About St. Wilfrid · Woonsocket, South Dakota
St. Wilfrid Catholic Church is a small, rural Roman Catholic parish serving the farming community of Woonsocket in Sanborn County, South Dakota. Founded in 1885, it belongs to the Diocese of Sioux Falls and today is clustered with three neighboring parishes in the Christ the Light of Nations Pastorate (#11), which also includes Holy Trinity in Huron, St. Joseph in Wessington Springs, and St. Thomas Aquinas in De Smet. The parish draws an average weekend congregation of about 300 adults and around 75 youth, livestreams daily Mass for the homebound, and operates an active religious education program, Knights of Columbus council, Catholic Daughters chapter, and a livestream/YouTube catechetical ministry run by the pastor.
- Established
- 1885
- Patron
- St. Wilfrid of York (7th-century English bishop and evangelist)
- Rector
- Rev. Larry Regynski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux Falls (Roman Catholic, Latin Rite)
Why belong here
St. Wilfrid is the only Catholic church in Woonsocket, and for more than 140 years it has been the spiritual home of the farming families of Sanborn County. Parishioners can worship in a 1920-era brick church dedicated to the English bishop-evangelist St. Wilfrid of York, receive the sacraments weekly, send their children to on-site religious education (K–12), join the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Daughters, the High School Youth Group, or the adult 'Theology on Tap' gatherings, and stay connected through the parish livestream if they're homebound. With weekday Mass, weekly Confession, the Rosary before each Mass, Friday Stations of the Cross, and a welcoming small-town culture, it's a parish where one can both put down roots and serve the wider community.
Mass times at St. Wilfrid
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
- Tuesday: 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Or by appointment
Parish Identity & History
St. Wilfrid Catholic Church was established in 1885 in the railroad town of Woonsocket, Sanborn County, South Dakota, and remains the community's only Catholic parish. The current brick church building was dedicated in 1920, with parishioners gathering in June 2019 for the 99th Anniversary of the Dedication and then for the 100th Dedication Anniversary, which was combined with the blessing of a new statue of St. Wilfrid, the 30-year ordination anniversary of Fr. Jim, Fr. Paul's birthday, the installation of a new red-rope altar server, and a farewell for a departing priest. The parish is named for St. Wilfrid of York, the 7th-century English bishop and evangelist whose feast is kept on October 12.
- Founded: 1885
- Church building dedicated: 1920
- Patron: St. Wilfrid of York — feast day October 12
- Woonsocket's only Catholic church
Christ the Light of Nations Pastorate
St. Wilfrid is one of four parishes in Christ the Light of Nations Pastorate (#11) of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, working cooperatively with Holy Trinity in Huron, St. Joseph in Wessington Springs, and St. Thomas Aquinas in De Smet. The pastorate shares priests and administrative staff, coordinates faith formation across the four parishes, and operates Holy Trinity Catholic School (K–5). The pastorate's name is drawn from Lumen Gentium ('Christ is the Light of nations').
- Pastorate #11 — Christ the Light of Nations
- Holy Trinity, Huron (parish & school)
- St. Joseph, Wessington Springs
- St. Wilfrid, Woonsocket
- St. Thomas Aquinas, De Smet
- Pastor: Rev. Larry Regynski
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. David Garza
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is currently served by Rev. Larry Regynski as pastor of the Christ the Light of Nations Pastorate and Rev. David Garza as parochial vicar in residence at Woonsocket. Fr. Terry Weber has served as associate pastor residing in Woonsocket and is listed as the on-call priest for pastoral emergencies. Gay Lynne Ames serves as Business Manager / Executive Secretary for both St. Wilfrid and St. Joseph parishes. Rev. Kevin Doyle is listed as pastor in older parish materials, and Fr. Jim and Fr. Paul have been honored at parish celebrations in recent years.
- Rev. Larry Regynski — Pastor
- Rev. David Garza — Parochial Vicar (in residence, Woonsocket)
- Fr. Terry Weber — Associate Pastor / emergency contact: 605-610-5588
- Rev. Kevin Doyle — former pastor
- Gay Lynne Ames — Business Manager / Executive Secretary
Devotions & Other Services
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish gathers for the Rosary a half hour before each Mass and for Stations of the Cross on Friday nights at 7 PM during Lent. Daily Mass is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel for those who are homebound, and the pastor records Catholic educational talks that are also posted online. The parish visits the homebound and the local Weskota Manor (1:00 PM on the third Thursday of the month) with Communion calls; anyone wishing a pastoral visit should contact the parish office, or in an emergency Fr. Terry at 605-610-5588.
