About Us -

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Harmony, Minnesota

A Sanctuary of the Traditional Catholic Faith

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church is a mission chapel dedicated to the worship of Almighty God through the sacred liturgy of the Catholic Church. Here, in the august Sacrifice of the Mass, the same Holy Victim once offered on Calvary is made present upon our altar, and the faithful are nourished with the graces of the Sacraments.

Since its restoration to Catholic worship in 2016, the priests of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI) have faithfully ministered to this chapel. Located about fifty minutes south of Rochester, Minnesota, St. Joseph’s stands as a beacon of Catholic Tradition in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.

A Church Acquired

Known for many years as Big Springs (St. Paul’s) Lutheran Church, the church building was purchased on September 24, 2016 by a group of faithful traditional Catholics who were in need of a permanent home. After some initial discussions among the parishioners, it was decided that the new church would be placed under the patronage of St. Joseph — the most pure Spouse of the Blessed Virgin, Guardian of the Holy Family, and Protector of the Universal Church.

On March 20, 2017, Bishop Mark A. Pivarunas, CMRI, solemnly blessed the chapel on the feast of St. Joseph, transferred to that day since the 19th fell on a Sunday in Lent. Many generous hands and willing hearts contributed time and labor to make the church a fitting dwelling for Our Lord and a worthy place for the offering of the Holy Sacrifice.

Later that year, in December of 2017, the sanctuary was adorned with a beautiful Gothic altar set of carved wood, the gift of a generous benefactor. Shipped from Pennsylvania, it included the high altar and reredos, pulpit, baptismal font, sanctuary chairs (which were later repurposed as side shrines), and a statue of the Risen Christ.

To this was added another noble gift: the imposing statue of St. Joseph, donated by Immaculate Conception Church (CMRI) in St. Cloud, Minnesota, now enshrined above the high altar in honor of the Protector of the Universal Church.

Finally, we cannot fail to acknowledge a benefactor — though distant from Harmony — whose generosity made possible not only the acquisition of this church but also its restoration. His only request in return has been the prayers of the faithful. We therefore commend him to your prayers, in gratitude for the charity by which St. Joseph’s has been so richly blessed.

The Church Bell

Crowning the church is a beautiful bell tower containing a large bronze bell — measuring approximately three feet in diameter and three feet tall. This bell was cast in St. Louis, Missouri, in the year 1900 for our church formerly known as St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Harmony. Around its base is inscribed in German: “Glory to God in the Highest!”

In 2020, the bell was blessed by Father Carlos Borja with the solemn blessing from the Roman Ritual and christened in honor of St. Joseph. The blessing itself was a memorable event, requiring a difficult ascent through the attic into the tower. Since then, the strong, resonant voice of the bell has continued to ring out over the countryside, calling the faithful to prayer and proclaiming God’s glory.

The Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI)

The priests who serve this mission are members of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI), a religious institute wholly dedicated to the defense and preservation of the Catholic Faith in its integrity. Their labors are centered upon the traditional Latin Mass, the sanctification of souls through the ancient rites of the Church, and filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under her glorious title of the Immaculate Queen.

Animated by the spirit of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s “Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary,” the CMRI entrust all their works to the Mother of God, confident that she, the Mediatrix of all graces, leads souls most surely to her Divine Son.

At St. Joseph’s, the CMRI priests carry on this apostolate by offering the Holy Mass, hearing confessions, teaching the truths of the Faith without compromise, and preparing souls for eternity.

Our Mission

In an age of widespread apostasy, St. Joseph’s strives to remain faithful to the Sacred Tradition of Holy Mother Church. Our mission is:

To offer fitting worship to Almighty God through Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
To administer the traditional Sacraments for the sanctification of souls.
To preserve and hand down intact the unchanging doctrines of the Catholic Faith.
To foster ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to St. Joseph, our mighty patron.
To labor always ad majorem Dei gloriam et salutem animarum — for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls.

A Haven of Grace

Today St. Joseph’s stands as a refuge for the faithful of southern Minnesota and northern Iowa: a sanctuary where the true Faith is professed, where the mysteries of salvation are reverently celebrated, and where souls are strengthened on the way to Heaven.

May all who enter here recognize with faith the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, and depart strengthened with the words of Holy Church upon their lips: “Domus Dei et porta caeli — This is the house of God and the gate of Heaven.”