A trifecta at St. Mary’s Catholic Church

A large crowd gather Sunday, June 25 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Caledonia to celebrate three milestones. The 150th anniversary of catholic history in Caledonia, the 80th birthday of Sister Michaeline Healy, and Father Matt Wagner’s last weekend as St. Mary’s pastor.

The church’s history is embroidered on a quilt that was on exhibit during Sunday’s celebration. Each square represents a milestone in the church’s history.

The 2005 St. Mary’s Catholic Parish membership book explains, “The first step toward the organization of a Catholic parish in Caledonia was made in September 1856 when Bishop Cretin, first Bishop of Saint Paul, dedicated the cemetery now known as Calvary Cemetery. Between 1954-1860, visiting priests held masses in private homes, most often the homes of Dennis Cahill, Richard Lovett, and John Mead.”  In 1857, St. John’s, a small church, was built for the local Irish, German, and Luxembourg community and was completed in 1860. Due to the increase in membership, a new church (St. John’s) was built in 1864 and because of language barriers, a second church (St. Peter’s) was built at a cost of $30,000. In 1875, inscribed bells were added at St. Peter’s and in 1898 an $800 organ was purchased for their silver jubilee; in 1936 a new organ was purchased. In 1899, the cornerstone for the gray stone St. John’s church was laid and on March 8, 1900, the new church was dedicated. In 1902 St. Peter’s built a rectory and bought the Stations of the Cross from Munich, Bavaria at a cost of $10,000. St. Peter’s Catholic Central grade school opened in 1911 and in 1916 the Loretto High School was built. In 1923, St. Peter’s celebrated their golden jubilee. St. Mary’s grade school joint venture cost $360,000.00 in 1958 and in 1968 the Loretto high school closed. 1976 was a big year as St. Peter’s and St. John’s parishes merged and become St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The St. John’s church was razed in 1979.

In the church’s 2012 membership book, the author reflects on the period from 2005 and after, “Generations of Faith has brought families and neighbors of many ages together to renew our dedication to the service of God’s kingdom.”

In 1997, Sister Michaeline Healy came to Caledonia as pastoral associate, and in August 2020, Father Matt Wagner was officially installed as St. Mary’s pastor.

On display in the school gym were a collection of photographs and newspaper clippings of times past, and a display case filled with a selection of historical vestiges, including a brass crucifix donated by Fidelis Gaspard Stemp, rosary beads, a souvenir plate with images of the former priests who served in Caledonia, a 1944 Latin missal, St. Mary’s Altar Society membership ribbons, holy oil stocks, and more.

Sister Michaeline received a standing ovation from parishioners, and family and friends, including her twin sister, in recognition of her 80th birthday. Father Matt shared a story explaining that the week before he started his job, he was pleased to see that Sister Michaeline was still at St. Mary’s. “I was so, so grateful to God that she was here still, because I was like, oh, I have a bad memory. Sister knows everyone! And not just that, but Sister knows everyone who is related to everyone, too, and she can explain the distinction. She knows where everyone lives. Truthfully, it has been a great honor and blessing to be able to serve with and alongside Sister Michaeline.”

The audience thanked Father Matt for his service to Caledonia’s catholic community and wished him well as he prepares to move to Washington, D.C. where he will continue his studies. There were a lot of laughs as parishioners, young and old, performed a skit highlighting Father Matt’s many contributions during his three-year tenure as pastor, including updating the rectory with fresh paint and filling two 30-yard dumpsters with outdated stuff like computers, opening the Little Bluejays Childcare, and the number of packages that arrived on his doorstep from Amazon.

Father Andrew Vogel will usher in the next generation of faith as he assumes the duties as pastor of St. Mary’s.