Church History

The Winifred Mission was started in 1913. The first Mass was celebrated by Father Van den Broeck, parish priest of Lewistown, in the Milwaukee—St. Paul Depot. Father Van den Broeck recalled at that time it was just 30 years before that he had celebrated the first Mass in Great Falls.

Priests were sent out from Lewistown in infrequent intervals to say Mass in Winifred. Among them was Father Molyneaux. For 20 years, the mission priest carried in a suitcase one set of complete vestments, necessary linens, and even the altar stone. Mass was held in the public school building, in the dance hall, in private homes, or wherever it was found to be convenient.

When the parish of St. Victor was established in Hilger in 1920, the people of Winifred were served from there. Reverend Aloysius Muller was resident pastor for five years, 1920-1925. When Father Mueller moved the seat of the parish to St. Aloysius Church in Winnett in 1925, Winifred was put under its jurisdiction.

Around 1930, the old bank building was purchased for approximately $300. The money was raised by contributions from the community. This was to be the first official church building for the Catholic congregation. Despite the small size of the church, many baptisms and weddings were celebrated there.

In 1935, St. Victor’s in Hilger was again designated as a parish, and Winifred became its mission and continued to be served by the Hilger priests and then priest from Saint Leo’s in Lewistown. Holy Family remained a part of St. Victor’s Parish until December 8, 2003, when the Hilger parish was disbanded due to inactivity. Saint Leo’s in Lewistown had been assisting Holy Family for many years, and at this time Holy Family became a mission of Saint Leo’s.

In the early 1970s the Catholic congregation was looking for a way to meet the needs of their growing numbers. During the summer of 1973 a tragic fire destroyed the Methodist Church in Winifred. In response to the need for a church for the Methodists and more room for the Catholics, it was decided to build a church together. It was completed in the summer of 1975, and the two churches continue to share the building today.

The old bank building was sold and used for storage, as Gardy Peterson’s shop, and most recently Winifred Tire before being torn down in 2011. The statues and crucifix were moved to the newly built church and remain there today. After St. Victor’s in Hilger was disbanded, the tabernacle from St. Victor’s was moved to Winifred, and the confessional was removed to make a space for the Blessed Sacrament.

On the night of August 23, 1973, the Winifred area was the site of a heavy rainstorm and severe thunderstorm. The bell tower of the Methodist Church took a direct lightning bolt, and in minutes, the whole top of the roof was afire. Hampered by the severe storm and the quickness of which flames spread, the fire department was unable to save anything. In response to the need for a new Methodist church and the Catholics needing a better church building, it was decided to build a church together.

After many meetings and much thought and prayers from both groups, they came up with a plan agreeable to both churches, and then the work began. The church was built on the site of the burned out church and was finished in 1975. This continues today to be the location for the shared worship space of the Catholic and Methodist Churches of Winifred, Montana. Holy Family Catholic Church remains a mission of Saint Leo the Great of Lewistown.

Religious Education

The first Confraternity of Christian Doctrine  (CCD) Summer School was held in 1931 with Seminarian A. McHale as instructor.  At that time, the First Communion Class consisting of nine girls and 14 boys received their First Communion. 

The Sacrament of Confirmation was administered for the first time in Winifred by His Excellency Bishop O’Hara of Great Falls in 1933.  He again visited the mission in 1936, administering Confirmation to a large class.

Through the nineteen-fifty’s and nineteen-sixty’s, summer CCD was held in Winifred or Hilger with sisters coming to teach.  The sisters would usually stay in private homes for one to two weeks of class.

In later years, CCD or Religious Education Classes have been conducted on Wednesday afternoon following classes during the school year.  Each year the RE teachers and children put on a Christmas Program for the parish and deliver Easter Baskets to the area senior citizens. First Eucharist and Confirmation instruction continues to be part of the Religious Education Program.  The Bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings travels as needed to Winifred to celebrate the Completion of the Sacraments of Initiation.    

Altar Society

Throughout the many years of the Winifred Mission there has been an active Altar Society.  They have been humbly involved in fundraising, teaching, cleaning, serving and raising families through many generations.  Mrs. Robert J. Heggem, President of the Altar Society, summed it up this way in 1954: “Every year when we start our district report, the members feel like a mighty inactive organization.  However, the twenty-three members of this Altar Society have ninety-four children, sixty-eight of whom are small school and pre-school youngsters; we live scattered over an area sixty miles long and forty-five miles wide, and many of us are still on unimproved roads.  Your reporter thinks this is a mighty fine group of women and proudly submits the above report.”

The Altar Society of Holy Family continues to meet today.  Their involvement in the parish has changed through the years but they continue to be an important part of our church.  Each year the Altar Society works with the Methodist Ladies to organize a Pancake Brunch to raise money to assist with the day to day expenses of the Joint Parish.  The Altar Society also organizes any funeral luncheons, parish meals and many other times of fellowship within our parish.  They assist with the church environment through decorating and cleaning.  We are fortunate to have this dedicated group of women in our parish. 

Holy Family Church Today

The parish population may have decreased in recent years along with that of the town of Winifred and the Altar Society members may no longer have small children but grandchildren instead, the parish is still vibrant with 50 active households and is serviced as a mission of Saint Leo the Great of Lewistown. 

Mass schedules have been in constant change, not unlike the lives of the congregants.  It has been a mix of every Sunday, to every other Sunday, to sporadic intervals years ago.  At the present time, Mass is held on the second, fourth and fifth Sunday of every month and some Holy Days.  The faith community has Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest every first, and third Sunday.

Through the help of many, the congregation remains active and the parish strong.


Current Mass Schedule (updated September 2016)

11:30 am Sunday Mass

For an updated Schedule, please contact Saint Leo's Parish at (406) 538-9306.

Priest Serving Holy Family Catholic Church

Reverend Van den Broeck—1913
Reverend Aloysius Mueller—1920
Reverend B. Peser—1925
Reverend John F. Laughlin—1933
Reverend Joseph Blaere—1934
Reverend P. J. Mulligan—1938
Reverend Flinan—1938
Reverend V.V. Bezdicek—1939
Reverend Joe L. Galour—1947

Reverend Michael O’Donohue—1951

Reverend John Haligwski—1954
Reverend Raymond J. Nyquist—1958
Reverend Patrick Tarrant—1959
Reverend Albert E. Rutan—1962
Reverend Thomas Tobin—1965
Reverend David Bielefeld—1968
Reverend Martin Fisher—1972
Reverend Patrick Donovan—1976
Reverend Joseph Diekhans—1977
Reverend Michael Kirkness—1977
Reverend James Birkmaier—1979
Reverend Richard Osterman—1979
Reverend Jay Peterson—1979
Reverend Richard Osterman—1982
Reverend Stephen Tokarski—1984
Reverend Michael D. Ley—1984
Reverend Dan O’Rourke—1988
Reverend Jay Peterson—1991
Reverend Jay Peterson—1993
Reverend Wayne M. Pittard—1993
Reverend Dan O’Rourke—1998
Reverend Jose Marquez—2014
Reverend Samuel Spiering - present