In 2011, the Archdiocese merged five rural parishes (Sts. Benedict, John the Evangelist, Joseph, Scholastica, and Wenceslaus) in and around the city of New Prague into a single parish. Today, St. Wenceslaus includes the campuses of St. Wenceslaus church and the Western Catholic churches of St. John the Evangelist in Union Hill and St. Scholastica in Heidelberg. The St. Joseph campus closed in November 2008 and St. Benedict campus closed in January 2011. St. Wenceslaus, like the city of New Prague, was founded in 1856. This pioneer parish, which features the oldest Czech church in the state of Minnesota, grew as the town did and today stands as living testimony to the faith, dedication and hard work of the early Catholic Bavarian and Czech immigrants. St. Wenceslaus Catholic School opened its door in 1878 and continues the rich tradition of educating area children from preschool to grade eight.
