Ryan Kutter, Lead Woodworker
St. Mary’s Mission was established in the Ojibwe community of Red Lake in 1858 as a matter of faith, with the unusual combination of confidence and uncertainty that faith often brings. In 1888, Benedictines from Saint John’s Abbey and Saint Benedict’s Monastery came to serve at the mission. Over the next century, more than 190 sisters and 40 monks would contribute to education, agriculture, and ministry alongside the Catholic congregation of Red Lake.
On December 2, 2017, a powerful surge of electricity caused a fire that destroyed the historic church at St. Mary’s Mission, leaving behind only ashes, a stone chimney, and a resilient church community in need of a new home. Through a nationwide fundraising effort, enough was raised to build a new church, which was dedicated in March 2024.
While relationships between the church, nation and tribal communities have been fraught with error, misunderstanding and harm, friendships, faith and worthwhile partnerships have also flourished. Many students from the Red Lake Mission School have gone on to attend Saint John’s Preparatory School and University, and many Benedictines who served in Red Lake developed lasting friendships within the community.
One of the monks profoundly influenced by the Red Lake community is Fr. Julius Beckerman, O.S.B. Revered for nearly 20 years as the school’s bus driver, Fr. Julius sought and received permission from the Abbot to pursue a degree in Ojibwe at Bemidji State University. He continues to share deep, lasting friendships with many in the community. When discussions began about furnishing the new church, it was Fr. Julius who arranged a meeting between the mission’s pastor, Fr. Jerry Rogers, and Abbey Woodworking. Fr. Jerry, and later Fr. John Christianson, hoped to honor the connection between Saint John’s Abbey and St. Mary’s Mission by having the furnishings made by the Benedictines in Collegeville.
In the fall of 2024, Abbey Woodworking built and delivered a new altar, ambo, and tabernacle to Red Lake. Designed by KC Marrin to carry forward elements of the altar lost in the fire, the new sanctuary began to feel like a home that spoke the same language as the previous one. Br. Placid Stuckenschneider, O.S.B. had designed the original ambo and altar, which was then built by Br. Hubert Schneider, O.S.B. in the old Abbey Woodworking shop.
The heart of the Church is found in the people who gather. These sacred vessels could benefit from more refined pews and kneelers than the folding chairs that had been brought in and out since the church’s dedication.
In late March, three members of Abbey Woodworking delivered and installed the pews that had occupied our attention through much of the winter. Dodging meltwater from the roof on a sunny day, the planks, rails, and kneelers were carried into the church, and the puzzle of assembly began.
The work progressed smoothly, with pleasant interruptions from congregation members who had been involved in the rebuilding effort, had attended school at Saint John’s, or who shared memories of their time at the mission school next door, still lively with the bright voices of students.
The most challenging part of the installation came after a lunch of tacos on frybread, a local staple in which it is all too easy to overindulge. Fr. Jerry Rogers was known for taking a nap after such a lunch, but our crew persisted through the afternoon. With a final polish on all of the pews, the space was ready for its first mass, celebrated with the students from St. Mary’s School later that day.
As a representation of a historical and ongoing relationship, the design of the pews is based on those in the Sacred Heart Chapel at Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, MN. According to the history of St. Mary’s Mission Red Lake written by Sr. Owen Lindblad, O.S.B., more than 190 sisters served at Red Lake, teaching and ministering to the community. The Sacred Heart Chapel pews, in turn, were designed by Frank Kacmarcik, a renowned liturgical designer and claustral oblate of Saint John’s Abbey.
Time has passed in years, decades, and enough lifetimes that only a few people would remember grandparents who may have remembered meeting the founders of the church as children. Now there is a new church to take its place in the corporate memory of the people of Red Lake, where faith can be carried forward.
Many thanks to Fr. Tom Niehaus, the staff at St. Mary’s Mission, and Hugh Welle, all of whom extended their hospitality during our stay in Red Lake. The historical photos in this post are credited to the respective archives at Saint John’s Abbey and Saint Benedict’s Monastery.
