About Sts. Peter and Paul · Warren, Minnesota
SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church is a rural parish in Warren, Minnesota, in the Diocese of Crookston, where Catholics have worshipped since the first Mass was celebrated in 1909 or 1910. The parish was formally incorporated on December 10, 1914, and the original frame church was dedicated by Bishop Timothy Corbett on October 10, 1915. The current brick church and rectory replaced the wooden structure in 1969, and the parish now serves as the center of a tri-parish cluster with the missions of St. Mary in Euclid and St. Joseph in Oslo, where its pastor also shepherds the faithful.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- Saints Peter and Paul
- Rector
- Rev. Dr. Xavier Ilango
- Diocese
- Diocese of Crookston
Why belong here
Sts. Peter & Paul is a small, family-sized Catholic community in rural northwestern Minnesota where parishioners know one another by name and serve together across generations. The parish offers the fullness of Catholic life — daily and Sunday Mass, Saturday confessions, the seven sacraments, a robust faith-formation program for children through twelfth grade, and active lay ministries including a Knights of Columbus council, an Altar Society, a Liturgy Committee, and parish and finance councils. Joining means joining a tri-parish cluster that reaches out across Warren, Euclid, and Oslo under the pastoral care of Fr. Xavier Ilango.
Mass times at Sts. Peter and Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (ring the doorbell by the Office to let Father know you are here)
- By appointment (call the church at 218-745-4511)
Welcome to Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church
The parish's home page greets visitors with the tagline 'United in Hope, Joined in Faith,' announcing Sunday and weekday Mass times, the Saturday confession schedule, and a personal note that 'If you've been away for awhile, we welcome you back!' The site is built around three clear calls to worship — Mass, Confessions, and Reconciliation — with all current schedules and contacts immediately visible to returning parishioners and visitors alike.
Church History
Catholic life in the Warren area stretches back to about 1880, when a visiting priest from Crookston would stop in once or twice a year for about eight families. After the first Mass in Warren was celebrated in 1909 or 1910 by Rev. Claude Massonat, the parish was formally incorporated on December 10, 1914. On October 10, 1915, Bishop Timothy Corbett dedicated the new church and installed Rev. John P. Funk as its first resident pastor, with the missions of Euclid and Oslo under his care.
Building the Present Church (1965–1969)
Under Fr. Eugene R. Connelly (assigned March 18, 1965, served until August 10, 1969), the parish built a new 2,500-square-foot brick church and rectory to replace the original wooden structure at 5th Street and Fletcher Avenue. Blessings began on May 1, 1968, and the parish moved into the new building on February 12, 1969. The Knights of Columbus loaned the parish $100,000 toward the project; the mortgage was finally burned in 1989.
- First baptism in new church: Caroline Jean Cook, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Duane Cook, May 11, 1969
- First wedding: Ronald Vanek and June Edger, May 3, 1969
- First funeral: Byron D. Fournier of Hallock, November 19, 1969
- First confirmation in new church: April 12, 1970, by Bishop L. A. Glenn
Staff
The parish is led by its pastor and supported by a Faith Formation Director and a parish secretary who also serves as bookkeeper. All staff can be reached through the parish office at 218-745-4511.
- Fr. Xavier Ilango – Pastor ([email protected])
- Amanda Page – Faith Formation Director ([email protected], 218-791-5964)
- Donna Gehrls – Parish Secretary / Bookkeeper ([email protected])
Pastor
Rev. Dr. Xavier Ilango has served as Pastor of Sts. Peter & Paul, Warren — together with St. Joseph, Oslo and St. Mary's, Euclid — since July 1, 2019. He also serves as the Vocation Director for the Diocese of Crookston, and from January through June 2019 he was Pastoral Administrator of St. Patrick, Hallock and Holy Rosary, Lancaster. The pastor page provides background on the parish's succession of priests and the priest dates currently in service.
- Pastor of St. Peter and Paul, Warren; St. Joseph, Oslo; St. Mary's, Euclid (July 2019 – present)
- Vocation Director, Diocese of Crookston
- Pastoral Administrator, St. Patrick Hallock & Holy Rosary Lancaster (January 2019 – June 2019)
Ministries & Parish Organizations
The parish runs on a council-and-committee structure that allows laypeople to share responsibility for its worship, finances, property, and faith formation. Several committees advise the pastor; others lead specific works such as the cemetery or youth ministry. The Knights of Columbus Council 9552 and the Altar Society round out the lay organizations.
Pastoral & Finance Councils
The Pastoral Council, led by Chairperson Mike Johnson, is called by God and led by the Holy Spirit 'to serve in love and to fulfill the mission of the Church set forth by Jesus Christ.' The Finance Council, chaired by Dave Gehrls, ensures the appropriate use of parishioner-donated resources and communicates those uses to the parish. A Building Committee, chaired by Fr. Ilango, evaluates construction, renovation, and remodeling needs.
