St. Francis Xavier Catholic Community has a 65 year history of serving the spiritual needs of its parishioners. In 1948, 80 families from Sacred Heart Parish in Sauk Rapids joined with 20 families from Holy Angels in St. Cloud to form a small mission parish in Sartell. The parish was named St. Francis Xavier honoring the patron saint of Father Francis Pierz.
​
The first Mass was celebrated in Sartell's Village Hall and just six months later ground was broken for a church. An elementary school was built in 1960 and a convent was added on top of the basement church. The school was designed to accommodate a gymnasium and additional classrooms at a later date.
​
Groundbreaking for the present church and parish house was celebrated in 1980. In 1993, the school gym and four classrooms were added to the school.
​
​
As the need for school and religious education ministries continued to grow along with the size of the parish, the latest building additions were completed in September of 2000 and January of 2001. Four more classrooms were added to the school, and a gathering place was built connecting our school and church. The classrooms provided space for our growing school and religious education enrollments. The gathering place provided the space needed to continue to build community in our rapidly growing parish. It is a place for fellowship after Mass, funeral wakes, meetings, Gathering in the Arts events, and many other activities. The Gathering Place also provides for over-flow seating. There are over 1800 households currently registered with St. Francis Xavier and approximately 5500 baptized members.
​
From the beginning, St. Francis Xavier has strived to be a true reflection of the Body of Christ, committed to being a welcoming, caring and supportive community. Today, St. Francis Xavier aspires to live its mission and offer ministries that meet the spiritual needs of its faithful members.
​
In 1998, a parish history book was published to coincide with the celebration of 50 years as a parish. It is a compilation of information from parish bulletins and interviews with former pastors and current and former parishioners. If you interested in a copy, please call the parish office. With a donation to cover shipping and handling costs, a copy will be mailed out to you