St. Mary's Parish History
The first Catholic settlers came into the local territory in the 1880s. Priests from Duluth, Crookston and Collegeville traveled by wagon to occasionally offer home Masses to area Catholics. In 1901 a Catholic church was built at Hansville, where the present cemetery is located, and it was called Most Pure Heart of Mary. Priests who served the church were Fr. Simon Lampe OSB, and Fr. Roman Homar OSB; the first marriage was between Andrew LaVoi and Kate Eikens. Their granddaughter, Faye Hedin, made a monetary donation in 2014 to maintain the church/rectory and the Hansville cemetery.
From 1912 – 1918 priests from Crookston, Fisher and Ada came by train once a month to say Mass, hear Confessions and teach children the catechism.
In 1918 Catholics purchased the Congregational Church and parsonage in Fosston and became Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, and by 1921 it had grown to 30 families. Fr. George Proulx was the first resident pastor. Eight different priests served the parish between 1919 – 1928 until Fr. Francis Baskerville came and stayed ten years. Fr. Baskerville made badly needed repairs and improvements and in 1937 Fr. Funk replaced him and stayed with the parish for 15 years.
A new church house was built in 1959 under the direction of Fr. Jerome Felion. In 1966 when Fr. Dan Noah was pastor, parishioner Gerald Cotton sold the parish 34 acres on the east side of Fosston including buildings. During the tenure of Fr. Stanley Bourassa in 1972 a combined church and fellowship hall was built on that site, and the cross and bell from the old church were saved as a symbol of continuity. The name was changed again from Our Lady of Perpetual Help to St. Mary’s.
The large house originally located on the property was converted into a board and care in 1972 under the management of Katherine Reed, and later it became a rental house. In 1973 a new rectory was built next to the new church with accommodations in the basement for classrooms.
Fr. Bourassa started the first Parish Council in 1970, and by 1976 the parish had grown to 114 families. Fr. Joseph Kieselbach became pastor in 1977 and introduced summer camp at Camp Corbett. When Fr. Jerry Noesen became the resident priest, the congregation was outgrowing its facility and fundraising to expand was begun. In 1993 Fr. Richard Lambert guided the renovation of the church, including a larger seating area for worship in the sanctuary, classrooms and meeting rooms, a new kitchen and fellowship hall. It became a central meeting place for the Crookston Diocese, and the $250,000 mortgage was burned in 2007. There are currently 131 families registered at St. Mary’s.
Since 1997 the following priests have served the parish: Fr. Jerry Noesen, Fr. Gary Lamoine, Fr. Rick Boyd, Fr. Dave Super, Fr. Manuel Sundarum, and in 2015 Fr. JohnMelkies Suvakeen came to the parish.