- Pastoral Council — Mike Johnson, Chairperson
- Finance Council — Dave Gehrls, Chairperson
- Building Committee — Fr. Ilango, Pastor
Religious Education Committee & Liturgy Committee
The Religious Education Committee's mission is 'to teach and express the timeless truths of the Roman Catholic Church,' led by RE Director Amanda Page. The Liturgy Committee, chaired by JoAnne Ranstrom, is a pastoral ministry that operates in an advisory capacity to the pastor and guides the community's full, active participation in worship.
- RE Committee — Amanda Page, RE Director, 218-791-5964
- Liturgy Committee — JoAnne Ranstrom, Chairperson, 218-745-4905
Knights of Columbus, Altar Society & Cemetery Committee
Catholic men of the parish belong to Knights of Columbus Council 9552, currently led by Grand Knight John Gerszewski (218-745-4037). The Altar Society supports the liturgical life of the parish, and the Cemetery Committee oversees the parish cemetery, whose grounds were first purchased in 1928 from J. D. Lawrence for $200.
- Knights of Columbus Council 9552 — John Gerszewski, Grand Knight
- Altar Society
- Cemetery Committee — 218-745-4511
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith Formation at Sts. Peter & Paul serves children from Pre-K through Grade 12, with classes meeting on Wednesday evenings: Pre-K through Grade 6 at 6:10 pm and Grades 7 through 11 at 7:30 pm. A separate Grade 12 session, 'Not Your Grandma's NFP,' meets at 7:30 pm. Grades 6 and 7 meet on Sundays at 11:00 am. Director Amanda Page coordinates the program, and families can sign up for REMIND announcements by texting @c69cd7 to 81010. The parish also runs a Youth Wall of Money in the church entrance to help fund VBS, Steubenville, JPII, and Trinity Youth Camp.
- Faith Formation Classes — Pre-K–Grade 6, Wednesdays 6:10 pm
- Faith Formation Classes — Grades 7–11, Wednesdays 7:30 pm
- Faith Formation Classes — Grades 6–7, Sundays 11:00 am
- Not Your Grandma's NFP — Grade 12, 7:30 pm
- RE Director: Amanda Page — [email protected] / 218-791-5964
- Sts. Peter and Paul Church Warren-Youth (Facebook)
- Youth Wall of Money supports VBS, Steubenville, JPII, and Trinity Youth Camp
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptism requires a catechetical class and advance notice to Fr. Ilango; First Communion and Confirmation are prepared through Faith Formation. Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders are supported, with Fr. Ilango serving as Diocesan Vocation Director. Catholics planning marriage must contact a priest at least six months in advance — a phone call to set a date alone does not satisfy the Diocese of Crookston's requirement.
- Baptism — catechetical class required; contact Fr. Ilango well in advance
- First Communion & Confirmation — through Faith Formation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders — Vocation Director: Fr. Ilango
- Matrimony — 6-month priest contact required
- Confession — Saturdays 9:30 am – 12:30 pm, or by appointment (call 218-745-4511)
Bulletin & Events
The parish maintains a Bulletin & Events page with previous bulletins available for review, helping parishioners keep up with announcements, schedules, and ongoing activities.
Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at 218-745-4511 or through the website's contact form. Staff email addresses are listed on the Staff page; general correspondence is handled by Parish Secretary Donna Gehrls at [email protected].
- Phone: 218-745-4511
- Parish Secretary email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Faith Formation email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stspeterandpaulchurch.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John P. Funk1915–
First resident pastor; installed by Bishop Timothy Corbett on October 10, 1915; also had charge of Euclid and Oslo missions.
- Fr. T. J. Haavey
Died only a few weeks in the rectory after the old parish house was consumed by fire.
- Fr. Lyons
During his tenure the first confirmation class was held on August 7, 1921, by Bishop Corbett.
- Fr. Joseph Mulvey
Built a garage in 1925 and bought cemetery ground in 1928 from J. D. Lawrence for $200.
- Fr. Eugene R. ConnellyMarch 18, 1965 – August 10, 1969
Oversaw construction of the present brick church and rectory; parish moved in February 12, 1969.
- Fr. Louis E. ProulxAugust 1969 – June 1971
Native of Argyle; welcomed the first confirmation class in the new church on April 12, 1970.
- Fr. Edward NistlerJune 26, 1971 –
Celebrated his 25th ordination anniversary on June 9, 1979; first parish council formed October 1971.
- Fr. Raymond PalciskoJuly 1987 – June 1992
- Fr. Michael SullivanJuly 1992 – June 2000
- Fr. Larry WeislerJuly 2000 – June 2001
- Fr. Gary LaMoineJuly 2001 – June 2006
- Fr. Emmanuel SylvesterJuly 2006 – June 30, 2019
First priest from India to serve the parish; launched the parish website in June 2008 with Greg Myszkowski.
- Rev. Dr. Xavier IlangoJuly 1, 2019 – present
Also pastor of St. Joseph, Oslo and St. Mary's, Euclid; Vocation Director for the Diocese of Crookston.