After 72 years, St. Anthony in Regal celebrates final Sunday Mass

approximately 250 past and present members gather to bid farewell

by Mark Kemmeter

Coordinator of Diocesan Staff

"Closing a parish" and "celebration" do not seem as though they should be in the same sentence. However, the closing Mass at the Church of St. Anthony in Regal, MN truly was a "celebration." As one retired priest was overheard to say, "I guess if you have to close a parish, this is the best way to do it."

Approximately 250 present and former members of the Church of St. Anthony in Regal, MN were in attendance July 31, 2005, for the last Sunday Mass to be held at the Church of St. Anthony in Regal, MN. Celebrant for the Mass was the Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt. Concelebrants were: Fr. Jeff Horejsi, parochial administrator of the Church of St. Anthony and the Church of Our Lady of the Lakes, Spicer; Fr. Fred Fink, retired and former pastor of St. Anthony and Our Lady of the Lakes; Fr. Merle Monnens, retired and an occasional presider at St. Anthony; Fr. Bernard Schreiner, retired and former pastor of St. Anthony; and, Fr. Virgil Braun, a brother of one of St. Anthony’s trustees and pastor of Assumption Parish in Eden Valley, the Diocese of St. Cloud.

A picnic dinner followed the closing Mass. The meal was served under a tent that was pitched on the lawn adjacent to the church. Outdoor games were set out for the children to play and pictorial displays were set up to highlight the important events and people in St. Anthony’s history. The first person baptized in the church, Thomas Weidner, was on hand as was a now elderly man who helped dig the hole for the basement church as a young boy. Memories were as abundant as the food and drink.

Sr. Mary Weidner, OSB, one of two vocations from the parish - the other being her sister - attended the celebration with mixed feelings. On one hand, she was saddened to see the parish close because her family had been so intimately involved in the parish throughout the 72 years. On the other hand, she rejoiced at the strong faith of the present members who recognized that it was time to move on to new parishes and to channel their efforts into building up those other communities as they had built up the Church of St. Anthony.

The Diocesan Plan:

The Diocesan Plan for Parishes, 2003-2008 classified seven small parishes, one "slated for closure" church, and two missions as "proposed future oratories." The Church of St. Anthony was one of the missions. The oratory classification means that the church building can be used as a "chapel." However, Sunday Mass will no longer be celebrated regularly. Therefore, members need to join a new parish. Oratories continue to be used as places for prayer, faith formation, service projects, stewardship activities, and social gatherings. The diocesan Committee on Parishes has prepared a process that helps the proposed future oratory members discern whether they should proceed as an oratory or petition the Bishop to close.

Oratory or close?

A meeting was held on Sunday, May 15, 2005, after the morning Mass, to discuss the oratory classification and to recommend to the Administrative Council whether the church should become an oratory or close. Overwhelmingly, with more than half of the households represented, the members recommended closing. The Administrative Council then formally petitioned Bishop John C. Nienstedt to close the church. After reviewing the petition with the Diocesan College of Consultors, Bishop Nienstedt approved the closing.

Church history:

The Church of St. Anthony in Regal was founded in 1933. The first Mass was celebrated in the Regal Community Hall and a basement church was built later that year. Father William Murphy served as the first pastor. The parish began as a mission to the Church of St. Patrick in Kandiyohi but grew to such a size that, for some years, St. Anthony’s had a larger membership than St. Patrick’s.

A cemetery was added in 1950 and a new above-ground church became a reality in 1952. Over the years, the basement church was flooded several times. The Community Hall, where the first Mass had been celebrated, was donated and moved to the site. The Hall was redesigned to become the new St. Anthony Church.

In 1990, parish membership had declined to such an extent that St. Anthony was classified once again as a mission, this time to Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Spicer. Our Lady of the Lakes was founded in 1962 and has experienced steady growth because of the popularity and demand for lake properties in the area. By 2005, the mission’s membership was comprised of only 54 households.

Where do we go from here?

The Administrative Council will meet to recommend the disposition of the church building and other property. Members of the Council are: Michael and Gladys Braun, Kim Flannigan, Jack Kotton, Geralyn Lieser, and Fr. Jeff Horejsi. Any remaining financial assets will be divided proportionately with the new parishes that members from St. Anthony will join. St. Anthony Cemetery and all parish records will be administered by Our Lady of the Lakes in Spicer. The Council is working diligently to facilitate the registration of former members at new parishes.

Parish closings are always sad events. But if a parish must close, the people of St. Anthony in Regal have provided an excellent example of how to do it well.