Maternity of Mary Catholic Church sits on Dale Street North in the Como neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, where a 113-foot bell tower rises above the baptistery as a familiar landmark for residents of nearby Como Park and Roseville. The parish was founded in 1949 and shares pastoral ministry with its companion parish, Holy Childhood, which worships a short distance away on Midway Parkway. Together the two parishes offer a wide range of Mass times, Eucharistic Adoration, faith formation, youth and young adult programming, music ministry, and outreach, all under the care of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
A Parish Built Around Mary
The first parish Mass at Maternity of Mary was offered on February 27, 1949, in the basement of a parishioner's home. By April of that year a temporary "barracks" church had been erected, and in August ground was broken for a parish church, school, and rectory. The first Mass in the church basement was celebrated on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1950, and the school opened its doors on September 5 of the same year. Ground was broken for the permanent church in 1961, and the building was dedicated the following year.
The completed church is built in a modern Romanesque style from native dolomite sandstone quarried near Mankato, a material chosen to evoke Noah's Ark. One hundred forty-four stained-glass clerestory windows line the sides of the nave, and a large rose window above the choir loft depicts the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Historic stained glass and statues from Saint Andrew's, Maternity's founding parish, decorate Holy Family Chapel and the main church. Six newer statues honor Mary's maternity, including images of four saints with great devotion to Our Lady, Our Lady with Child, and Our Lady of Joy. The striking 113-foot bell tower above the baptistery remains a local landmark.
Mass, Adoration, and Reconciliation
The parish keeps a generous daily schedule of Masses at the Dale Street church. Monday morning Mass is offered at 7:45 a.m., Tuesday at 5:00 p.m., Thursday at 7:45 a.m., and Friday at 7:45 a.m. with a 10:00 a.m. school Mass that same day. Weekend Masses are celebrated Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Eucharistic Adoration is held on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., giving parishioners a long window for silent prayer in the middle of the week. Confessions are heard Thursday evening from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., Saturday afternoon from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday morning between the Masses from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.
A Companion Parish at Holy Childhood
Maternity of Mary shares pastors in-solidum with Holy Childhood, located at 1435 Midway Parkway near the entrance to Como Park. The two parishes operate as a single pastoral team, with Father Philippe Vigneron and Father Kevin Manthey serving both communities. For inquiries about either parish, the Maternity of Mary office handles calls and forwards them as needed.
Holy Childhood offers its own rhythm of worship. Daily Mass is celebrated Tuesday at 7:45 a.m., Wednesday at 7:45 a.m. with an additional 3:30 p.m. Mass at nearby Lyngblomsten, and Saturday at 7:45 a.m. Weekend Masses at Holy Childhood are Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 9:15 a.m. Saturday morning brings a full hour of Eucharistic Adoration from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., followed by Confessions from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and Sunday afternoon features Adoration from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. with Confessions during the same window. The parishes occasionally come together for combined events, including a living Stations of the Cross that journeys on foot through Como Park on Good Friday.
Forming the Family in Faith
Family Faith Formation is the parish's family-based catechetical program for all ages, meeting on the first Sunday of each month from 9:00 to 10:15 a.m., between the Sunday Masses. Volunteer catechists teach children from preschool through sixth grade, while parents, grandparents, teenagers, and young adults gather in Sirba Hall for prayer, a short talk, and discussion. Families enrolled in the program receive home lessons to continue the faith formation in daily life throughout the month. The program is open to anyone interested in deepening their faith, including those preparing to receive the sacraments.
Sacraments prepared at Maternity of Mary include Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick. Baptisms are celebrated after Mass, typically on the third Sunday of each month, and parents of infants and young children attend a Baptism class offered through the parish office. The two-year Confirmation program is open to students entering seventh grade through high school, with sessions held Sunday mornings twice a month and small groups meeting twice a month throughout the school year. Engaged couples meet with a priest at least six months before their wedding, complete the FOCCUS premarital inventory, attend a marriage preparation weekend, and plan the wedding liturgy together. Adults over the age of 18 who have never been confirmed are invited to contact the parish office to begin that journey.
Youth and Young Adult Life
Middle school students in grades 5 through 8 are invited to the youth group every Thursday from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. for games, formation, prayer, and small group discussion. High schoolers in grades 8 through 12 meet the same evening from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. for a shared meal, formation, prayer, and plenty of fun. Both groups are coordinated by Family Ministry Director Tim O'Brien and serve as a pipeline for service and fellowship throughout the year.
Young adults gather for a competitive basketball league called the MOMBA League, which plays scheduled games on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of each month in the parish gymnasium. Free play volleyball nights take place in the school gym as well, with entry through door 7. Alpha, a series that begins with a shared meal, a short video, and open discussion about the big questions of life, is offered for adults of any background several times a year.
Walking With Families in Loss
The parish takes seriously its name and its calling to accompany parents through every stage of life, including grief. The Catholic Child Loss Grief Ministry serves any family suffering the devastation of child loss at any stage. Pastors are available for spiritual support, and the parish partners with Known by God to provide retreats for mothers who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth. The ministry points to a network of resources, including Catholic Miscarriage Support, Red Bird Ministries' St. Paul chapter, services for finding and burying a baby, and the Guadalupe Shrine to the Unborn. The parish's pro-life work and its child loss ministry meet in a shared conviction that every life, however brief, has dignity and worth.
A Parish Known for Life
The ProLife Ministry at Maternity of Mary and Holy Childhood brings the parish community together to celebrate, protect, and support the gift of life at every stage. Hands-on service projects, parish events, and educational efforts accompany local life-affirming organizations. Parishioners have prayed outside Planned Parenthood, supported pregnancy centers with donated diapers, wipes, and gently used baby clothing through an annual Mother's Day flower sale, and gathered for a January gala called Living a Joyful Life. Monthly meetings are held in Sirba Hall, with a May Crowning and letter-writing campaigns marking the calendar. The ProLife Chair, Angela Schmollinger, has represented the parish's decades of work in an interview with The Catholic Spirit.
Music and the Casavant Organ
Music is woven deeply into parish life. Evangelization and Music Director Bas Suijkerbuijk oversees the parish's musical programming, with Sheila Loger serving as organist. The church's Casavant organ recently marked its fiftieth anniversary, an occasion celebrated with a recital by Professor Peter Sykes and a masterclass featuring local organ students. The youth musical group performs a winter production each December, including recent performances of Hark the Herald Angel, and the parish music ministry supports Advent traditions such as Las Posadas, a nine-night reenactment of Mary and Joseph's journey through Bethlehem held in Sirba Hall from December 15 through 23.
Sirba Hall and Parish Hospitality
Sirba Hall, built as an addition to the church in 2010, anchors much of the parish's hospitality. The hall seats up to 200 guests and is equipped with a full industrial kitchen, an audio/visual system, restroom facilities, and easy access from the main parking lot. It hosts Family Formation sessions, Alpha dinners, the ProLife Ministry's monthly meetings, receptions following funerals and musical events, the Family Feast Grill Out, the Joyful Family Festival, and the parish's summer Food Truck Festival. The hall is also available for rental to outside groups through an inquiry form.
Giving, the Bulletin, and Communication
Parishioners and visitors can give online through a Vanco giving page, and a weekly bulletin is published through Parishes Online. The parish maintains an active presence on Facebook and Instagram, and a Flocknote email newsletter keeps members informed of upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and registration links for programs such as Family Formation. The school, MMSA School, serves families on the same campus and offers a 10:00 a.m. Friday school Mass that is open to the wider parish community as well.