{"id":9830,"date":"2026-01-17T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=9830"},"modified":"2026-02-10T16:37:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T16:37:27","slug":"our-lady-of-angels-my-home-parish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/our-lady-of-angels-my-home-parish\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Lady of Angels: My Home Parish"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e46kw7LHSK4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Last Saturday I learned that my home parish, Our Lady of Angels in Sauk Centre, will almost certainly close this year. I&#8217;m not happy about that. At all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s some detail here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.parishesontheprairie.org\/all-things-new\">All Things New Update From Fr. Keven &amp; Fr. Botzet<\/a>&#8221; (January, 2026)<br>Parishes on the Prairie\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/irp.cdn-website.com\/62600b18\/files\/uploaded\/THE+LETTER-1-.pdf\">View Letter<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And a little background on the Area Catholic Communities setup we have now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/stcdio.org\/planning\/area-catholic-communities\/letter-from-bishop-kettler-regarding-area-catholic-communities\/\">Letter from Bishop Kettler regarding Area Catholic Communities<\/a> <br>+Donald J. Kettler, Bishop of Saint Cloud (2019)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And there&#8217;s that video, from February 24, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our bishop&#8217;s talk about positivity, hope, and the Church not being buildings, but people who follow Jesus? I see his point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I see the point, but I&#8217;m still not at all happy about what&#8217;s happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"better\"><\/a>Better Communication This Time Around<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/@45.6136024,-95.056717,3a,75y,212.64h,87.97t\/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIGMHvzNLRQRIr_r49jUaiQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/20230706-PaduaMinnesotaPaduaPubMay2023-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Google Street Maps: Padua, Minnesota. There used to be a Catholic parish here. (image from May 2023)\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Padua, Minnesota: there used to be a parish here.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stcdio.org\/planning\/area-catholic-community\/area-catholic-communities-acc-map\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/202307-DioceseMapPlanning2023-area-catholic-community-circles-web-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Diocese of Saint Cloud Area Catholic Communities (ACC) Map. (updated July 6, 2023)\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Area Catholic Communities (ACC) map, courtesy Diocese of Saint Cloud. (updated July 6, 2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Even so, the situation now is better than what happened quite a few years back when several other parishes around here were closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From what I hear, quite a few folks went to church one day and learned that their home parish no longer exited. No talks, no communication, just: it&#8217;s closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I haven&#8217;t researched what happened, and so don&#8217;t have the full picture. But it sort of makes sense. We&#8217;re a rural area, at the far end of Stearns County from Diocese headquarters in St. Cloud. It just may not have occurred to folks \u2014 I&#8217;ll stop now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news is that this time around, we <strong>are<\/strong> being kept in the loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Losing a place that&#8217;s been important for generations is hard, but at least we have time to get ready for the final loss of our parish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"germans\"><\/a>Germans, the Irish, and a Little Local History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/@45.7247841,-94.9516915,3a,75y,90t\/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1st_S3Xm7jCY6QIH4NtOdvnw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/20230706-SaukCentreMinnesotaMay2023-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Google Street Maps: Sauk Centre, Minnesota: looking north on Highway 71\/Main Street. (image from May 2023)\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sauk Centre, Minnesota: the town I call  home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/freezing-fog-mass-mary-and-me\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20241028ff\/20241229-ParishesOnThePrairiesLiveStream-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screenshot from Parishes on the Prairie Livestream', YouTube (December 28, 2029) see https:\/\/parishesontheprairie.org\/\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mass at St. Paul&#8217;s, Sauk Centre. (December 28, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Happily, we can celebrate Mass over at St. Paul&#8217;s. That was the &#8220;German church&#8221; here in Sauk Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Sauk Centre&#8217;s early days, pretty much everyone was either German or Irish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Germans were, for the most part, fairly recent arrivals in this country: which accounts for their preferring priests who spoke German during Mass. They were also a bit better-off economically than the Irish: or so I&#8217;ve heard. At any rate, anyone celebrating Mass with the Germans could follow along: but unless they understood German, the homilies would have needed translation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, the Germans understood English well enough. But, like I said, they liked their Mass in German.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Irish might have preferred hearing homilies in Gaeilge, but they&#8217;d been using English back in the old country \u2014 and that&#8217;s another topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So \u2014 I don&#8217;t know details \u2014 the Irish ended up with their own parish, here in Sauk Centre&#8217;s south side. It wasn&#8217;t, on the whole, as prosperous as the German one, or so I understand, but we&#8217;ve done a pretty good job with the building and its fittings over the generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the homilies in the &#8220;Irish church&#8221; were in a language the parishioners understood. Still are, for that matter, although a whole lot of not-Irish worship here; and the &#8220;German church&#8221; has long since stopped being so very German, and English is spoken in both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"memories\"><\/a>Memories and a Photo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20220711ff\/20220920-DSC09113-658.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota: west entrance. Picture is a print of Tiepolo's 'The Immaculate Conception.' (1767-1768)\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Our Lady of the Angels (OLA) in Sauk Centre, Minnesota: northwest entrance. (September 20, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t have more to say, at least for now, apart from this quick wrap up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our Lady of Angels is my wife&#8217;s home parish, the one she grew up in. We were married there, in the mid-1980s. That was before an addition put the church&#8217;s entrance stairs inside, and added an elevator for folks who have trouble with stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The elevator&#8217;s out of order now. I don&#8217;t suppose it&#8217;ll be repaired. Not unless the diocese finds another use for the building. Which I hope happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If memory serves, the Marian garden, between Our Lady of Angels and what was the rectory, dates from that entrance-and-elevator construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"still\"><\/a>Still More Photos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20220711ff\/20220920-DSC09115-658.