The Church of St. Augustine sits at 442 2nd Street SE in St. Cloud, just south of downtown and within walking distance of the Mississippi River. It is one of six Catholic congregations that have come together to form the Parish of Saint Cloud, also known by the working name All Called to Christ. St. Augustine retains its own identity, its own building, and its own Catholic elementary, but it shares clergy, seasonal celebrations, and major fundraisers with sister churches around central Minnesota. What it is best known for around its neighborhood is the busy life in and around its parish cafeteria: an all-you-care-to-eat men's breakfast the first Sunday of every month, a free community meal on the third Sunday, a Christian Women's organization that has been baking donuts and raising money since 1920, and the steady rhythm of faith formation feeding into St. Katharine Drexel School.
One Parish Family, Six Local Churches
Bishop Neary of the Diocese of St. Cloud chose "Parish of Saint Cloud" as the new name for the combined family of six Catholic churches that have been working together as All Called to Christ. The name came out of a vote of parishioners. Each church keeps its own community, and financial contributions continue to support the local school and ministries where they are given. Alongside St. Augustine, the Parish of Saint Cloud includes St. John Cantius, St. Mary's Cathedral, Holy Spirit Church, St. Anthony, and Christ Church Newman Center. Shared celebrations draw the family together throughout the year, including the St. Mary's Cathedral block party in September, the Advent Concert at Holy Spirit in December, the Mayfest block party at St. Katharine Drexel School each spring, and the volunteer appreciation dinner hosted by the St. Augustine, St. Mary's Cathedral, and St. John Cantius staff.
Sunday Mass and a Thursday That Holds the Week
Sunday Mass at St. Augustine is celebrated at 9:00 am. The rest of the week's worship gathers on Thursdays: Daily Mass at 8:00 am, Reconciliation at 7:30 am, and Eucharistic Adoration from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. The Thursday rhythm is a defining feature of parish life and makes it possible to come during the workweek for prayer, the sacrament, or quiet time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Across the wider Parish of Saint Cloud, seasonal additions include a candlelight Rorate Mass held just before dawn during Advent at St. Mary's Cathedral and an Anointing Mass for Healing that is offered periodically at one of the sister churches - typically with reconciliation available before Mass and coffee and rolls served afterward. The parish office at the same 442 2nd St. SE address is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and the parish can be reached at (320) 251-8335 or info@staugs.com. After-hours pastoral emergencies are handled at 320-251-1840 extension 5.
The Cafeteria, the Breakfasts, and a Free Meal Every Third Sunday
The St. Augustine cafeteria is the busiest room in the building. The St. Augustine Men's Group hosts the parish's signature breakfast on the first Sunday of each month from 7:30 am until noon, serving sausage, ham, scrambled eggs, hash browns, fresh baked goods from Dutch Maid Bakery, applesauce, and beverages. Adults pay $12, youth ages 5 to 12 pay $7, and children four and under eat free. The same men's group hosts a spaghetti dinner with a meat raffle each spring, and the parish also hosts Lenten fish fries that benefit St. Katharine Drexel School. The homemade donuts that anchor every monthly breakfast are baked by the St. Augustine Christian Women, who have made them a parish tradition.
On the third Sunday of every month the cafeteria opens as a free Community Meal from noon to 1:00 pm, serving a hot, nutritious meal to anyone who needs one or who simply wants company. The meal is open to the whole neighborhood and is one of the most reliable touchpoints the parish has with the wider St. Cloud community. Across the calendar the cafeteria also hosts the Mardi Gras Bingo Party on Fat Tuesday, seasonal Christian Women's mixers, and the parish volunteer appreciation dinner co-hosted each spring by the staff of St. Mary's Cathedral and St. John Cantius.
St. Augustine Christian Women Since 1920
St. Augustine Christian Women was formally organized in 1920 and has served the parish continuously as a ministry of service and spiritual support. Affiliated with the Diocesan, National, and World Catholic Women's Councils, the group works to support, empower, and educate Catholic women in spirituality, leadership, and service. Their patron saint is Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus, honored as a model of humility and prayer. The parish says of her that her life "teaches us that every act of love and sacrifice is a step toward the divine," and the Christian Women try to imitate her steadfast service in a thoroughly practical way.
