About St. Patrick · Hinckley, Minnesota
St. Patrick's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Hinckley, Minnesota, located in the heart of Pine County. It is twinned with neighboring St. Luke's Parish in Sandstone, and together the two parishes share one pastor, Fr. Kris (Kristoffer) McKusky, assisted by Deacon Jim Mostek. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Duluth and worships in the present-day church building whose first Mass was offered on February 11, 1951. With a history stretching back to at least 1870, St. Patrick's is the spiritual home of a multi-generational Catholic community along the Hinckley–Sandstone corridor, and offers daily and weekend Mass, confession, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, faith formation for families and youth, and a robust liturgical ministry rotation.
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Fr. Kris (Kristoffer) McKusky
- Diocese
- Diocese of Duluth
Why belong here
St. Patrick's is a small, multi-generational Catholic parish with roots that reach back to pioneer Minnesota – and a story that includes the great Hinckley fire, the building of a new church in the 1950s, and now a partnership with neighboring St. Luke's in Sandstone. Parishioners can attend daily and weekend Mass, find a quiet hour before the Blessed Sacrament in weekly Adoration, bring children through Family Faith Formation and youth ministry, and serve in a tight-knit rotation of lectors, ministers of holy communion, servers, music, and adoration. It is the kind of parish where the pastor knows the people, the bell tower still houses a bell from the original church, and an outdoor Marian shrine and Calvary Scene anchor the grounds.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday at St. Patrick's — 5:00 to 6:15 PM
- Saturday at St. Luke's, Sandstone — 10:00 to 11:00 AM
- Saturday at St. Patrick's — 4:00 to 4:45 PM
- Sunday at St. Patrick's — 8:00 to 8:20 AM
- Sunday at St. Luke's, Sandstone — 10:00 to 10:20 AM
Adoration times
- Friday at St. Patrick's — 7:00 AM to 6:15 PM (concludes with Benediction, followed by 6:30 PM Mass); coordinator Alice Cekala (320-384-6406)
- Thursday at St. Luke's, Sandstone — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM (concludes with Benediction at 7:45 PM); coordinator Ali Judd (651-500-0448)
History of St. Patrick's
Catholic life in Hinckley began with traveling priests from Stillwater and Rush City serving as missionaries from 1870, the establishment of a mission parish in 1875, a first church in 1879, and a first resident pastor in 1892. The great Hinckley fire of 1894 destroyed the town and the church; the parish was rebuilt, and the present church opened with a first Mass on February 11, 1951. The campus grew through the 20th century with a rectory (1958), bell tower with a bell from the original church (1967), outdoor Marian shrine (1976), social hall addition (1999), and a Calvary Scene at Rosehill Cemetery (2005). In 2024 the stained glass windows were cleaned and reworked.
- First Mass in Hinckley: 1870, by Fr. Maurice E. Murphy traveling from Stillwater
- Mission parish established: 1875
- First church building: 1879
- First resident pastor: Fr. Daniel Lynch, 1892
- Great Hinckley fire destroys church and town: September 1, 1894
- New church: 1895
- Present church's first Mass: February 11, 1951
- Centennial plaque: 1975
- Stained glass windows cleaned and reworked: 2024
Pastor and Parish Staff
St. Patrick's and its sister parish St. Luke's in Sandstone are served by one pastor, Fr. Kris (Kristoffer) McKusky, with the help of Deacon Jim Mostek as Director of Religious Education. The staff also includes secretaries, a bookkeeper, two music directors, a youth director, and two Adoration coordinators — one at each church. The parish office is open Tuesdays from 9:00 AM to noon.
- Pastor: Fr. Kris (Kristoffer) McKusky — 320-384-6313 ext. 2, [email protected]
- Director of Religious Education: Deacon Jim Mostek — 952-221-1183, [email protected]
- Secretaries (St. Patrick's): Mike and Marcia Bramer — 320-384-6313 ext. 3, [email protected]
- Bookkeeper (St. Patrick's): Mary Lange — 320-384-6313 ext. 4
- Music Director (St. Patrick's): Joni Nelson — [email protected]
- Youth Director: Jen Kordiak — 320-385-0503, [email protected]
- Adoration Coordinator (St. Patrick's): Alice Cekala — 320-384-6406
- Adoration Coordinator (St. Luke's): Ali Judd — 651-500-0448
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Religious education at the parishes covers Family Faith Formation for families with children, Adult Education / Evangelization, formation received through attending Mass, and Sacramental preparation that occurs prior to Baptisms and Weddings. Deacon Jim Mostek serves as Director of Religious Education for the cluster.
- Family Faith Formation (children and families)
- Adult Education / Evangelization
- Sacramental preparation (Baptism, Marriage)
- Director of Religious Ed.: Deacon Jim Mostek — 952-221-1183
Ministries and Liturgical Service
The parishes offer numerous outlets for evangelizing and sharing the faith for both men and women. A published monthly Ministry Schedule rotates lectors, ministers of holy communion, and altar servers across weekend Masses, while Adoration has its own scheduled adorers and a separate coordinator at each church.
- Lectors
- Ministers of Holy Communion (MHC)
- Altar servers
- Music ministry (Joni Nelson at St. Patrick's; Nancy Bennett at St. Luke's)
- Youth ministry (Jen Kordiak)
- Adoration volunteers
St. Patrick's and St. Luke's: A Two-Parish Cluster
St. Patrick's in Hinckley and St. Luke's in Sandstone (122 Commercial Ave. N, Sandstone, MN 55072) operate as a single pastoral team. They share one pastor and one Director of Religious Education, coordinate their Mass, confession, and Adoration schedules, and collaborate on faith formation and outreach across Pine County. St. Luke's office is open Tuesdays from 9:00 AM to noon and can be reached at 320-245-5175.
- Twinned parishes sharing one pastor and one DRE
- St. Luke's address: 122 Commercial Ave. N, Sandstone, MN 55072
- St. Luke's phone: 320-245-5175
- St. Luke's office hours: Tuesdays 9:00 AM – Noon
Pastor's Page
The Pastor's Page on the parish website is the central hub linking parishioners to the current Mass, Adoration, and Confession schedules, the bulletin, calendars, ministry schedule, diocesan resources, and links to other Catholic websites.
- Mass times widget
- Adoration times widget
- Sacrament of Penance widget
- Bulletins, calendars, and ministry schedule
- Diocese of Duluth link
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. William Wilkens1875–
Pastor of Sacred Heart, Rush City, established the mission and directed the building of the first church in 1879.
- Fr. Daniel Lynch1892–
First resident pastor of St. Patrick's.
- Fr. Edward Lawleruntil 1894
Remembered for his heroism during the great Hinckley fire of September 1, 1894, which destroyed the town and church.
- Fr. Maximilian Rieger1908–1936
Long-serving pastor; assumed the role after priests from Pine City and later Sandstone had cared for the parish.
- Fr. Jeremiah Ryan1936–1944
- Fr. Thomas McEnery1944–1956
Directed the building of the present church; first Mass in it offered February 11, 1951.
- Fr. Roger Crowe1956–1963
- Fr. Joseph Ryan1964–1966
- Fr. David Taylor1966–1972
- Fr. Francis Gaber1972–1975
- Fr. Dennis Evenson1975–1979
- Fr. James Golden1979–1991
- Fr. James Scheuer1991–1997
- Fr. Cornelius Kelleher1997–2012
- Fr. Joseph Sirba2012–present
Listed on the parish history page as pastor through the page's current revision.