St Mary's Catholic Church
Two Inlets, MN
The History of St Mary's
The first Catholic settlers of TwoInlets came from the Perham and St Cloud area from 1891-1894. Reverend Joseph Wurm from Aitkin visited once a month to administer the sacraments and say mass. An old barn was fixed up in Arago Township near Hay Creek for a meeting place until a church could be built. Father Jacob Engels was assigned pastor of Park Rapids in 1903 with TwoInlets as a mission.
In 1902, it was decided a church should built. Max and Barbara Eischens donated the land so a church could be built. The first mass was said at the new church in October of 1903.
On June 5, 1913, lightning struck the church and it burned to the ground. This was a severe loss, but the parishioners accepted the challenge and rebuilt a larger church, this church was completed in June of 1914.
Father Herman Decker was our first resident pastor, he came in the Fall of 1920. A parish house was completed in the in March of 1921. He was also the pastor when the hall was built in 1924. Father Decker died in 1927 and is buried in St Mary's Cemetery.
The second church burned to the ground on Christmas Eve in 1933. The hall was renovated for church and work began for a new church. The church was specially designed with two entrances because of the Two Inlets on the lake for which our town was named. The church was ready for services in just one year. Father Rocca was the pastor of the church from April of 1933 to 1955.
Our church saw several resident pastors, until 1995. At that time, a priest from Park Rapids said 'mass at St Mary's, We were again blessed with a full time resident pastor in July, 2005.
We celebrated our 100th anniversary in 2007! We continue to enjoy mass in our beautiful church year round and in the grotto during the summer months.
The history of St Mary's Church is captured in a book and can be purchased by contacting the church office.
