Brainerd Catholic Events
Rosary Walk & Coffee Talk
All women are invited to join the Sisters in Christ Rosary Walk & Coffee Talk!
8:20am- Rosary Walk
9:00am- Coffee Talk
Sister in Christ Rosary Walk and Coffee Talk is Saturday, July 19th. Meet at 8:20am by the Gregory Park Gazebo for the Rosary Walk. (In case of inclement weather for either event, meet in the St. Francis Social Hall). The Coffee Talk will be from 9:00am to 10:00am by the Gazebo. Bring a rosary for the Rosary Walk and a lawn chair for the Coffee Talks! Bring a friend! All are invited! You can attend one or both of these events. The next one will be August 16th.
Gospel Around The Grill
Its time again for Gospel Around the Grill! Join us at All Saints every Wednesday in August. Each week will feature a new speaker and different topic. Food will be ready to eat by 5:30pm, talk will begin at 6:00pm. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share! We look forward to seeing you there!
Week 1 August 6th - Fr. Jacob Toma, The Tale of Toma
Gospel Around The Grill
Its time again for Gospel Around the Grill! Join us at All Saints every Wednesday in August. Each week will feature a new speaker and different topic. Food will be ready to eat by 5:30pm, talk will begin at 6:00pm. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share! We look forward to seeing you there!
Week 2 August 13th - Dcn. Dan O’Reilly, Jubilee Year & Msgr. Buh
Rosary Walk & Coffee Talk
All women are invited to join the Sisters in Christ Rosary Walk & Coffee Talk!
8:20am- Rosary Walk
9:00am- Coffee Talk
Sister in Christ Rosary Walk and Coffee Talk is Saturday, August 16th. Meet at 8:20am by the Gregory Park Gazebo for the Rosary Walk. (In case of inclement weather for either event, meet in the St. Francis Social Hall). The Coffee Talk will be from 9:00am to 10:00am by the Gazebo. Bring a rosary for the Rosary Walk and a lawn chair for the Coffee Talks! Bring a friend! All are invited! You can attend one or both of these events.
Gospel Around The Grill
Its time again for Gospel Around the Grill! Join us at All Saints every Wednesday in August. Each week will feature a new speaker and different topic. Food will be ready to eat by 5:30pm, talk will begin at 6:00pm. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share! We look forward to seeing you there!
Week 3 August 20th - Fr. Michael Garry, Intro to Apologetics
Gospel Around The Grill
Its time again for Gospel Around the Grill! Join us at All Saints every Wednesday in August. Each week will feature a new speaker and different topic. Food will be ready to eat by 5:30pm, talk will begin at 6:00pm. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share! We look forward to seeing you there!
Week 4 August 27th - Fr. Gabriel Waweru, Prayer & Busy Life
Msgr. Buh Men’s & Boy’s Pilgrimage
On September 13, 2025, Men & Boys from across the Diocese are invited to walk in pilgrimage from St. Francis Catholic Church in Brainerd to St. Francis Xavier Chapel at Crow Wing State Park. This route honors the patriarch of the Diocese of Duluth, Msgr. Joseph Buh who in November of 1864 joined the Mission of Fr. Francis Pierz in Crow Wing. Msgr. Buh would go on to establish the Parish of St. Francis of Assisi in 1872 in Brainerd. During his time in Minnesota, Msgr. Buh would go on to establish 56 other parishes in the Diocese of Duluth.
Walking in the footsteps of Msgr. Buh from the parish that he founded 150 years ago to the mission chapel that first bought him to Minnesota, we will “take up the Cross” and offer prayers and sacrifice for the conversion of this land that Msgr. Buh dedicated his life to and reparation for those sins and offenses committed against Our Lord by those whom He loves.
Registration Below.
Tentative Schedule of Events:
7:30am Begin with Prayer and Blessing of Pilgrims at St. Francis Church*
7:40am Leave from St. Francis toward Crow Wing
11:30am Break for Lunch (Will be set up at halfway point)
2:00pm Mass at St. Francis Xavier Chapel, Crow Wing State Park
2:45pm Shuttle Back to St. Francis
*As St. Francis Church has been established as a pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee year, all who devoutly visit this site will obtain an indulgence. Conditions outlined here: https://dioceseduluth.org/jubilee-year
Registration
There is no fee to register, however a $10-$20 donation to help cover cost of food and shuttle would be welcome.
