The first parish in the area, St. Patrick, dates back to 1859. The settlers were mostly Irish
and German, and the nearest resident priest was in Shakopee, 18 miles away. Whenever
a priest was coming through town, a courier was sent to notify the settlers that Mass would
be said in one of their homes. Father Meinophus Stukenkemper oversaw the construction of
the first permanent church which was completed in 1866 by Fr. Ferdinand Stern. It served the
community until 1880, when a new church was built in Norwood, near the railroad junction.
The name of the church was changed at this time to Ascension to settle a dispute between the
Irish (who wanted to keep the name “St. Patrick”) and the Germans (who wanted to change
the name to “St. Joseph”). In 1905, the present brick church was built and the mission church
became a parish with a resident pastor. The rectory was completed in 1942 and a religious
education center in 1988.