Gregory Murray on May 28, 1946.
- Fr. John Mitchell2018–present
Assigned as pastor in 2018; led the parish through its 75th anniversary in 2021.