The Christian Women raise money for the parish and the school through fundraisers, sponsor Catholic education scholarships, provide hosts and wine for Mass, serve funeral luncheons, support Elevate Pregnancy and Family Resource Center, host hospitality for parish events, and bake the homemade donuts served at every men's breakfast. They also host the fall Rummage Sale in the parish hall each October, with discount and "By-the-Bag" pricing in the afternoon. Membership is open to all parish women eighteen and older, with annual dues of $5. The group meets the second Thursday of each month at 2:30 pm, gathering seven times a year from September through December and March through May; in October and May the meeting shifts to 4:30 pm so members can share dinner together. Periodic happy hour mixers invite women interested in learning more about the organization to drop in.
Men's Prayer Group on the Fourth Thursday
The St. Augustine Men's Prayer Group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The gathering runs one hour of Lectio Divina on the Gospel for the following Sunday, reading and praying with the scripture together. It is one of the parish's quiet rhythms, designed for men who want a simple but consistent way to prepare for the coming Sunday Mass, and it complements the larger Men's Group that runs the public breakfasts.
Harvest Sunday and the Yearly Fundraising Calendar
Each year Harvest Sunday draws the parish together as a full-morning fundraiser festival. From 7:30 am to noon the cafeteria and the surrounding rooms offer the full men's-group breakfast menu, a Garden Market and Bake Sale, a Jewelry Sale, and kids' activities, while a Meat and Treat Raffle in the cafeteria from 10:00 am until noon brings the celebration to a close. The fall Rummage Sale hosted by St. Augustine Christian Women takes place in the parish hall, drawing bargain-hunters from across St. Cloud and turning the morning into a community-wide event. Fish fries in Lent and spaghetti or chili drive-thru fundraisers sponsored by the local Knights of Columbus round out the calendar, with proceeds typically supporting St. Katharine Drexel School and local pro-life efforts.
Faith Formation, Youth, and St. Katharine Drexel School
Faith Formation registration for the program year opens each summer, with registration forms and a Spiritual and Social Directory available from the parish. The parish's Youth Group maintains its own calendar of retreats and events for middle and high school students, including the annual Winter Spectacular Lock-In for grades 6 through 8, where young people share faith, food, and fun through the night.
St. Augustine is closely tied to St. Katharine Drexel School, a Catholic elementary that serves the broader community of St. Cloud through eighth grade. The school has its own annual Mayfest block party on a Friday evening in May, with bounce houses, a 50/50 raffle, food, a silent auction, and live music; several of the parish's biggest fundraisers - the fish fries, spaghetti dinners, and breakfasts - directly benefit the school so it can keep tuition affordable and its program strong.
Marriage, Funeral, and Prayer Warriors
Couples preparing for marriage at St. Augustine work directly with the parish's marriage preparation ministry, which keeps a dedicated set of resources for engaged couples to walk through together. The parish also walks families through the work of funeral planning, providing a written guide that helps arrange a Catholic funeral with the readings, music, and rites that hold meaning for the family. The parish's Prayer Warriors prayer line offers prayer for anyone who asks for it; those who want to be prayed for, or who want to volunteer for the prayer team that calls those on the list, can reach the parish office at (320) 251-8335.
Staying Connected
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin that can be viewed online. Online Giving is available through WeShare. A Flocknote mailing list carries parish news, registration reminders, and a way for new members to register their contact information with the parish. The Faith Formation registration form, the Spiritual and Social Directory, the St. Augustine Christian Women membership brochure, the Funeral Arrangements guide, and the current month's ministry schedule for lectors, extraordinary ministers, ushers, and other volunteers are all available as downloadable PDFs from the parish. For shared events across the broader family - including celebrations at St. Mary's Cathedral, Holy Spirit, St. Anthony, St. John Cantius, and Christ Church Newman Center - the Parish of Saint Cloud keeps a shared calendar at allcalledtochrist.com.