Learn more about Msgr. Joseph Buh at: https://josephbuh.org/
St. Mathias Church Bazaar
Mark your calendars and join us for the annual St. Mathias Bazaar!
You can purchase raffle tickets from any member of the St. Mathias parish or at the Parish Office. Each ticket is $5 for a chance to win various cash prizes, including up to $1,500!
2025 Brainerd Deanery Corpus Christi Procession
Join us for the Brainerd Deanery Corpus Christi Procession!
Schedule of Events:
Mass: 2pm** St. Francis Church, 404 N. 9th St., Brainerd
Procession: 3pm to St. Andrew's Church, 1108 Willow St., Brainerd
Benediction & Luncheon: St. Andrew's
Trailers with seating are available for those unable to walk the route.
** Please note there will not be an 11:15am Mass at St. Francis, as it has moved to 2:00pm**
During the procession, we will offer prayers and sing several of the same Eucharistic Hymns that St. Thomas composed to glorify this great feast in the Church.
The procession will conclude with benediction inside of St. Andrews church and an inter-deanery picnic will follow.
First Communicants: You are invited to dress in your First Communion dresses and ties to walk in a special place in the procession!
On June 22nd, 2025, all of the parishes in the Brainerd Deanery will join together and process in Honor of the Body and Blood of our Savior. Together we will bring Our Lord into the world as an example of our belief in His true presence in the Eucharist, the Source and the Summit of our Catholic faith, and will process through Brainerd from St. Francis to St. Andrews churches.
History & Background
The feast of Corpus Christi was instituted for the Universal Church on August 11, 1264, with the Papal Bull Transiturus de hoc Mundo as a result of the fervent prayer, devotion, and dedication of a woman named Saint Juliana of Liege who tirelessly promoted the feast after Our Lord, in a vision, told her of his desire for a feast day dedicated to his most Holy Body and Blood. The Papal Bull is said to have been drafted by St. Thomas Aquinas as well as the Mass prayers for the feast and the hymns of the divine office at the request of Pope Urban the IV who had been a fervent supporter of the cause of Saint Juliana before he was Pope as the Archdeacon of Liege.
In the year 1207, Our Lord revealed to a young 16 year Juliana His desire for a feast day in the Church that would be devoted to His Most Holy Body and Blood. Through her visions Our Lord made known the damage being done to the faith and faith in the Eucharist by the lack of such a feast. It took Juliana more than 20 years to answer that call, believing that Our Lord couldn’t possibly be calling a young girl from Liege to implement such a feast within the Church. Afterall, there were priests and bishops who were much more suited to such a monumental task. However by 1228, Our Lord made it absolutely clear to her that she was the one He had chosen to accomplish this task. Through many obstacles she would eventually convince her bishop to implement this feast day within her diocese and he became a strong supporter of her cause and Our Lord’s desire.
Saint Juliana of Liège died in 1258 and did not live to see the feast and devotion she worked to promote, implemented through the entire universal Church. However, three years after her death in 1261, Jacques Pantaleon, who had supported Juliana’s message when he was Archdeacon of Liège, became Pope Urban IV and in 1264 he introduced the Feast for the entire Church. Since that time Catholic’s throughout the world have processed with our Lord into their communities.
Father Scott farewell party
Come and wish Father Scott farewell June 14th from 6PM until the tacos are gone at the St Francis Cantina!
Totus Tuus
Totus Tuus
Totus Tuus is a K-12 summer Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, and Eucharistic worship.
The mission of Totus Tuus is to help young people develop an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and to understand their faith through catechesis in a way that makes the faith real to the youth and helps them live as a witness in today’s world. To accomplish this, we emphasize a devotion and love for Our Lord in the Eucharist and for Mary our Mother.
