About St. Therese · Deephaven, Minnesota
St. Therese Parish is a vibrant Catholic community of nearly 1,500 families located on Minnetonka Boulevard in Deephaven, Minnesota, within the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Founded in 1946 by Father Mark Otto—a WWII military chaplain—as a gratitude offering to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the parish has grown from a basement church of 50 families into a thriving campus that today includes a Catholic K–8 school, an early learning center, and the adjoining Deephaven Woods senior living community. Liturgical and devotional life centers on daily Mass, an extensive Eucharistic Adoration schedule Tuesday through Saturday, and active faith formation for children, youth, and adults.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower)
- Rector
- Rev. Leonard (Fr. Andrie) Andrie
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Therese is a parish where the steady rhythm of Catholic life is lived in real time: daily Mass, an extensive Tuesday-through-Saturday Eucharistic Adoration schedule, and multiple Sunday Masses anchor the week, while more than 50 volunteer catechists guide over 300 children and youth in faith formation. Parishioners of every age find a place, from Early Catholic Family Life for parents of young children, to OCIA (formerly RCIA) and adult Bible studies led by the pastor, to a signature intergenerational 'Grandfriends' program that pairs students with residents of the on-campus Deephaven Woods senior living community.
Mass times at St. Therese
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 4:45 PM – 5:10 PM
- Saturday: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Adoration times
- Monday: No Adoration
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 8:00 PM
- Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Saturday: 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
History of St. Therese Parish
St. Therese was established in 1946 by Father Mark Otto, a WWII military chaplain who, in gratitude for surviving the war, founded a parish under the patronage of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Fr. Francis Shea arrived as pastor in 1950, acquired the 23-acre campus, and opened the school in 1959. Father Jerome Janski built the current church in 1970, the same year the Franciscan Clarist Sisters from Kerala, India arrived. The parish of 50 families has grown to nearly 1,500 families.
- 1946: Founded by Fr. Mark Otto
- 1950: Fr. Francis Shea becomes pastor; purchases 23 acres
- 1959: Parish school opens
- 1970: Current church built; Franciscan Clarist Sisters arrive
- Late 1990s: Narthex and community room expanded under Fr. John Bauer
- Early 2000s: School expansion (middle school and offices)
- 2013/2014: Deephaven Woods senior living built on parish land
- 2016: Fr. Leonard Andrie becomes pastor
- 2018: 'Confidence in Jesus' Capital Campaign retires parish debt
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Therese has an extensive faith formation program serving more than 300 children and youth with over 50 volunteer catechists. Programs span elementary Faith Formation, middle-school and high-school Youth Discipleship, Confirmation preparation (Grades 2–12), and OCIA for ages 7–17. Parents are required to participate in home elements and Sacrament Preparation. The Faith Formation staff is led by Director Liz Lammers and Youth Minister Joe Schiltz.
- Faith Formation (K–5)
- Youth Discipleship Ministry Grades 6–8
- Youth Discipleship Ministry Grades 9–12
- Confirmation Preparation Grades 2–12
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) Ages 7–17
- Parent Nights and Family Formation (GIFT) Events
- Retreats for youth in Grades 6–9
Adult Faith Formation & OCIA
Adults grow in faith through Bible Study (twice monthly, morning and evening), the St. Paul Seminary Catechetical Institute 'School of Prayer' held Tuesdays at the parish, and the well-known Father Andrie Series on topics such as the Mass, Vatican II, Mary in Scripture, the Psalms, the Shroud of Turin, and Faith and Science. OCIA for adults meets for 29 sessions from September through Easter Vigil, coordinated by Deacon John Allgaier.
- Adult Bible Study (Sept–May)
- School of Prayer — Tuesdays 9:30–11:30 AM or 7:00–9:00 PM
- Father Andrie Series
- OCIA Ages 18+ (Sept 18, 2025 – Easter Vigil 2026)
Early Catholic Family Life (ECFL)
Early Catholic Family Life connects parents with their peers, facilitates parent–child interaction, and teaches parents about child development. The sessions are set in the context of the Catholic faith, which believes parents are a child's first and most important teachers, and are especially impactful for parents with children ages 5 and younger.
