About St. Patrick · Jordan, Minnesota
St. Patrick Catholic Church (formally St. Patrick of Cedar Lake Township) is a historic rural parish in Jordan, Minnesota, part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The parish traces its beginnings to 1857 and worships today in its third church, built of locally-quarried stone in 1873 and dedicated on October 11, 1874. Since 2015 it has been twinned with nearby St. Catherine of Spring Lake Township (Prior Lake), with which it shares a pastor; together they are served as the Churches of St. Patrick and St. Catherine. The community blends long-established Scott County farm families with newer suburban arrivals from the Twin Cities, and it continues to celebrate Mass, the sacraments, and Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday against the backdrop of the parish's rolling agricultural landscape.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Miller
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Patrick offers what few parishes in the Archdiocese can: a small, close-knit rural Catholic community centered on a historic 1874 stone church, hilltop cemetery, and working farmland — yet still an easy drive from the southwestern Twin Cities suburbs. The parish celebrates Mass in English on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, joins with neighboring St. Catherine for shared pastoral care under Fr. Michael Miller, and regularly gathers for parish cleanings, faith formation, and the annual Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday celebration hosted on a local family farm. For longtime Scott County farm families and newer Twin Cities arrivals alike, it is a place to belong, serve, and grow in faith together.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — contact the parish office (the Archdiocese notes Reconciliation is also offered by appointment)
History of St. Patrick of Cedar Lake Township
The first Catholic church in the Cedar Lake Township area was built in 1857 for the Irish Catholic families who had settled the surrounding Scott County farmland. It was served by mission priests from Shakopee, New Prague, and Marystown until the present stone church was constructed in 1873 using locally-quarried stone and formally dedicated on October 11, 1874. For its first decades the parish was overwhelmingly Irish; by the 1930s German and Czech Catholic farming families had joined the community. A major interior renovation was completed in 2006, with parishioners — most notably Dan Cervenka — doing the masonry and crafting the new central tabernacle base.
- First church built 1857
- Present stone church built 1873, dedicated October 11, 1874
- Originally Irish Catholic; German and Czech families joined by the 1930s
- Interior renovation completed 2006
- Parishioner-built stone tabernacle base in the center of the sanctuary
Parish Identity & Patron
The parish is formally known as St. Patrick of Cedar Lake Township. Its patron is St. Patrick, the fifth-century Romano-British missionary bishop traditionally credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and the primary patron saint of Ireland; his feast day is March 17. The community's Irish heritage is visible throughout the unincorporated hamlet of St. Patrick — on tombstones in the adjoining cemetery, in the names of the church, Bonin Field ballpark, and the local tavern, and in the very feel of the place.
- Patron: St. Patrick
- Feast day: March 17
- Strong Irish-Catholic heritage reflected in the surrounding community
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Since 2015 the parish has been served by Father Michael Miller, who also pastors the St. Catherine (Spring Lake) campus. Father Miller grew up on a family dairy farm about 10 miles south of St. Patrick, attended St. Wenceslaus School, and was ordained in 1996 after study at the University of St. Thomas and The St. Paul Seminary. He previously served at St. Joseph (now St. Maximilian Kolbe) in Delano and at St. Michael in Stillwater before requesting and being granted the assignment of returning to his home area. He is known for combining Benedictine and Dominican spirituality and for tapping his late father Carlton Miller's ring on the tabernacle base as he processes into the sanctuary for each Mass.
- Pastor: Rev. Michael Miller (since 2015)
- Father Miller was ordained in 1996
- Prior assignments: St. Joseph / St. Maximilian Kolbe (Delano); St. Michael (Stillwater, 6 years)
- Also serves St. Catherine of Spring Lake Township (Prior Lake) as a host parish
Parish Campus, Facilities & Cemetery
The St. Patrick campus sits atop a hill in Cedar Lake Township at 24425 Old Highway 13 Boulevard in Jordan, MN 55352-9604. The grounds include the historic 1874 stone church, a grotto with sculptures beside the church, and an adjoining hilltop cemetery where generations of parishioners are buried. Across the road, Bonin Field — named after Father Leon Bonin — serves as the local ballpark, and the surrounding community remains a tight-knit rural enclave.
- Stone church built 1873 / dedicated 1874
- Adjoining hilltop cemetery
- Grotto with sculptures on the grounds
- Bonin Field ballpark across the road (named for Father Leon Bonin)
Parish Life, Ministries & Events
The parish describes itself as a community of loving and caring people centered in Jesus Christ, who celebrate the Eucharist and sacraments, share in teaching the Word of God through preaching, education and service, work together to provide spiritual care, direction and fellowship, and share their time, talents and treasures with their families, parish, and surrounding communities. Practical ways to participate include the monthly church cleaning sign-up and other volunteer/event sign-ups coordinated through the parish office.
- Monthly Church Cleaning Sign-Up
- Volunteer & Event Sign-Ups
- Shared parish life with St. Catherine (Spring Lake)
- Hosting Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday (e.g. 2024 at the Fr. Michael Miller Farm)
Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday
St. Patrick and St. Catherine together hosted the Archdiocesan Rural Life Sunday celebration in 2024, on the Fr. Michael Miller Farm ('A Taste of Heaven', formerly the Carlton and Mary Jane Miller Farm) near New Prague, about 9 miles south of St. Patrick. Mass was celebrated at 1:30 PM by Bishop Joseph Williams, followed by a free-will-offering lunch, children's activities and games, a petting zoo, and Polka and Old Time music. Guests were advised to bring lawn chairs; handicapped gravel parking was available, with the celebration moving into the pole shed on the farm in case of rain.
- 2024 Rural Life Sunday hosted at the Fr. Michael Miller Farm, 12890 70th St W, New Prague
- 1:30 PM Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Williams
- Lunch (free will offering), children's activities, petting zoo, Polka and Old Time music
- Bring your own lawn chairs; rain venue: pole shed on the farm
St. Catherine of Spring Lake Township (Sister Campus)
Since 2015 St. Patrick has been joined with St. Catherine of Spring Lake Township (4500 220th Street East, Prior Lake, MN 55372) as a host parish cluster under the Archdiocese's Strategic Plan, with St. Catherine designated as an oratory of St. Patrick. The two campuses share a pastor and together number about 259 families. The Sunday 8:30 AM Mass is celebrated at the St. Catherine Campus.
- St. Catherine Campus: 4500 220th Street East, Prior Lake, MN 55372
- Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM at the St. Catherine Campus
- Shared pastor (Father Michael Miller)
- St. Catherine first established in 1865 by Irish immigrants; first church built 1867
Visiting & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at (952) 492-6276 or by email at [email protected]; the official website is stpatandcat.org. The St. Patrick campus is on Old Highway 13 Boulevard in Jordan, MN, and the St. Catherine campus is on 220th Street East in Prior Lake. Both are served by the same pastor and office.
- Phone: (952) 492-6276
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stpatandcat.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/stpatrickchurchofcedarlake
- St. Patrick address: 24425 Old Hwy 13 Blvd, Jordan, MN 55352-9604
- St. Catherine address: 4500 220th Street East, Prior Lake, MN 55372
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael Miller2015–present
Returned to his home area in 2015 after assignments at St. Joseph / St. Maximilian Kolbe in Delano and St. Michael in Stillwater; also pastors the St. Catherine (Spring Lake) campus.