History of Church of St. Benedict
1928
The first white settlers, Nicholas and John Keppers arrived in 1858, they purchased land and soon others began to settle in the area as well. They wrote to the Benedictine Abbey in what is now Collegeville, MN to see if they would send someone to serve in their area. This is one of the 25 parishes that was run by the Benedictines in the St. Cloud Diocese.
The Church of St. Benedict's original name was Immaculate Conception, but it was later changed to St. Benedict in honor of its first priest Father Benedict Haindl. The first church was built in 1878, the structure that now sits in Avon, MN was built in 1928. During this time the basement was also added to the structure. Currently the basement serves for a multipurpose area. The funeral lunches, faith formation of all ages, and part of the festival use this area.