For any of our area Brainerd Catholic elementary students entering grades 1-6, Totus Tuus will take place Monday, June 9 through Friday June 13 at St. Andrew's Church. This will go from 9:00am until 2:00pm each day. Students need to bring a bag lunch each day, except for Friday when lunch will be provided.
Cost: $50 per student
Pentecost Vigil
Join us for Pentecost Vigil at St. Francis on June 7, 2025, Mass at 7:30pm and a social to follow. Please note that the 5:00pm Saturday Mass at St. Francis is cancelled.
We will also be doing a 9 day Novena to the Holy Spirit. See below for the full 9 day Novena and prayer for the Seven Gifts.
What is Pentecost? On the Feast of Pentecost, Christians commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, gathered around the Mother of the Lord (Acts chapter 2). The feast is celebrated on the 50th and final day of the Easter season.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Catholic College Student Round-Up
Join us at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church for another Catholic College Student Round up! A time for prayer, fellowship and fun!
Mother-Daughter Banquet
This year’s Mother-Daughter Banquet will be held on Wednesday May 21 at 6 p.m. in the St. Mathias Social Hall. Tickets will be available for purchase after all St. Andrew’s and St. Mathias Masses on May 3rd/4th and 10th/11th. Ticket costs are $13 (10 and older) and $8 (5 - 10). Children under 5 are free.
The evening is sponsored by the St. Mathias CCW.
The Upper Room
Join us for an evening of Praise & Worship Music at St. Francis beginning at 7:00pm. Bring your family and friends for a night filled with uplifting melodies and heartfelt lyrics that celebrate faith and community. Our talented musicians and vocalists will guide us through an inspiring musical journey, creating an atmosphere of joy and reverence. All are welcome to this special event. Come and share in the spirit of unity and praise!
Lenten Adoration Solemn Closing
Please join us for the conclusion of Brainerd Catholic's 40 days of perpetual Lenten Adoration.
Wednesday, April 16th, 11:00 pm, St. Andrew's Church.
Ham Bingo!
Join us at St. Mathias for Ham Bingo!
Ten ham games for $3.00, 2 extra games for a quarter a card, a blackout game for half the pot, and a ham door prize. Free sandwich lunch! Soda available for purchase.
Sponsored by the St. Mathias CCW.
Red Cross Blood Drive
The next St. Mathias Church-sponsored Red Cross Blood drive is April 10th!
Click HERE to make your appointment!
40 Hours Devotion
Brainerd Catholic 17th Annual 40 Hours Devotion March 27-29 at St. Francis Church
What is “40 Hours Devotion”? It’s an ancient and ever new Catholic tradition in which we’ll come to visit and adore the Lord present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. We’ll have Exposition of the Eucharist for 40 hours straight, even all through the night. In His Presence we will have the opportunity to hear a powerful speaker, to participate in an evening of praise and worship, to join in communal prayers and to simply open our hearts to Him in private prayer.
Thursday March 27, 2025
5:30 p.m. Mass with Bishop Hanefeldt
Friday March 28, 2025
8:15 a.m. Morning Mass
9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
12:00 p.m. Scriptural Rosary
3:00 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet and Confessions w/Bishop Hanefeldt
4:30 p.m. Evening Prayer
7:00 p.m. Talk with Bishop Hanefeldt
Praise and Worship follows
Saturday March 29, 2025
9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
12:00 p.m. Franciscan Rosary
4:30 p.m. Evening Prayer
6:30 p.m. Talk with Bishop Hanefeldt
Closing Ceremony and Benediction Follows
Wine and Hors d’oeuvres following ceremony
Bishop Joseph G. Hanefeldt of Grand Island, Nebraska.
French Toast Breakfast
Join your fellow parishioners for a French toast, sausage, and egg (yes, we have eggs!) breakfast after Mass at
St. Mathias on Sunday, March 23rd.
Coffee, milk, and juice will be served.
FREEWILL OFFERING!
Proceeds to support our local food shelf.
Brainerd Speaker Series - Shroud of Turin
Come for an evening of faith and learning and see the miracle of the Shroud Of Turin. There will be a presentation at 7:00PM in the main auditorium and the doors will open at 4:00 for a social hour and exhibits. Tickets are free but you will need to reserve your seat ahead of the event.
