parish life
Parishioners attend last Sunday Mass at St. Brendan, Green Isle by Katie Ballalatak Prairie Catholic correspondent Easily described as the “crown jewel” of Green Isle, the Church of St. Brendan held its last Sunday Mass at 8 a.m. on May 30 after 158 years since the first church was built. The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Eugene Lozinski, the parish parochial administrator and concelebrated by Fr. John Berger, a Green Isle native and retired diocesan priest. Assisting with the Mass was Deacon Tim Dolan. The liturgy was followed by a breakfast reception in the basement hall. Located on the eastern edge of the Diocese of New Ulm, St. Brendan’s closure is similar to that of other rural churches that have closed in recent years – the shortage of priests and the decreasing size of parish membership played a part in the decision. Diana Kroells, a longtime member of St. Brendan’s, shares that they had always hoped the Green Isle community would grow as more people moved west from the Twin Cities, but the population remains under 600. “It's disappointing,” said Kroells, but she confesses that the closure doesn’t come as a shock. “We’ve known for quite some time that we were in one of these plans, and it’s because our parish is so small.” With a membership of 125 people as of 2020, the Church of St. Brendan stands as one of the smallest parishes in the diocese. A brief history In the late 1850s and early 1860s missionary priests occasionally visited the settlers of Green Isle, offering Mass in different homes. In 1863 the original church was constructed under the guidance of Fr. Theodore Venn. It was built approximately 100 feet east of the present church and was also the first building in Green Isle. As the town grew, so did the need for a larger church. The construction for the new church began in 1881, and the first Mass was offered on Christmas Day in 1882. The building could hold up to 450 people and cost $25,000 to build. Over the years, the church’s original structure has remained intact, although a few aspects have undergone renovations, including,
The last Sunday Mass at St. Brendan’s in Green Isle was held on May 30. Pictured, altar servers Matthew and Thomas Ziegler lead the opening procession to the altar followed by Deacon Tim Dolan, Fr. John Berger, and Monsignor Eugene Lozinski. (Photo by Christine Clancy)
Following the Mass, Fr. John Berger greets former St. Brendan parishioners (l-r) Sharon (Vos) Hartung of Chaska and her sister, Cathy (Vos) Smith of Victoria. Fr. Berger is a native son of the parish graduating from Arlington-Green Isle High School before entering the seminary. (Photo by Kurt Menk)
most recently, the interior paint job and décor. A new steeple was erected in 1996 after a windstorm toppled the original and the stained-glass windows were restored in 2013. St. Brendan’s is the only church in Minnesota dedicated to St. Brendan, a 5th-century Irish abbot. The choice made sense for the parish of Irish immigrants, as St. Brendan was known for his legendary voyage to the Isle of the Blessed. A complete history of the Church of St. Brendan was published in 1966 by Fr. Berger. “A History of St. Brendan’s Parish, The Village of Green Isle and Minnesota’s First Irish Settlement” can be purchased from the Sibley County Historical Society. A welcoming parish community When Kroells joined St. Brendan’s in 1974, it was mostly for its proximity to the Green Isle school across the street, which allowed its students to run over to the church during the day for religion class. However, it was the community and kindness of the parishioners that made her feel at home: “When I first started going to church there, I had these three little kids, and the people were always so nice,” Kroells said. “They always gravitated toward my little boys and made me feel so welcome there.” Mike Vos, a life-long Green Isle native, can’t remember a time he wasn’t involved at St. Brendan’s. He was baptized there as an infant
Mary Ann and James (Jim) Kreger of Green Isle, respectfully age 89 and 91, are the longest-lived members of the parish family. (Photo by Christine Clancy)
The faithful were invited to a breakfast reception in the church basement hall after Mass. With a membership of 125, the parish is considered one of the smallest in the diocese. (Photo by Kurt Menk)
and served as an altar boy through high school. He continues to live in Green Isle with his wife, Sue and serves the church by being a lector and Eucharistic minister while also helping with restoration and maintenance projects. He particularly remembers helping the church make the necessary changes after Vatican II, including remodeling the confessional to allow for face-to-face reconciliation. “I’ve always taken pride in the building,” said Vos.
there. There’s a lot of history up there,” Vos said. In years to come, many people in the community will fondly remember St. Brendan's primary annual fundraiser, the St. Patrick's Day Bingo Party, complete with food, live music, and of course, bingo. “That was the highlight of the year,” exclaims Vos. “It used to be so big; they’d host two sessions to make room for everyone.” In his last Sunday Mass homily, Msgr. Lozinski spoke of the inspiring history and strength of the parish and its congregation: “We move forward with a hole in our hearts but a largeness of spirit, with gratitude to God for having given us the opportunity for over 150 years to incarnate, implant his love in the hearts of
“The whole beauty of the church, the mysteriousness of it, the old style and so on. As kids, we were always infatuated with the bell tower and the steeple. And not that we were supposed to go up there but there’ve been many a people that have snuck up into the bell tower and carved their names up
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the men and women who lived in this area. You have never shirked your responsibility; you sacrificed and gave your all. This is a reason to be proud and hold your heads high.” Moving forward, parishioners for now will be able to attend weekday Mass offered by Fr. Berger, who lives in the parish rectory. However, the parishioners are still faced with the hard decision of choosing which parish to join next while also mourning the loss of their spiritual home. “I’m sad, but I understand,” admits Vos. “We’re really feeling like lost sheep right now. We don’t know what’s going to happen . . . but I know it will be okay. It’s going to take a while to adjust to something different.”
