St. Patrick's of Lanesboro
St. Patrick Parish is located at 200 Ridgeview Lane, Lanesboro, MN 55949. There is no office at the parish so contact the Parish Center Office at St. Mary's in Chatfield, which houses the office of the pastor and administrative assistant.
Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Winona resulted in a plan to change St. Patrick's to oratory status, which will mean a changing Mass schedule throughout the year. From Memorial Day Weekend through October, 2019, St. Patrick's offers weekly Saturday Vigil Masses at 5:00PM, celebrated by staff priests of Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. Our pastor, Mr. Edward McGrath, celebrates the other three Vigil or Sunday Masses in the Holy Family Parishes.
History:
The first Mass offered in Lanesboro is believed to have been in 1850 by Irish missionary priests. The original church building was started in 1871 and was soon torn down to be replaced by a stone structure, using stone quarried from the surrouding bluffs. The building was completed in 1872, and is one of the oldest churches in use in the Winona Diocese.
In 1970, the sanctuary was updated as directed by Vatican II, and in 1976 the education and social hall was constructed of stone to adjoin the main building. Since 1972, St. Patrick has gone through several clustering arrangements, resulting in the current arrangement with the churches in Chatfield, Preston, Canton and Harmony.
St. Patrick Parish has always been a close know community to local citizens, and with the increased tourism in Lanesboro, the parish is now a summer church home to many who faithfully attend Mass while visiting the area.