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota: stairs leading to worship area entrance, with Infant of Prague statue and candle rack.\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Candle rack and our parish&#8217;s Infant of Prague, near OLA&#8217;s worship area entrance. (September 20, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s been about three and a quarter years since somebody did remarkably little damage during a drunken spree in Our Lady of Angels church. I got some photos, after folks cleaned up the mess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I posted them the next Saturday, but this seems like a good time to share them again, along with a look at our Polka Mass in 2019, Christmas season and Corpus Christi procession of 2015, and the Marian garden in 2013. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at those dates, I realize that I don&#8217;t get out much these days. And that&#8217;s yet another topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20220711ff\/20220920-DSC09118-658.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota: main entrance to worship area, showing space formerly occupied by a statue.\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Main entrance to the OLA nave\/sanctuary. One of our statues isn&#8217;t there. (September 20, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20220711ff\/20220920-DSC09119-658.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Art inspired by Tiepolo's 'The Immaculate Conception,' over the altar in Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota.\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Over OLA&#8217;s altar area, art inspired by Tiepolo&#8217;s &#8216;The Immaculate Conception.&#8217; (September 20, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20220711ff\/20220920-DSC09129-658.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Statues in Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota, that were not damaged.\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Happily-undamaged statues near OLA&#8217;s altar area. (September 20, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20220711ff\/20220920-DSC09137-658.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Our elevator, a wheelchair and a crucifix, in Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre, Minnesota's entrance area.\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In the OLA entrance area: the elevator, a wheelchair and a crucifix. (September 20, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/polka-mass-and-adoration\/#our\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20190916ff\/20191027-PolkaMass-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Our Lady of the Angels polka Mass, Dale Dahmen &amp; The Polka Beats. (2019)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/christmas-2020-im-glad-to-be-here\/#christmas\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/201508ff\/OurLadyOfAngels20160102.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Our Lady of Angels, my parish church, second Saturday of Christmas: January 2, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/fear-change-a-loving-god-and-choices\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20230509ff\/20150607CorpusChristiProcession-SaukCentreDSC08066-658.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Brian H. Gill's photo: Corpus Christi procession, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. (June 7, 2015)\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Corpus Christi procession, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. (2015)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/our-first-childbirth-memories-and-a-few-thoughts\/#baptism\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20130220ff\/MarianGarden20130729sauk-centre-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Brian H. Gill's photo: Our Lady of Angels' Marian garden. (July 2013)\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Our Lady of Angels&#8217; Marian Garden: a good place to sit and think. (2013)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>More-or-less related posts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/were-back-in-our-parish-church\/\"><strong>We&#8217;re Back in Our Parish Church!<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (October 19, 2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/our-first-childbirth-memories-and-a-few-thoughts\/\"><strong>Our First Childbirth: Memories and a Few Thoughts<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (August 30, 2025)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/our-first-childbirth-memories-and-a-few-thoughts\/#baptism\">Baptism of Desire, Uncertainty, and Hope<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/fear-change-a-loving-god-and-choices\/\"><strong>Fear, Change, a Loving God: and Choices<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (July 8, 2023) <br>(Fr. Mark Botzet homily)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/fear-change-a-loving-god-and-choices\/#looking\">Looking at Four Decades, Two Millennia, and the Long Haul<\/a> (Brian H. Gill)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/fear-change-a-loving-god-and-choices\/#under\">Under the Circumstances&#8230;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/\"><strong>My Church in Sauk Centre, Minnesota: Vandalized<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (September 24, 2022)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/#this\">This Could Have Been Much Worse<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/#justice\">Justice and Statues, Saints and Art<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/#art\">Art Over the Altar<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/my-church-in-sauk-centre-minnesota-vandalized\/#wow\">Wow! The Wheelchair&#8217;s Still Intact! \u2014 or \u2014 Unknown Motives<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/polka-mass-and-adoration\/\"><strong>Polka Mass and Adoration<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (December 13, 2019)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/polka-mass-and-adoration\/#our\">Our Lady of the Angels: Polka Mass<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Saturday I learned that my home parish, Our Lady of Angels in Sauk Centre, will almost certainly close this year. I&#8217;m not happy about that. At all. There&#8217;s some detail here: And a little background on the Area Catholic &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/our-lady-of-angels-my-home-parish\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"The parish my wife and I were married in will almost certainly be closed this year. A quick look at parish history, and some photos.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Our Lady of Angels: My Home Parish","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[215,239,192,209],"tags":[64,27,194,193],"class_list":["post-9830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-being-catholic","category-family-stories","category-journal","category-series","tag-faith","tag-history","tag-minnesota","tag-worship"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Dwtw-2yy","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9830"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9834,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9830\/revisions\/9834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}