Church in Minnesota, United States
| Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church | |
| 44°59′12.3″N 93°15′27.1″W / 44.986750°N 93.257528°W / 44.986750; -93.257528 | |
| Location | One Lourdes Place Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Previous denomination | Universalist |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | First Universalist Church |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | NRHP |
| Architect(s) | Carl F. Struck (parsonage) |
| Architectural type | Greek Revival; French Provincial; Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1854–1857 |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor(s) | Fr John M. Bauer |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church | |
| U.S. Historic district Contributing property | |
| Part of | St. Anthony Falls Historic District (ID71000438) |
| Added to NRHP | March 11, 1971 |
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish church of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis located in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. It was built on the east bank of the Mississippi River in today's Nicollet Island/East Bank neighborhood; it is the oldest continuously used church building in the city and is part of the St. Anthony Falls Historic District.
History
The oldest church building in Minneapolis, Our Lady of Lourdes has been in continuous use since the mid-19th century. The First Universalist Society of St. Anthony erected the building in Greek Revival style as a meeting hall between 1854 and 1857 as the First Universalist Church where they worshipped until 1877. A congregation of Catholic French Canadians acquired the church in 1877 and named it in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary who had recently appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in France as Our Lady of Lourdes. One of many churches throughout the world named for the appearances in Lourdes, Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis was the first in the U.S. with this name. The Catholic parish made significant additions to the building between 1880 and 1883, adding a transept, apse and front bell tower with three steeples; a front vestibule was added in 1914.
Near the birthplace of Minneapolis, the church stands near the Pillsbury "A" Mill and the only natural waterfall on the Mississippi River. The building is not listed as a National Historic Landmark but it is the subject of Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) drawings and photographs created in 1934.
The parish school spoke French until about 1917 when the congregation dwindled and by 1945 the priests gave sermons only in English. The church survived extinction when the Minneapolis City Council persuaded bishops of the diocese to stop plans to close and board it up in 1968. Our Lady of Lourdes is now one of 85 contributing properties of the St. Anthony Falls Historic District which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Architecture
The architecture is an unusual combination of architectural styles. The Universalists constructed the original building of limestone quarried at nearby Nicollet Island in Greek Revival style based on a Greek temple (shown below at left). Their design was 3,000 square feet (280 m) and built at a cost of $15,000. In the 1880s, the Catholic congregation added a V-frame beam truss, the steeple, the transept, bell tower, sacristy and vestibule in French Provincial and Gothic Revival style. The design for the circular nave comes from the Chapel Royale at Versailles.
Today
The church teaches Catholic beliefs, the morality and model for conduct taught by Jesus, the sacraments and prayer. Members believe in caring for the ill and those who are physically unable to attend services. The parish offers classes called faith formation for all ages.
To support the continuing restoration of their church, the congregation produces and sells French Canadian tourtières, a savory meat pie. Parishioners have protected the stained glass, building exterior, and the Blessed Virgin's grotto above the front entrance, and have restored the interior, renovated the rectory and added carillon bells. Guided tours are offered by appointment. The address was at one time Prince Street and is now called Lourdes Place.
Gallery
-
The inside of the church in 2015
-
Drawing made for the 1934 HABS
Notes
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. "Parishes". Archived from the original on February 2, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
- ^ Millett, Larry (2007). AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: The Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-87351-540-5.
- ^ Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (n.d.). "History". Archived from the original on February 6, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
- Historic American Buildings Survey (1934). "Survey number HABS MN-29-10". Retrieved April 2, 2007.
- Minnesota Historical Society (2001). "First Universalist Church/Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church". Retrieved March 30, 2007.
- Emporis (2007). "Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
- ^ "Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church". Yahoo! Travel. 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
- Faith Formation Archived 2007-04-16 at the Wayback Machine, and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (n.d.). "Pastoral Ministry". Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
- Information Archived 2007-04-19 at the Wayback Machine, and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (n.d.). "Pastoral Ministry". Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
External links
- Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
- Minneapolis Public Library (2001). "A History of Minneapolis: Religion". Archived from the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
- Roman Catholic churches completed in 1857
- 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
- Roman Catholic churches in Minneapolis
- French-Canadian culture in Minnesota
- Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
- Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
- Historic district contributing properties in Minnesota
- National Register of Historic Places in Minneapolis
- 1877 establishments in Minnesota