Northeast, Minneapolis - Religion

Religion

Northeast Minneapolis also became known for its large number of churches, including Minneapolis' first church, Our Lady of Lourdes Church built on land donated by Pierre Bottineau and founded in 1849 as the First Universalist Society. Four of Minneapolis' five historical Polish churches are in Northeast: Holy Cross, All Saints, St. Hedwig, and Sacred Heart of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church. Holy Cross has a thriving Polish ministry staffed by the Society of Christ and continues to have Mass in Polish. A significant number of Polish Americans also belong to St. Anthony of Padua, as well as those of Irish descent. The Italian community is associated with Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Clement. The Slovak community and a growing Latino community are associated with Ss. Cyril & Methodius. Other ethnic Catholic churches include St. Maron (Lebanese), St. John's Byzantine Rite (Rusyn), St. Constantine's (Ukrainian), and St. Boniface (German).

In mid October 2010, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis announced a Strategic Plan which would merge Holy Cross, St. Hedwig and St. Clement into St. Anthony of Padua. This decision has met with significant opposition, with a number of appeals being sent to Archbishop John C. Nienstedt. One appeal, organized by the Polish Committee at Holy Cross, was signed by over 400 people. As a result, Archbishop Nienstedt issued a new decree on November 15, 2010, which extended the deadline for the merger to be enacted until July 2013, emphasized that Mass in Polish will continue in the merged parish, and ordered that after the merger that St. Anthony change its name to Holy Cross. Parishioners from St. Hedwig and Holy Cross appealed this second decree, requesting that their parishes be left out of the merger. Approximately 800 people signed this second appeal. In a December 27, 2010, letter, Archbishop Nienstedt rejected this appeal. As a result, Holy Cross parishioners organized an appeal to the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy. Over 1,000 people signed this appeal. In January 2011, the Congregation accepted the appeal for consideration. In late July, the Congregation found that Archbishop Nienstedt's decree did not violate canon law. This decision was appealed to the Apostolic Signature, where the case is ongoing.

The Polish-American media, notably the Polish American Journal and Kurier Polski of Minnesota, have covered the opposition to the Holy Cross merger extensively. Minnesota media also reported on an August 6, 2011, public rally against the merger of parishes in front of the St. Paul Cathedral. Approximately 75 people participated in the rally, most were Holy Cross supporters, while some were from St. Austin Parish in North Minneapolis (which is set to be absorbed by St. Bridget Parish on January 1, 2012). This rally was the largest public expression of opposition to the Archdiocese's Strategic Plan. The Northeaster newspaper printed an editorial critical of the Holy Cross merger on August 10, 2011. Leaflets against the merger have been distributed in Northeast on at least two occasions.

Northeast was also the site of significant developments in the history of the Orthodox Church in the United States. It was here that St. Alexis Toth founded the first Orthodox seminary in the United States at St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral. St. Alexis had been an Eastern Rite (Ruthenian) Catholic priest, who after a confrontation with the Roman Catholic Archbishop of St. Paul, John Ireland, converted to the Russian Orthodox Church. St. Alexis is responsible for the conversion of approximately 20,000 Eastern Rite Catholics to Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Church in America canonized St. Alexis in 1994. To date, the Vatican has made no similar move in Bishop Ireland's case. Presently, there are two Orthodox churches in Northeast: St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral (associated with St. Alexis) and St. Michael and St. George Ukrainian Orthodox Church.