About St. Thomas the Apostle · Corcoran, Minnesota
St. Thomas the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Corcoran, Minnesota, founded in 1896 as part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The current church building replaced the earlier St. Patrick parish of Maple Grove (which had burnt down), with the Corcoran family donating the land. Today it is a parish cluster with Ss. Peter and Paul in Loretto, sharing a pastor and some staff and programming. Its mission is to lead all souls to Jesus Christ, and it serves a growing community of families across the western Twin Cities metro on an approximately 25-acre campus that is preparing for a major new church build.
- Established
- 1896
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Glen Jenson
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Thomas the Apostle is a vibrant parish in a growing western-Twin-Cities community, offering weekend and weekday Mass, Reconciliation multiple days a week, and Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. Families with children benefit from a combined Faith Formation program with Ss. Peter and Paul that uses Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for the youngest learners and continues through Confirmation prep. Adults can join a Bible study, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), the Knights of Columbus, Men's and Women's Clubs, a quilters group, a Women's Book Club, or small groups — and the parish is gearing up to build a new church that will incorporate its beloved 1930s stained glass.
Mass times at St. Thomas the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:15 PM
- Friday 7:45 AM – 8:15 AM
- Friday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
- Saturday 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (sign up for an hour via the Ss. Peter & Paul Parish Office at 763.479.0535)
History of St. Thomas the Apostle
St. Thomas the Apostle traces its roots to 1896, when the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis decided to consolidate what had been St. Patrick's parish in Maple Grove (whose church had burned) with a new parish on land in Corcoran donated by members of the Corcoran family. Father Adam Coyle, born in Ireland, became the first pastor. The first baptism and the first wedding in the new church were both held in May 1896. The first member of the parish to be ordained a priest was Fr. Benjamin Audus in 1907. Stained-glass windows were added to the church during the 1930s and remain a beloved feature. Today the parish serves a growing area of western Hennepin County and is preparing to build a new church that will incorporate those historic windows.
- Founded 1896
- First pastor: Fr. Adam Coyle (Ireland)
- First baptism and wedding: May 1896
- First parishioner ordained: Fr. Benjamin Audus (1907)
- Stained-glass windows added in the 1930s
- Approximately 25-acre campus
Parish Cluster with Ss. Peter and Paul (Loretto)
St. Thomas is part of a parish cluster with Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Loretto, Minnesota. A parish cluster means two or more parishes share a pastor and may also share some staff and programming, while each parish retains its own parish status and basic organizational structure. Clustering does not necessarily lead to a merger of parishes. Shared ministry currently includes Faith Formation, which is combined for the two parishes and meets at St. Thomas on Wednesday evenings.
- Cluster partner: Ss. Peter and Paul, Loretto, MN
- Shared pastor and staff
- Combined Faith Formation program
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation for ages 3 through Grade 8 is a combined program of St. Thomas the Apostle and Ss. Peter & Paul. Classes run September through May on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 7:30 PM at St. Thomas. A free-will-offering family dinner is served each Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:00 PM in the Parish Center, and a Holy Hour with Confession is offered during class time for parents and parishioners. Enrollment is limited to registered members of the two parishes.
- Ages 3 – Grade 1: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Montessori method)
- Grade 2: Word of Life (Augustine Institute), includes Reconciliation and Holy Communion prep
- Grades 3–6: Word of Life
- Grades 7–8: YDisciple and FORMED; older youth who haven't yet received Confirmation are welcome
- Family dinner Wednesdays 5:30–6:00 PM
- Director of Religious Education: Claire Lenz ([email protected])
Children + Youth Ministries
Beyond weekly Faith Formation, St. Thomas offers school-year and summer programs for school-age youth and teens, including a youth group (Holy Apostles / Holy Apostle COR, Grades 6–12), Totus Tuus in summer, Extreme Faith Camp, and the Dead Theologians Society. Parents and parishioners can volunteer as teachers, assistants, substitutes, personal-safety teachers, office monitors, or cooks for the Wednesday family meal.
- Holy Apostles Youth (Grades 6–12)
- Holy Apostle COR (Grades 6–12)
- Totus Tuus (summer)
- Extreme Faith Camp
- Dead Theologians Society
- Youth Minister: TJ Slamkowski (Safe Environment Coordinator)
Adult Ministries
Adults at St. Thomas can join a broad range of faith, service, and fellowship groups, including OCIA, Bible Study, small groups, First Saturday Devotion, Young Adults (COR Team, ages 18–35), Knights of Columbus, Men's Club, Women's Club, Quilters, Women's Book Club, and a 'Pray for Family' prayer group.
- OCIA
- Bible Study
- Small Groups
- First Saturday Devotion
- Young Adults (COR Team)
- Knights of Columbus
- Men's Club
- Women's Club
- Quilters
- Women's Book Club
- Pray for Family
Staff & Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor, a weekend assistant priest, a deacon, and a lay staff headed by a Parish Administrator. A Director of Religious Education coordinates Faith Formation for the cluster.
- Fr. Glen Jenson — Pastor (763.496.5140)
- Fr. Sebastien Bakatu — Weekend Assistant
- Deacon Tom Utecht
- TJ Slamkowski — Youth Minister & Safe Environment Coordinator
- Cindy Patnode — Parish Administrator (763.420.4643)
- Claire Lenz — Director of Religious Education (763.496.5144)
- Jenny Rogalski — Office Administrator (763.496.5141)
- Dave Evensen — Director of Maintenance
- Dave Gibbons — St. Thomas Cemetery Sexton
Parish Leadership
St. Thomas has a Parish Pastoral Council, a Finance Council, and a Facilities Planning Committee as canonical consultative bodies (per Canon 536 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law and Archdiocese policy). Two lay Trustees represent the parish corporation alongside the Archbishop, the Vicar General, and the pastor.
- Parish Pastoral Council: Brady Day, Justin Leighton, Angela Jendro, Michael Hreha, Michael Caci, John Pratt, Michael Olson, Rathi Philip, Greg Dvorsak
- Finance Council: Rick Fadgen, Mike Socha, John Ritz, Dave Gibbons, Diana Almedia, Gary Pull
- Facilities Planning Committee: Rick Fadgen, Steve Schmitz, Fr. Glen Jenson, Susan Wieneke, Jim Warwa, Jamie Heuton, Roger Litchy, Tom Hudinsky, Brady Day, Carl Thelen, Dave Gibbons
- Parish Trustees: Roger Litchy and Tom Hudinsky
Future Campus & Capital Campaign
In 2022 St. Thomas officially launched a Capital Campaign to fund a major upgrade of its 25-acre campus, including a new church designed to accommodate community growth and to incorporate the original 1930s stained glass. The parish's stated goal is to begin dirt work in 2026 and to raise $8 million before construction can start. The most recent updates posted on the parish website run through 2025–2026, and the parish has been holding fundraisers (such as the 'Raise the Roof' outdoor concession at The Stanchion in Hamel) to advance the campaign.
- Capital Campaign launched 2022
- $8M goal
- Targeted dirt work start: 2026
- New church will incorporate 1930s stained glass
- Raising the Roof fundraising events
St. Thomas Cemetery
The parish maintains St. Thomas Cemetery on or near its Corcoran campus. Inquiries about the cemetery are handled by the parish office.
- Cemetery Sexton: Dave Gibbons
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Adam Coyle1896–
Born in Ireland; first pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle, with the first baptism and wedding held in May 1896.