Pastor: Father Jeremy Theis
Address: 209 W Soo St., PO Box 339
Phone: (218) 338-2761
Web: www.stclouddiocese.org
Email: swilliam@midwestinfo.net
Worship:
Dec. – Feb. Sunday @ 10:30 a.m.
Mar. – May Saturday @ 4:00 p.m.
Jun. – Aug. Sunday @ 8:30 a.m.
Sep. – Nov. Saturday @ 7:30 p.m.
St William’s Catholic Church welcomes you to the Parkers Prairie area! Our church community is comprised of approximately 413 parish members who are mostly of German Catholic descent. St. William’s church works in close association with the St. William’s Living Center (an up-to-date modern nursing home, retirement, and mental health care facility located just across the street) to provide both spiritual and healthcare-related services for both young and old of all religious beliefs and denominations.
History:
The history of St. William’s Catholic Church had humble Catholic beginnings, starting out as a small hospital in 1914 staffed by Dr. Herbert Leibold who eventually sold the hospital in 1948 to the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls with Fr. Hyacinth Cismowski O.S.B. as chaplain. Soon the need for a Catholic Church was felt and so with the help of Dr. Liebold and Math Kraemer, the Bishop of the St. Cloud Diocese was approached to establish a Catholic parish here in the Parkers Prairie area. On November 2, 1950, the parish corporation was established with the first mass offered on Christmas Day 1950 in the city hall. Not long after, the building of a church structure was begun.
Construction began in early 1951 with land a home donated by Dr. Liebold. Other funds were raised by local people. The new church structure was officially dedicated by Bishop Bartholome on June 25, 1952, with Father Joseph Vogrin as founding pastor. The history of Pastors include: Fr. Hyacinth Cismowski (1950-51), Fr. Joseph Vogrin (1951-87), Fr. Frank Poncelet (1987-91), Fr. Jeff Ethan (1991-2004), and Fr. Leroy Scheierl (2004-present).
During these Fifty some years, our “young” parish community has been steadily growing and continues to look for new ways to serve our local community and parish people with the help of various volunteers and parish organizations such as Christian Mothers, Ladies Aid, Knights of Columbus, Youth Group, Parish staff members and others. We welcome all those who would like to deepen their faith and be a part of our Catholic Church community as well as those who would like to be a part of our wonderful area in or near the City of Parkers Prairie.