Date

Event

1890-91

St. Andrew’s Church was established as a mission parish with eight families. It was served largely by mission priests who came twice monthly and on the great feasts of the church year. Prior to this time, Catholics had to travel to Dayton, Fletcher, St. Michael or Anoka for Mass. Most people went to Anoka. The reasons why St. Andrew was chosen as the parish’s patron saint are lost to history.

1892

The first frame church was erected at a cost of $900.00. Until this time, services were held in the residence of a parishioner, Peter Moeger. The mortgage was paid off by 1919.

1893

The parish swelled to 15 families with another 30 families who “attended.” The first marriage was celebrated at the Church of St. Andrew but recorded elsewhere.

1898

The Church of St. Andrew begins its own sacramental record keeping. The first four recorded baptisms took place on August 18.

1902

The first person is buried in St. Andrew’s Cemetery.

1919

Fr. Joseph Trobec becomes the first resident pastor of St. Andrew’s and would stay for almost 40 years before being re-assigned. The parish boundaries at the time were roughly quadruple that of today, encompassing roughly 140 square miles. The parish has grown to 55 families and plans begin immediately for a new church building.

1920

Fr. Trobec establishes a religious education program, often renting a bus that he personally drove, to pick up the children. He also serves as the parish janitor. His sister, Mitzi, is his housekeeper. The Church of St. Andrew is officially incorporated during this year.

1921

The church basement was completed at a cost of $35,000 and dedicated on February 6, by Bishop Joseph Busch. The frame church becomes the parish hall.

1932

The town of Becker gets its own parish and is detached from St. Andrew’s.

1935

The parish now lists 105 member families. A decision is made to demolish the old hall (frame church) and build a new one. The project is finished by year’s end. This structure currently serves as the school gymnasium.

1941

A contract to form a “Catechetical School” with the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls is signed. Two sisters arrive to begin that task and continue to staff the enterprise until St. Andrew’s school opens eleven years later.

1945

The Church of St. Andrew has 135 member families.

1947

The first member of the Church of St. Andrew, Frank Ebner, is ordained a priest of the diocese.

1951

St. Andrew’s school was built and then dedicated on November 30.

1953

The Home & School Association is formed.

1954

The church is remodeled to its present form and blessed by Bishop Batholome.  School builds a two-room addition.

1955

Fr. Alphonse Kremer is appointed to replace Fr. Trobec. He will serve the parish for four years. Planning begins immediately for a school expansion.

1958

The town of Big Lake starts its own parish with twenty families from St. Andrew’s. The parish in Zimmerman is already a year old.

1959

A four-room addition to the school is completed along with the construction of a new rectory (current parish office) and power plant. Fr. Sylvester Gall, the new pastor, oversees these projects. There are 1,290 registered members of the parish.

1962

The Knights of Columbus form a council here.

1965

The parish hires its first Director of Youth Ministry.

1969

Vatican II changes, resisted until now, are under implementation by the fourth pastor, Fr. Lloyd Haupt. Our Parish Council was established in 1970 and parish membership grew from 1,590 to 3,280 registered members.

1971

The first Parish Directory is published. Lay people serve in the roles of Lector and Eucharistic minister for the first time.

1973

The first associate pastor, Fr. Gerald Petermeier, and the first religious education director are welcomed to the parish.

1974

The first music director is hired.

1976

First lay principal is hired by Fr. Lloyd Haupt.

1978

The first annual Parish Festival is organized and held. It continues to be a tradition today.

1979

A single Easter Mass is held at Elk River Senior High for the entire parish. The practice continued for several years.  Kindergarten class is opened. Deacon Cecil Adams is ordained to the Permanent Diaconate.

1981

Fr. Frank Ebner is installed as the fifth pastor of the Church of St. Andrew. He is a native of the parish.

1982

A home to become a convent and property are purchased for expansion. The Parish Council and staff initiate a needs assessment and a study of expansion possibilities.

1983

Fr. Kevin Anderson is ordained a priest.  Deacon Fred St. Jean is ordained to the Permanent Diaconate.

1986

The Parish Council decides “to do nothing is not an option.”  Building and finance committees are appointed and begin work.

1987

A temporary building is erected for extra classroom space.

1988

Fr. Jeff Ethan is ordained a priest.

1989

A feasibility study, “Partners in Growth,” is undertaken for long-range parish needs. The second associate pastor, Fr. Joseph Vandeberg, is appointed to the parish, which serves the needs of 903 families.

1990

Two classrooms are built onto the school.

1991

Fr. Mark Stang becomes the third associate pastor to serve the parish.

1993

Fr. Robert Kieffer becomes the new pastor. He will serve the parish for six years. Fr. Ben Walz joins him as an associate pastor but leaves the following year.

1994

Four more classrooms are built onto the school by parent volunteers.

1995

Planning begins for the construction of a new church.

1997

Construction is undertaken and completed on the new church. Bishop Kinney dedicates the new worship space on November 30^th.

1999

Fr. Joseph Korf is appointed the new parish pastor. He inherits over 6,000 registered parishioners (1,800+ families), making it the largest parish in the diocese. Fr. Kieffer hires the first lay Parish Administrator before he is transferred.

2000

The original Capital Campaign expires and is followed by the “Together, We Can” Debt Retirement Drive with the hopes of retiring the new church construction debt in 2002.

2001

Fr. Gregory Paffel is ordained a priest.

2002

Debt for new church is retired. Planning meetings held for expansion of parish facilities to eventually include a parish social hall, parish gymnasium, cafeteria, kitchen, staff offices, religious education space, dedicated youth space, nursery, and day chapel.

2003

Capital Campaign entitled, "Growing to the Future" is launched to fund Phase I of the expansion project. Parish now includes over 2,000 families! Newly ordained Fr. Daniel Walz is appointed as an associate pastor of the parish by Bishop Kinney and arrives in July.

2004

Income from Capital Campaign surges over the $1,000,000.00 benchmark! Planning for Phase I design and construction is underway by Parish Building Committee and architects.

2005

Construction begins on the first phase of the expansion. Fr. Daniel Walz leaves and accepts an assignment at another parish in the diocese.  Parish Presentation/Dialogue meetings are held to inform the Catholic community of the master plan progress and invite continuing support the facilities involvement objectives.  On December 12th, Bishop John Kinney blesses the new kitchen, gym/social hall, cafeteria, meeting rooms and other other new areas of the first phase of the expansion.

2006

Another newly ordained associate pastor, Fr. David Petron, is welcomed to the parish.  Summer brings several large projects; school floors are all redone with tile and outside of the oldest portion of the school is repaired and tuck-pointed.  The Parish Fall Festival is held indoors in the the new facilities for the first time due to inclement weather.

2007

Fr. Dave Petron is assigned as an associate pastor for a three parish cluster.  A newly ordained associate pastor, Fr. Glenn Krystosek, is welcomed to the parish.  The Highway 10/169 corridor study begins with delegates from the affected parishes.

2008

The property on the east side of the church known as the Murray Property was purchased.  The associate pastor will reside there.  The Bell Tower was built on the west side of the Parish Office. The construction design was able to implement the fish panels and the bell (which was refurbished) from the old church. Mrs. Joan Bednarski retired as principal and Mrs. Kari Staples was hired as the new principal. 

2009

Fr. Glenn Krystosek is assigned as pastor of a three parish cluster in Paynesville, MN.  A newly ordained associate pastor, Fr. Omar Guanchez is welcomed to the parish.  Michael Wolfbauer is ordained a deacon. Sr. Carmen Barsody celebrated her 25th year in the ministry.