UPDATE: MARCH 2nd, 2026

Your presence is requested for an important information meeting regarding the future of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church!

Sunday March 8th 4:15 PM At Christ the King Church (305 Fern Street North Cambridge, MN 55008)

We will be sharing important new developments and updated information regarding our parish and the decisions ahead. 

This is a pivotal time for our parish community. Strong attendance truly matters. Being present, informed, and united sends a clear message that our faith family is engaged and committed. 

Please make this gathering a priority and encourage others to attend. Your presence makes a meaningful difference. 

Together in faith. Together in strength.

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*UPDATE: FEB 10TH, 2026*

The fire is still burning!

Now more than ever, our parish needs its people—your presence, your prayers, your voices, and your unity. For accurate and up-to-date information, please contact one of your trustees.

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The Diocese of St. Cloud has announced its decision to close Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Braham, MN. This news was shared with parishioners during Sunday Mass on January 4, 2026.

Having been built in 1986, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church has faithfully served the community for nearly four decades. What should have been a year of joyful celebration—marking 40 years of ministry, fellowship, and service—has instead become a moment of uncertainty and heartbreak.

This decision came about due to the Diocese's "All Things New" Initiative: An attempt to adapt to changing demographics and clergy availability, while aiming to create fewer, more sustainable parishes.

Whether you are a fellow parishioner, a community member, or simply someone who believes in supporting a vital local faith community, your voice matters. Please consider signing this petition to help give Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church a fighting chance at survival.

Please note, we are not looking for donations. Please do not donate! Saints Peter and Paul does not receive the donations, they go to Change.org. Your signature and support is the greatest gift you can give us!
 

OUR HISTORY

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church was founded in July 1984. A mobile home, serving as the rectory, was placed on a previously purchased five‑acre parcel of land west of the elementary school. Bishop Speltz appointed Father Nicholas Zimmer as the first pastor of what was then the easternmost parish in the Diocese of St. Cloud. Sunday Masses were celebrated at Braham High School.

The first trustees—Fran Nordeen and Kenneth Ethan—together with Kenneth Shockman, were instrumental in requesting the establishment of a new parish in Braham. Religious education classes began in the fall of 1984 and were held in both the high school and elementary school buildings. Early in 1985, a women’s group was formed, including all the women of the parish. They were divided into four geographical groups to provide funeral luncheons, welcome newcomers, assist with parish projects and fundraisers, pray for parish families, and form a Prayer Chain to share prayer requests.

A building committee was formed on May 1, 1985. In early 1986, a twelve‑acre parcel of land was purchased, becoming the present site of the church and cemetery. Groundbreaking took place on April 13, 1986. Although the building was not yet complete, the first Mass was celebrated on December 21, 1986. Father Zimmer and his housekeeper, Judy Schneider, moved into the rectory on June 18, 1987. The total cost of the building and furnishings was $690,000. Bishop Jerome Hanus dedicated the church on June 19, 1988.

The Braham Knights of Columbus chapter was established on April 1, 1989. They continue to sponsor meals and fundraisers supporting religious outreach and local needs. Over the years, many parish youth have traveled on pilgrimages to visit the Pope, representing our parish at World Youth Day gatherings in Denver, Rome, Toronto, and Germany.

In July 2001, Father Zimmer retired, and Deacon Don Tzinski became the first deacon in the diocese to serve as a Parish Life Coordinator. With the support of Deacon Don and his wife, Jan, new ministries and organizations were formed, including rosary‑making for the missions, a Squires group for boys, a Little Flowers group for girls, a parish prayer group, and a parish library. In spring 2003, Deacon Don introduced plans for a shrine on the church property—The Mercy Walk: Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. The shrine was completed through the hard work and dedication of many parishioners, and Bishop John Kinney blessed it on October 10, 2003.

After five years of faithful service by Deacon Don and Jan, Deacon Tom Pinataro was appointed as the second Parish Life Coordinator on August 1, 2006. Many capital improvements to the building and grounds were completed during the next seven years. On June 27, 2009, the parish celebrated the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and the Sacrament of Confirmation, followed by a catered banquet marking the parish’s 25th anniversary. That same year, a special Mass and reception honored Father Nicholas Zimmer’s 50th anniversary of priesthood, and the parish hall was named Zimmer Hall in his honor.

Recognizing the needs of the three Isanti County parishes, Bishop John Kinney appointed Father Donald Wagner as pastor in July 2013. Over the next four years, the parish welcomed three Parochial Vicars: Father John Paul Knopik, Father Gabriel Walz, and Father Derek Wiechmann. The parish also served as the teaching parish for seminarian Gregory Sauers, who became Father Gregory in 2019. Although Father Don resides in Cambridge, he continues to preside at Mass, administer the sacraments, and oversee parish life. When the diocese began implementing the Area Catholic Communities model, Father Don had already helped ensure that many of the necessary criteria were in place.

Although we are now part of the Isanti Area Catholic Community and share many programs—such as Family Faith Formation—we continue to maintain our parish name and identity while functioning as a tri‑parish community. For more than twenty years, the Saints Peter and Paul parish family has provided shelter for homeless families through the New Pathways program, offering sleeping accommodations in classrooms and providing meals and fellowship as part of our outreach ministry.

We are blessed to count the talented Anna May McCallum among our parishioners. Her beautiful artwork and statues enrich our sanctuary, and her original Resurrection cross reminds us of the reason we gather: to celebrate the Eucharist. Our Youth Group regularly attends NCYC and Steubenville conferences to deepen their faith. In August 2021, Elizabeth Thrippleton made her first vows with the Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, becoming Sister Mary Elizabeth. She is the great‑granddaughter of charter member Barb Goor, who, along with Father Zimmer, commissioned artist Charles Kasper to paint the fresco Christ the Almighty for the parish’s tenth anniversary. The fresco adorns the church entryway and welcomes all who enter with the invitation, “Come, Follow Me.”

Our first parish festival was held on September 19, 2009, offering a variety of activities and plenty of fun. It has since become a beloved annual tradition. Over the years, many events have been added, including children’s inflatables and activities, a live auction, Holy Fries, a farmers market and country store, concessions, Pick‑A‑Cork, karaoke, a downhill derby, a corn hole tournament, a pork chop meal, live music, and the BIG Raffle. A committee of more than a dozen enthusiastic members begins planning each June, and by the third Saturday in September, the entire parish is involved.

For more than twenty years, our parish has also hosted Friday Lenten Fish Fries in Zimmer Hall, welcoming families for good food and fellowship. Preparing and serving these meals has become a cherished tradition.

Each spring, as Father Nick’s trees grow taller and the bushes grow fuller, we are reminded of the loved ones whose faith and dedication brought the vision of a Catholic church in Braham to life. Father Nicholas Zimmer was laid to rest under the shadow of “the church that he built” on November 17, 2020. Recently, a monument featuring Anna May McCallum’s Resurrection drawing, etched in marble, was placed at the entrance of the cemetery beside Father Zimmer’s memorial bench. It stands as an invitation to all—members of the communion of saints—to pray for our beloved dead.

With humility and gratitude, we dedicate this petition to those who gave Saints Peter and Paul its roots, united by faith alone, and to our present members who continue to give it life by praying together, sharing God’s blessings, and supporting one another as a parish family.