St. Therese Catholic School and Early Learning Center
The parish operates St. Therese Catholic School (K–8), founded with the parish school in 1959 and expanded in the early 2000s with a new middle school wing. The Early Learning Center offers full and half-day preschool. St. Therese Catholic School partnered with St. John the Baptist in Excelsior in 2012, combining athletics and an 8th-grade trip to Washington, D.C. Under Fr. Andrie, the school received a new media center as part of capital improvements.
- Catholic education K–8
- Early Learning Center (full and half-day preschool)
- Combined athletics and 8th-grade Washington D.C. trip with St. John the Baptist, Excelsior
- Daycare program (relocated from St. Joseph's, Hopkins in 2007)
Deephaven Woods and the Intergenerational 'Grandfriends' Program
In 2014 Deephaven Woods, a senior living facility, was built on land contributed by the parish. Since then, the on-campus location has given rise to a celebrated intergenerational program in which preschoolers, middle-school students, and senior residents regularly meet as 'Grandfriends.' Weekly activities include challenge games, picture bingo, poems, and stories; older students perform band and choir concerts, and the children parade through the facility for Halloween and St. Patrick's Day. The relationship gives children compassion, patience, communication skills, and respect for elders, while giving residents companionship and a renewed sense of purpose.
- Built 2014 on parish-donated land
- Preschoolers visit weekly on Thursdays
- Middle-schoolers perform concerts
- Halloween and St. Patrick's Day parades
Liturgical Music and Art
Among the cherished items that enhance the liturgical space are a Reuter Pipe Organ with flamed copper pipes and a fresco by Minnesota artist Mark Balma. The sanctuary features a stained-glass window dedicated to St. Therese, installed when the current church was built in 1970.
- Reuter Pipe Organ with flamed copper pipes
- Fresco by Mark Balma
- Stained-glass window to St. Therese
Livestream and Online Presence
St. Therese livestreams daily Mass and weekend Masses on its YouTube channel. The video archive allows parishioners and visitors to watch or revisit previous Masses. Livestream schedule: Tuesday–Friday at 12:00 PM (recorded daytime Masses), Saturday 5:00 PM, and Sunday 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM.
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is served by Pastor Fr. Leonard Andrie (appointed by Archbishop Hebda, ordained 2013 for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis) and Parochial Vicar Fr. Michael Maloney, with Deacon John Allgaier assisting. The Faith Formation team is led by Director Liz Lammers; Adult Faith Formation is coordinated by Angie Wilz; Youth Ministry by Joe Schiltz.
- Fr. Leonard Andrie — Pastor (since 2016)
- Fr. Michael Maloney — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon John Allgaier
- Liz Lammers — Faith Formation Director
- Angie Wilz — Adult Faith Formation Coordinator
- Joe Schiltz — Youth Minister
Getting Involved
St. Therese runs an active Parish Pastoral Council that serves as an advisory board to the pastor in creating a faith-based vision and strategy for parish health. Catechists, Core Team members, Bible study leaders, OCIA sponsors, and liturgical ministers are all recruited from the parish community. Contact information for each ministry is listed on the parish's All Ministries page.
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Faith Formation Catechist and Core Teams
- Youth Ministry Core Team
- Confirmation Small Group Core Team
- Bible Study facilitators
Contact and Visit
Parish Office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The School Office can be reached separately at 952-473-4355. In an emergency requiring a priest after hours, call 952-473-4422 and select option 6. Funeral and pastoral care requests should be made through the parish office number.
- Parish Office: 952-473-4422 / [email protected]
- School Office: 952-473-4355 / [email protected]
- After-hours emergency: 952-473-4422, option 6
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Mark Otto1946–1950
Founding pastor; WWII military chaplain who promised to found a parish to St. Thérèse of Lisieux if he returned safely.
- Rev. Francis Shea1950–1968
Purchased the 23-acre campus and built the parish school, which opened September 1959.
- Rev. Jerome Janski1968–(late 1990s)
Built the current church in 1970 to seat 500 families; installed the stained-glass window to St. Therese.
- Rev. John Bauer(late 1990s)
Expanded the church narthex and completed the community room.
- Rev. Leonard Andrie2016–Present
Eliminated the parish's significant long-standing debt; led the 2018 'Confidence in Jesus' Capital Campaign that raised over $5.6 million; oversaw remodeling of the chapel and sanctuary and added a media center to the school.