- Stations of the Cross — Fridays at 7 PM (Lent)
- Daily Mass livestream on YouTube
- Catholic educational talks by the pastor
- Communion calls to the homebound and to Weskota Manor (3rd Thursday, 1:00 PM)
- Parish pastoral visits by appointment
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The pastorate offers Religious Education for grades K–12 in each of the four parishes. At St. Wilfrid, Elementary Religious Ed begins in mid-September, meeting Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM. The High School Youth Group is active, hosting retreats (e.g., a High School Youth Retreat after the 8:30 AM Sunday Mass) and a Mini Turkey Shoot fundraiser. The pastorate's motto is the line from Lumen Gentium: 'Christ is the Light of nations.'
- Elementary Religious Ed — Wednesdays at 6:30 PM (starts mid-September)
- High School Youth Group & retreats
- Theology on Tap — adult faith gathering at the Muddy Cup
- Religious Education across all four pastorate parishes for K–12
- Holy Trinity Catholic School (K–5) available to the wider pastorate
Parish Organizations & Community Life
St. Wilfrid is supported by an active council of the Knights of Columbus, which sponsors parish suppers and Bingo nights (e.g., a 5 PM supper and 6 PM Bingo on the fourth Sunday of the month), and a local chapter of the Catholic Daughters of America, which meets monthly. Parish Council and Finance Council meetings are scheduled and published in the bulletin, and the parish regularly calls for volunteers — for example, helpers to vacuum the church and entryways — as a way of sharing time and talent. The parish is part of the broader Diocese of Sioux Falls, headed by Most Rev. Donald E. DeGrood and serving over 120,000 baptized Catholics in eastern South Dakota.
- Knights of Columbus (suppers & Bingo)
- Catholic Daughters of America (monthly meetings)
- Parish Council
- Finance Council
- Church cleaning volunteers
- Diocese of Sioux Falls — Bishop Most Rev. Donald E. DeGrood
Liturgical Ministries
A formal Ministry Schedule is printed in the weekly bulletin, rotating lay volunteers through roles at Mass. Recent rosters include lectors, greeters, ushers, Eucharistic Ministers, sacristans, money counters, and altar servers (with a special 'red rope' server cord/role). The bulletin notes that High School youth frequently fill multiple roles for a given Mass as part of their formation.
- Lectors
- Greeters (G) and Greeters/Bearers (GB)
- Ushers (U)
- Eucharistic Ministers (EM)
- Sacristans (S) and Money Counters
- Altar Servers (including red-rope servers)
- Master of Ceremonies (MC)
Stewardship & Giving
The parish publishes weekly stewardship figures in the bulletin, including envelope/online giving, loose collection, and children's collection, alongside the annual budget. Recent figures (late summer 2025) show weekly envelope/online giving around $1,100 and a total weekly budget in the $2,100 range, with an annual fiscal-year budget (ending June 2026) of $110,160. Online giving is available via a QR code printed in the bulletin.
- Weekly envelope/online giving
- Loose collection
- Children's collection
- Online giving via QR code in bulletin
- Annual fiscal-year budget published in bulletin
Bulletin, Livestream & Communications
The parish's weekly bulletin is the central source for the most up-to-date Mass intentions, ministry schedules, stewardship totals, and event announcements, and is hosted online through Parishes Online. St. Wilfrid also livestreams daily Mass on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person, and posts Catholic educational talks by the pastor on the same channel. The parish maintains a Facebook page for community updates.
- Weekly bulletin online (Parishes Online)
- YouTube livestream of daily Mass
- Catholic educational talks by the pastor on YouTube
- Facebook: facebook.com/stwilfridcatholicchurch
Visiting & Accessibility
Visitors to St. Wilfrid will find the parish on N. 2nd Avenue in Woonsocket, easily reached from SD Hwy 34, with ample parking around and within the church grounds. The church is accessible to those with mobility needs: handicapped parking is available on the north side, there is a disabled ramp, an elevator, and accessible toilets. Parishioners and visitors alike are welcome to call the office at 605-796-4666 for any questions about visiting, sacraments, or parish life.
- Handicapped parking on the north side
- Disabled ramp
- Elevator
- Accessible toilets
- Ample parking around the church
- Office phone: 605-796-4666
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Kevin Doyle
Listed as pastor on older parish pages and third-party parish directories.
- Fr. Terry Weber
Associate Pastor in residence in Woonsocket; contact 605-610-5588 / [email protected], per parish bulletin.
- Fr. Jim
30-year ordination anniversary celebrated at St. Wilfrid around 2019.
- Fr. Paul
Birthday celebrated at the parish around the same anniversary gathering.
- Rev. Larry Regynski
Current Pastor of Christ the Light of Nations Pastorate, per sfcatholic.org and ctlon.org.
- Rev. David Garza
Current Parochial Vicar, residing in Woonsocket, per Diocese of Sioux Falls priest directory and ctlon.org.