St. Peter is part of the Delano Catholic Community.
On the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1866, Fr. John Ireland was making his way on foot through the Big Woods of what is now Delano and heard the angels singing! He discovered that the angelic music was coming from a newly erected little church inside of which was a small congregation of Catholics without a priest. This was the first St. Peter church. In 1874, the second St. Peter church was built closer to town, followed by the building of a school two years later. In 1903, the parish split into two parish communities and the beautiful St. Joseph church was built five blocks away, serving effectively as the “Polish church”. The predominantly German community of St. Peter soon after built an even larger but equally beautiful church of their own which was dedicated on November 9, 1913 and remains to this day. Over the years the parishes enjoyed more joint functions and activities, shared resources and even pastors, and eventually merged in 2014 to officially become St. Maximilian Kolbe. Since 2021, the parish has functioned as a single institution with two campuses. The St. Peter campus serves as the main church for all weekend Masses, weddings and funerals, as well as the location of the school, while the St. Joseph campus has the perpetual adoration and daily Mass chapel, as well as the parish offices and event center. What the future holds for these two beautiful churches, only God knows.
Under the Strategic Plan, St Peter is identified to cluster with St. Mary of Czestochowa (in existing cluster with St. Joseph, Delano).
