About St. Pius X · Babbitt, Minnesota
St. Pius X Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish located at 15 Ash Boulevard in Babbitt, Minnesota, on the eastern edge of the Mesabi Iron Range. It is one of two parishes in a cluster — the other being St. Anthony of Padua in Ely — served by a single pastor and currently within the Diocese of Duluth. Babbitt itself was built as a company town beginning in 1944 to support a taconite mining operation, and St. Pius X has served the Catholic community of the Iron Range's northern reaches for decades, identified in diocesan documents as a 'mission' church. The parish offers weekly Sunday Mass, a Wednesday Mass, and a long tradition of lay ministries (Eucharistic Ministers, choir, Knights of Columbus, parish bookkeeper) carried out by generations of Babbitt families.
- Patron
- St. Pius X (Pope Saint Pius X, 1835–1914)
- Rector
- Rev. Charles Friebohle
- Diocese
- Diocese of Duluth
Why belong here
St. Pius X offers a small, close-knit Catholic community on Minnesota's Iron Range with the steady rhythm of weekly Sunday Mass (currently Sunday 8:00 AM) and a Wednesday Mass, plus confession before each. The parish is currently paired with St. Anthony of Padua in Ely, so members benefit from a pastor who serves both communities, an assigned deacon, and collaborative liturgical events such as the Easter Zegen food blessing. Active lay ministries — choir (a tradition of more than 50 years), Eucharistic Ministers, ushers, the Knights of Columbus council, and a parish bookkeeper — keep the parish running, making it easy for new or returning Catholics to plug in.
Mass times at St. Pius X
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:30 AM
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM
Parish Identity and Cluster Relationship
St. Pius X Catholic Church in Babbitt, Minnesota, is a mission parish of the Diocese of Duluth clustered with St. Anthony of Padua in Ely. The two share a pastor, a deacon, and a parish office, with St. Pius X functioning as the Catholic mission on the Mesabi Iron Range side of the cluster and St. Anthony serving as the historic anchor parish in Ely. The cluster relationship is central to the parish's identity: scheduling, sacramental records, bulletin production, and pastoral care are handled jointly. The parish mailing address is 15 Ash Blvd, Babbitt, MN 55706, and the contact line is answered through the Ely office at [email protected] and phone (218) 827-2291.
- Cluster: St. Anthony, Ely, and St. Pius X, Babbitt
- Diocese of Duluth
- Parish address: 15 Ash Blvd, Babbitt, MN 55706
- Phone: (218) 827-2291
- Email: [email protected]
History and Setting
St. Pius X grew up with the company town of Babbitt, which was created beginning in 1944 when Armco and Republic Steel began building a taconite mine on the eastern Mesabi Iron Range. As Catholic families settled in the new community — formally incorporated as a village on September 12, 1956 — the Diocese of Duluth organized St. Pius X as a mission tied to the older St. Anthony of Padua parish in Ely, about 25 miles to the northeast. The mission has remained small but continuous, supported by generations of Babbitt mining and service families. Its sacramental life is closely bound up with burial traditions at Argo Cemetery in Babbitt and with the broader Catholic community of the Arrowhead region.
- Babbitt founded c. 1944 as a taconite mining company town
- Incorporated as a village September 12, 1956
- Named for Judge Kurnal R. Babbitt of New York City, mining-company counsel
- St. Pius X established as a mission of St. Anthony, Ely (Diocese of Duluth)
- Funerals typically include burial at Argo Cemetery, Babbitt
Pastoral Leadership
Clergy for St. Pius X are assigned as part of the Ely–Babbitt cluster. The most recent appointment, effective July 1, named Rev. Charles Friebohle as pastor; he came from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Mary Star of the Sea in Duluth, where he had served as parochial vicar. Before him, Rev. William Skarich served as pastor of the cluster until being reassigned as priest sacramental minister at Blessed Sacrament, Hibbing. Deacon Gregory Hutar served as administrator of the cluster until his retirement, and Deacon Don Klick is officially listed by the Diocese of Duluth as deacon of both St. Anthony (Ely) and St. Pius X (Babbitt). Father Gogolin, named in diocesan jubilee coverage, also previously served St. Pius X along with other Range parishes.
