Questions About St. Mary's Parish | Questions On Membership, Weddings, Sacraments

Becoming a Member
Welcome! Stop by or call our office (507-452-5656) to register and to learn about parish opportunties. We look forward to hearing from you!  Or you may fill out the parish registration form online on the About/Parish Registration page.
 
Baptism of Children and Youth
For infant baptism, contact the Parish Office to make contact for preparation one to two months prior to the birth of your child. For older children and youth, please contact the Parish Office to make arrangements for sacramental preparation.
 
Sunday Nursery & Children's Liturgy of the Word (prior to COVID In 2020)
The nursery for toddlers is available during the 10:30am Mass on Sunday in the Queen of Peace Room.
At the 10:30am Mass, young children can participate in the Liturgy of the Word for Children. After Mass begins, they will be called up for a blessing, then sent to the St. Francis Room for age-appropriate Liturgy of the Word, before returning to church for the rest of the Mass.
 
Catholic Schools
See this page for more information about Cotter Schools.
https://www.stmaryswinona.org/catholic-schools
 
Becoming Catholic
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process through which adults become full members of the Catholic Church. If you are thinking of joining the Catholic Church or know someone who is, please contact the Parish Office.
 
RCIA team members welcome the adults who are looking at full membership in our church, help plan and participate in weekly sessions on various topics and join in scripture sharing as we read, study and pray with the coming Sunday’s gospel. RCIA sponsors get to know a particular candidate or catechumen, participate in sessions with them and introduce them to parish activities as the year progresses.
 
Each session is tailored to the group of adults participating and includes certain predictable pieces:
- Getting to know each other and sharing important parts of our lives
- Learning about Catholic beliefs and practices
- Discussing questions and exploring answers together
- Experiencing different approaches to prayer
- Reflecting on the Gospel for the coming weekend
 
We provide our catechumens (unbaptized) and candidates (already baptized in another Christian tradition) with a Bible and a USCCB Catholic Catechism for Adults. We also use the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd Edition) as an authoritative reference.
The Catechism is available online at http://www.catholicmind.com/java/catholicmind/catechism.html.
 
Getting Married
Congratulations! Please make arrangements with the pastor at least six months prior. You will complete a marriage preparation program and receive help planning your liturgy.
 
Getting Involved
Ministries are an important part of St. Mary's Parish and are the main reason we exist. Jesus is our example of caring for and ministering to all people, both in the Winona community and in the world. Check out our website for a sampling of ministries.
 
Directions to St. Mary's
From U.S. Highway 61, which runs the length of Winona, proceed to the stoplight at Vila Street. Turn onto Vila. Go about 1 mile to Broadway Street. Turn left on Broadway. Go three blocks to St. Mary's. A map is available at: Click Here to See a Map
 
Handicapped Access
Handicapped access and parking are provided through the Visitation Commons entrance, including an elevator and wheelchair available for use.
 
Parish History
St. Mary’s started as a small wooden frame structure built in 1911. The parish was founded to serve the residents of Winona living in the western section of the city, which later extended to Goodview. This building was built on the site of the current Roger Bacon Center. The current church building was built in 1939 on the present site. An addition dedicated in 1996 connects the church, school, and parish center with a commons area for many purposes of the parish. Today we number about 750 families.