Updates

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June 2, 2026

Statement Regarding Holy Cross Decree
The decree merging Holy Cross Parish into a newly created Parish has now been issued by the Diocese.
For many in our community, this news brings mixed emotions. While the decree preserves Holy Cross Church as a sacred church and pilgrimage site for now, it also marks the end of Holy Cross Parish as an independent parish and the loss of regularly scheduled Masses that have been a cornerstone of life in Marty for generations.

t is important to recognize that many members of our community will need time to grieve this change. Holy Cross is more than a building—it has been the spiritual home for countless baptisms, weddings, funerals, and family traditions spanning well over a century.


The HCMCPC cannot appeal this decree as an organization. Under the provisions of the decree, any appeal rights belong to individual parishioners. Furthermore, given the goodwill shown by the Diocese in working toward the transfer of the non-sacred property to the HCMCPC, we believe it would be inappropriate for our organization to pursue opposition of a parish merger and loss of regular masses, even if such an option were available.


We respectfully disagree with portions of the decree—particularly, we believe it does not adequately recognize the strong local desire and commitment to maintain Holy Cross Church as a sacred space for Catholic worship – we remain convinced that the primary challenge facing Holy Cross and many rural parishes today is the shortage of available priests.
Rather than dwell on our disagreements, we choose to focus on the opportunities that remain before us.
The decree recognizes a future role for the HCMCPC in preserving and stewarding the non-sacred property associated with Holy Cross. More importantly, our organization remains committed to ensuring that Holy Cross Church itself is maintained in a manner worthy of its sacred purpose. We intend to be proactive stewards of this historic church so that future generations may continue to worship here and so that the church never falls into a condition where deterioration could be used as justification for closure or relegation to secular use.
We remain grateful to everyone who has supported this effort through prayers, volunteer work, donations, participation in meetings, and words of encouragement. The faith, dedication, and love shown by this community over the past year have demonstrated that Holy Cross remains an important part of the spiritual and cultural fabric of Marty.
As we move forward, we ask for continued prayers, patience, and support. Please try to keep any comments positive. Together, we will honor our past, care for what has been entrusted to us, and work to ensure that Holy Cross remains a vibrant presence in our community for generations to come. See less

May 14, 2026

After meeting with the Diocesan Finance council, Holy Cross–Marty Community Preservation Corporation (HCMCPC) is grateful to announce that an agreement has been reached with the Diocese regarding the future of Holy Cross and the Marty community properties.
Under this agreement, the non-sacred property will transfer to the stewardship of the HCMCPC for the symbolic purchase price of $18.96 — chosen to honor the year Holy Cross Parish was founded and the community of Marty named after Bishop Martin Marty.

The church building and cemetery will remain under Church ownership, while the HCMCPC will help provide ongoing stewardship and care for the church building. This arrangement was made possible through the goodwill, cooperation, and sincere efforts of diocesan leadership, and we are deeply appreciative of their willingness to work together toward a positive path forward.

Thank you to everyone who supported this effort through prayers, encouragement, volunteer work, and financial support. There is still much work ahead, but this is an important step toward preserving the faith, heritage, and community spirit of Marty for future generations.

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March 18, 2026

HCMCPC Community Update
Last evening, representatives of the Holy Cross–Marty Community Preservation Corporation (HCMCPC) met with the Vicar (canon lawyer) from the Diocese of St. Cloud and Father Erik. This was a very productive and encouraging conversation.
From a canon law perspective, we were able to gain much-needed clarity on the path forward for the potential transfer of the Holy Cross property. While the process will be detailed and take time, it is both necessary and achievable. We ask for your continued patience as we move through each step carefully and thoughtfully.
We are grateful to share that the Diocese has expressed a sincere willingness to work with us in good faith to help meet our shared goals. Importantly, our desire to preserve the church as a sacred space was well received. This would be accompanied by reasonable conditions, appropriate oversight, and a defined timeframe for periodic review by the Diocese.
In a separate but equally important update, the ballots regarding the future direction of the Holy Cross School Endowment have been counted. We are pleased to report that there was overwhelming support to transfer control of the endowment to the HCMCPC. There may be additional steps required from a canon law perspective to complete this process as well.
This is a significant step forward for our community and reinforces the strong community support behind our shared vision.
Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and engagement.