Recent closings and mergers of Catholic churches throughout the archdiocese have hit Northeast Minneapolis hard. They have also raised awareness of and interest in the heritage of those and other churches in Northeast Minneapolis, some of which are not well known outside the neighborhood and the ethnic communities they have served so long. In Fall 1998 historians Genny Zak Kieley, with assistance from Nancy Doerfler. wrote a great article entitled “A Church on Every Corner” published in Hennepin History, publication of the Hennepin County Museum. A quote from that article describes the essence of the piece “From a tracing of the history of the churches emerges the soul of Northeast Minneapolis.”
The churches included in the article include St. Anthony of Padua, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Boniface Catholic Church, Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Elim Swedish Baptist Church, Holy Cross Catholic Church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Cyril’s Catholic Church, St Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral, St John the Baptist Church , St. Constantine Byzantine Rite Church, St. Maron’s Marinite CatholicChurch
The journal is not available online, but anyone interested in obtaining a back issue of Hennepin History may contact the Hennepin Museum directly at museum.info@hennepinhistory.org or find the original Fall 1998 issue of the journal at the library. It’s a great and unique reflection of an historic community – which really does have a church on nearly every corner. You might want to follow up with a walking tour – or follow the fabulous bazaars and other events these churches sponsor on a regular basis.
Poking Around with Mary 