A Marriage in His Image Celebration
"A Marriage in His Image" is an event designed to celebrate the beauty and sanctity of marriage while providing couples with tools to grow closer in faith and love.
The Upper Room
Join us for an evening of Praise & Worship Music at St. Francis beginning at 7:00pm. Bring your family and friends for a night filled with uplifting melodies and heartfelt lyrics that celebrate faith and community. Our talented musicians and vocalists will guide us through an inspiring musical journey, creating an atmosphere of joy and reverence. All are welcome to this special event. Come and share in the spirit of unity and praise!
Business After Hours
St. Francis Catholic church along with our co-host Widseth welcome you all to join us in the gathering space Tuesday, January 28th to attend our first-ever Brainerd Chamber “Business After Hours”. Social hour begins at 4:30 with drinks and appetizers along with several opportunities to tour our church. At 5:30 Chamber president Matt Kilian will be interviewing Father Michael Garry along with Widseth Architect and St. Francis parishioner Erica Marcussen. Please RSVP at the link below to help us anticipate our attendance for the evening. If you have further questions please reach out to Kevin Denny at kevin.denny@duluthcatholic.org. We look forward to seeing you there!
https://business.brainerdlakeschamber.com/ap/Events/Register/wZFxXNNTeCxCw
Pancake Breakfast
Join the Knights of Columbus after the 7:30 am and 9:00 am Mass at St. Francis on the following dates: October 6th, December 15th, January 26th, and February 2nd for a delicious pancake breakfast! Enjoy a variety of breakfast essentials, including french toast, pancakes, sausage, and eggs. All proceeds from the event will support various ministries and groups at St. Francis & All Saints. We look forward to seeing you there!
March for Life
This year's March for Life will take place on Wednesday, January 22nd.
Please join us in protecting the most vulnerable among us. Be their voice!
TOGETHER, we stand for the unborn.
TOGETHER, we can create a world where the beauty and dignity of every human life are valued and protected.
TOGETHER, we march for life.
The Upper Room
Join us for an evening of Praise & Worship Music at St. Francis beginning at 7:00pm. Bring your family and friends for a night filled with uplifting melodies and heartfelt lyrics that celebrate faith and community. Our talented musicians and vocalists will guide us through an inspiring musical journey, creating an atmosphere of joy and reverence. All are welcome to this special event. Come and share in the spirit of unity and praise!
"Fighting the Battle of Good and Evil: Understanding the Spiritual World" women's retreat weekend.
Transformed by Love presents "Fighting the Battle of Good and Evil: Understanding the Spiritual World" women's retreat weekend.
We will answer these questions:
1) Who is Satan and his demons?
2) How do I know good from evil?
3) Who are the angels and how do they assist me?
4) What authority do I have over evil? and
5) How do I protect myself and my loved ones from evil?
The retreat will be held the weekend of Jan. 3-5, 2025, at the Clearwater Forest Retreat Center, Deerwood MN. Space is limited to 25 women.
To sign up for the retreat, go to the Transformed by Love Ministries website, https://transformedbyloveministries.com/wr. The cost is $280, double occupancy, for 2 nights lodging and all meals. This retreat is open to all women, ages 18 and over, of any faith.
Questions? E-mail Ellen Cherne at cherne@brainerd.net or call 218-851-3233.
Blood Drive
Shake up your holiday tradition. The Knights of Columbus Council 1491 is hosting a blood drive on December 23rd at St Francis Catholic Church located at 404 North 9th Street Brainerd, Minnesota from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm.
Give a Great Gift this Year!!
Advent Wine & Cheese Social
All are invited to join us at St. Mathias for an evening of reflection and fellowship.
Pancake Breakfast
Join the Knights of Columbus after the 7:30 am and 9:00 am Mass at St. Francis on the following dates: October 6th, December 15th, January 26th, and February 2nd for a delicious pancake breakfast! Enjoy a variety of breakfast essentials, including french toast, pancakes, sausage, and eggs. All proceeds from the event will support various ministries and groups at St. Francis & All Saints. We look forward to seeing you there!