Two campuses in south Minneapolis
The Church of Saint Stephen and Holy Rosary is a Roman Catholic parish that brings two worshiping communities under one pastor and one pastoral team. Its St. Stephen campus sits at 2211 Clinton Avenue, and its Holy Rosary campus is about a mile south at 2424 18th Avenue South. The two buildings were originally separate parishes; today they share one set of Mass times, faith formation programs, sacramental records, and staff, while still giving families the option of which campus to attend for any given liturgy or class.
Most Masses at Saint Stephen-Holy Rosary are celebrated in Spanish. The parish's only English-language Sunday Mass is offered at Holy Rosary. The parish office, located at the St. Stephen campus, is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The office can be reached at 612-767-2430 or at receptionist@sts-hr.org, and a separate line, 507-310-1149, is reserved for pastoral emergencies after hours.
Masses in Spanish and English
The weekly Mass schedule is built around both campuses and both languages. At St. Stephen, weekday Masses are celebrated in Spanish on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 12:00 PM, and on Friday evening at 8:00 PM. A Wednesday evening Spanish Mass is also offered at Holy Rosary at 7:00 PM.
Sunday Masses fill out the weekend at both campuses. St. Stephen hosts two Spanish Masses, at 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Holy Rosary hosts the parish's only English-language Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM and a Spanish Mass at 11:30 AM. A Saturday evening Mass in Spanish at 6:00 PM at Holy Rosary is described as a Vespers celebration.
The parish describes the Mass as the heart of parish life, drawing on the Catechism of the Catholic Church's teaching that it is "the moment in which God gathers His people to celebrate the memorial of the Lord." In every celebration, Christ is understood to be truly present in the gathered assembly, in the person of the ordained minister, in the proclaimed Word, and in a substantial and enduring way in the consecrated bread and wine. Each Mass moves through the Introductory Rites, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Concluding Rites, with the two "tables" of God's Word and Christ's Body forming a single act of worship.
Confessions and Eucharistic Adoration
The sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on three days a week. At St. Stephen, confessions are heard on Friday evenings from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM and are followed by Eucharistic Adoration. Holy Rosary offers confessions on Saturday from 4:30 PM to 5:45 PM. A Wednesday confession time runs from 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM.
Eucharistic Adoration at the St. Stephen campus runs nearly every day of the week. The chapel is open Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, Saturday morning from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and again from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and Sunday evening from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Visitors who would like to spend an hour in worship can call the parish office to request a key, which is needed to enter the chapel. Adoration is available only at St. Stephen.
Faith formation for children
Faith formation at Saint Stephen-Holy Rosary, directed by Maria de la Luz Hernandez, follows children from First Communion preparation through middle school. The two-year First Communion program is open to students in grades 1 through 8 and includes preparation for both Reconciliation and First Eucharist. Parents are expected to take part in formation meetings, accompany their children at home, attend special celebrations, and submit a baptismal certificate and annual registration.
Children who have already received the sacraments can continue in SEED, the parish's ongoing formation program for grades 1 through 6, or in EDGE, the middle-school program for grades 7 and 8 that prepares teens for Confirmation. Both programs emphasize prayer, participation in Sunday Mass, and Catholic values in daily life. Children over the age of 7 who have not been baptized follow the Order of Christian Initiation for Minors, a two-year journey offered at both campuses in its first year and only at St. Stephen in its second year. The parish also welcomes children and adults of any age with special needs into the formation programs.
At St. Stephen, Ángela Rodríguez and Obdulia Benítez coordinate children's formation, and Josselyne Bunay coordinates EDGE. At Holy Rosary, Maria Morocho leads children's formation and Lizbeth Meléndez leads EDGE.
Youth formation and Confirmation
The youth program is offered only at the St. Stephen campus. The two-year Confirmation program for students in grades 9 through 12 uses the Life Teen curriculum to present the Catholic faith in a way that engages teenagers. Year 1 introduces the Church's teaching, and Year 2 deepens the journey with Theology of the Body, a catechesis on identity, dignity, and a Christian vision of love and relationships.
Students attend weekly classes, take part in Sunday Mass, attend a Confirmation retreat, and are supported by parents who are also expected to attend classes. Before receiving the sacrament, candidates submit a baptismal certificate, choose a Confirmation name, and identify a sponsor who is a practicing Catholic, has received Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation, is at least 16 years old, and (if married) was married in the Catholic Church. Year 1 is led by Micaela Mercado and Antelmo Arias, and Year 2 by Michell Sánchez Garnica.
For teens beyond Confirmation preparation, the parish hosts Youth Night on the third Friday of each month from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the St. Stephen campus. The gathering is a space for middle and high school students to build community, talk about faith and life, and pray together.
Becoming Catholic through OCIA
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) accompanies adults who are unbaptized, baptized in another Christian denomination, or baptized Catholic but still needing First Communion or Confirmation. The process unfolds over more than a year. It begins with a 12-month pre-catechumenate focused on evangelization, moves into the catechumenate for catechesis and prayer, continues through the scrutinies and rites of Lent during Purification and Illumination, and concludes with mystagogy, the post-baptismal catechesis that continues throughout the rest of the new Catholic's life.
Sponsors for OCIA candidates must be practicing Catholics who have received all three sacraments of initiation and live in a way consistent with the Catholic faith.
The seven sacraments in parish life
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Baptisms are generally held on the third Saturday of each month, after parents and godparents have completed three Monday-evening preparation classes and a final rehearsal. The registration fee is $50, and sponsors must be either a married couple married in the Catholic Church or a single Catholic in good standing with a Confirmation certificate.
Couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact the parish office at least nine months before the wedding and to attend premarital classes, which are usually held on Sunday mornings. The parish describes marriage as a covenant by which a man and a woman give themselves to one another in a communion of life and love, ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children.
Funerals, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, Confirmation, Reconciliation, and Holy Orders are all accompanied by the pastoral team. Catholics who are hospitalized and cannot reach the parish office can ask the hospital nurse to contact the on-call Catholic chaplain, who can visit and administer the sacrament. Sacramental records are kept at the parish office and are released only to the person who received the sacrament or, in the case of a minor, to the parent or legal guardian. Records from St. Stephen between 1998 and 2007, made by Fr. Lawrence Hubbard, are held by the Church of the Incarnation.
Parish traditions
Several parish traditions reflect the Latin American heritage of much of the community. Parents may bring their newborn babies or three-year-olds to be presented during Sunday Mass. Quinceañera Masses are celebrated for registered parishioners enrolled in the Confirmation program, on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM at Holy Rosary or on Fridays at 8:00 PM at St. Stephen. Wedding anniversaries and birthdays can be marked with a blessing during Sunday Mass. Mass intentions may be requested for $7 per intention and can be paid at the parish office or placed in an envelope at the Sunday collection. Private Masses are not offered at this time, but the parish is happy to share these moments with the community.
Pastoral team and giving
The parish is led by Fr. James Stiles, pastor. Monica Mesa serves as Director of Liturgy and coordinates Mass intentions, funerals, quinceañera Masses, and anniversary or birthday blessings. Maria de la Luz Hernandez is the Director of Faith Formation and Safe Environment Coordinator. Online giving, including one-time donations and recurring offerings, is available through ParishSoft Giving.