History of St. Rose

 Humble Beginnings

Biography of Saint Rose of Lima
 The church was completed and first used on September 15, 1876. St. Rose at first was affiliated with other Catholic parishes. The new church was a mission of St. Joseph's in Winona. Soon after, the parishes of Hart and Lewiston were missions of St. Charles. For much of it's history, largely from 1917 to 1990, the parish of St. Rose was not affiliated with another parish. But now with the shortage of priests, she once again finds herself with other affiliations (Holy Trinity in Rollingstone and St. Joseph in Rushford).

Growing Through Change

Today's worship space was erected in 1968. Demolition began early that spring.

 The old church was inadequate as for size and meeting the needs of the liturgical changes of that time. The Rev. Msgr. Satory was the pastor of St. Rose parish at the time of the transition from the worship space to the new. The new building site was blessed at a ground-breaking ceremony in the spring of 1968 presided over by Msgr. Satory.

The Catholic Church has Jesus Christ as its cornerstone. Therefore, the earthly foundation must be one that exemplifies the strength of Jesus who never faulters. The foundation for the new parish is sound and will last the test of time. The members also provide strength for the stucture of this church, because they are also members of the body of Christ; living stones who make up Christ's Church. There are 206 households of these members at St. Rose of Lima parish. 

The present structure seats 400 people. It has served as the spiritual home from October of 1968 to the present. What you see in this photo is St. Rose Church as it stood then. Where will it go from here? What additions would be made; structurally and otherwise? Will this buidling, which was build to meet the changing needs of the day, be abe to meet the changing needs of the future? Over the course of  four decades this building has already gone through some minor adjustments to better suit the needs of the faithful Catholics who worhsip here. It seems that when one looks at the structure and design of a parish church, one sees changes that occur throughout a lifetime. What remains constant, however, is the ardent faith, the welcoming spirit and the genuine generosity of the members of this parish. They are continually nourished by the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. They carry the love of Jesus to those who they meet throughout the week. It is truly a blessing to be a member of St. Rose of Lima Parish. It is never easy to predict the future.

What kind of parish will St. Rose parish be twenty years from now? It will be a vibrant parish as long as the members remain true to their faith. To ensure this we have various programs to grow, enhance and educate the lives hearts and minds of the faithful who worship here. The parish staff and volunteers, lead by their priest, Rev. Chinnappa Pothireddy, are constantly looking at ways to meet the needs of the faithful who face the demands of a world that can often run so contrary to them. Please continue to look through the various pages of this website to see how we can hlep you grow in your love for God.