- Rev. Charles Friebohle — current pastor (effective July 1)
- Rev. William Skarich — former pastor of the cluster
- Deacon Gregory Hutar — former parish administrator (now retired)
- Deacon Don Klick — assigned deacon of St. Anthony, Ely, and St. Pius X, Babbitt
- Rev. Fr. Gogolin — served earlier in the cluster
Lay Ministries and Parish Life
Despite its small size, St. Pius X has a strong tradition of lay involvement. Choir and cantor music has been a hallmark: Lynne Sherman served as Cantor and Choir Director for over 50 years. Eucharistic Ministers, ushers, the parish bookkeeper, and the local Knights of Columbus council (listed as 'St. Pius X Mission, Babbitt' by the Minnesota Knights of Columbus) form the backbone of parish operations. Marilyn Kegler worked as the parish bookkeeper and served as a Eucharistic Minister and choir member; her husband Leon served as a Eucharistic Minister, usher, and Knight of Columbus member. Funeral and bereavement ministry is closely coordinated with Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely and Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home of Gilbert.
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Choir and Cantor ministry (50+ year tradition)
- Ushers
- Parish bookkeeper and office administration
- Knights of Columbus (St. Pius X Mission council)
- Funeral / bereavement ministry
Sacraments
Sunday Mass and Wednesday Mass, with Reconciliation before each, are the regular sacramental offerings at St. Pius X. Funeral Masses (Masses of Christian Burial) are celebrated at the parish, with burial typically at Argo Cemetery. Baptisms, marriages, the sacrament of anointing of the sick, and First Communion preparation are arranged through the cluster parish office in Ely; in a small mission like St. Pius X, sacramental preparation is often coordinated across the cluster.
- Reconciliation (Sunday and Wednesday, 7:30 AM)
- Funerals / Mass of Christian Burial
- Baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick — through cluster office
- First Communion — through cluster catechesis
Community and Context
Babbitt is a small planned community on the eastern Mesabi Iron Range, surrounded by the Superior National Forest and within sight of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The town's identity is deeply tied to the taconite mine that has sustained it since the 1940s; St. Pius X has been the Catholic anchor for that community for generations. The parish is geographically isolated — Father Friebohle has described the cluster as 'on its own little island,' too distant to merge with Virginia-area missions — which makes the parish's small but loyal lay community especially important. Visitors from across the Iron Range and from Ely come to St. Pius X for Sunday Mass and for funeral liturgies, keeping the church closely tied to family and mining history on the Range.
- Located on the Mesabi Iron Range in St. Louis County, Minnesota
- Near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
- Cluster pastor reports older population with many younger families having moved away
- Parish draws visitors from Babbitt, Ely, and surrounding Range communities
Visiting and Contact
Visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Pius X. Because schedules for a small mission can change, anyone planning to attend Mass or a sacrament is encouraged to confirm times through the parish office. The parish mailing address is 15 Ash Boulevard, Babbitt, MN 55706. Phone (218) 827-2291 and email [email protected] reach the shared cluster office.
- Address: 15 Ash Blvd, Babbitt, MN 55706
- Phone: (218) 827-2291
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stanthonysely.org/St--Pius-X
- Cluster partner: St. Anthony of Padua, Ely
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Gogolin
Served St. Anthony, Ely, and St. Pius X, Babbitt, earlier in his diocesan ministry (Diocese of Duluth priesthood jubilees list).
- Rev. William Skarichuntil May 28 (reassignment year not explicitly listed)
Pastor of St. Anthony, Ely, and St. Pius X, Babbitt cluster; reassigned to priest sacramental minister at Blessed Sacrament, Hibbing.
- Deacon Gregory Hutaruntil July 1 (retirement)
Administrator of St. Anthony, Ely, and St. Pius X, Babbitt, before retirement; has officiated at parish funerals in Babbitt.
- Rev. Charles FriebohleEffective July 1 (most recent assignment)
Appointed pastor of St. Anthony, Ely, and St. Pius X, Babbitt; previously parochial vicar of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Mary Star of the Sea, Duluth.