About Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota:
The Catholic history of Minneapolis-Saint Paul (often called the Twin Cities), begins with French exploration in the late 17th century. In 1680, Belgian Franciscan Louis Hennepin discovered a large waterfall here (today located at the northeastern edge of downtown Minneapolis) that was the only natural major waterfall on the Mississippi River and named it Saint Anthony Falls after Saint Anthony of Padua, marking the first recorded Catholic presence in the region.
After U.S. gained control via the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the region fell under the Diocese of Saint Louis (1826) and later the Diocese of Dubuque (1837), which included the Wisconsin Territory encompassing Minnesota. Missionary activity intensified in the 1830s–1840s. Bishop Mathias Loras of Dubuque visited Fort Snelling in 1839 and dispatched Father Lucien Galtier in 1840.
Father Galtier constructed a log chapel on the Mississippi’s east bank near a steamboat landing, dedicating it to Saint Paul to serve Catholic settlers from the Red River Colony. This site evolved into the village of Saint Paul’s Landing, later Saint Paul. The chapel became the pro-cathedral, and the first Mass there was celebrated in 1841.
Early immigrant waves—Irish, German, Bohemian, and Polish—settled along the Mississippi, St. Croix, and Minnesota Rivers, prompting the need for formal organization.
On July 19, 1850, Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Saint Paul, carving it from the Diocese of Dubuque. It initially spanned the entire Minnesota Territory, plus present-day North and South Dakota. Fr. Joseph Crétin, a French missionary, was appointed the first bishop (1850–1857), with the log chapel as the inaugural cathedral. Crétin focused on infrastructure: he built a frame church in 1853 (the second cathedral, completed 1858) and recruited the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1851, who opened schools in St. Paul and St. Anthony Falls.
The diocese grew rapidly with immigration; by the 1850s, St. Paul’s single Catholic parish split into French, German, and Irish factions, each holding services in their native languages.
Pope Leo XIII elevated the Diocese of Saint Paul to archdiocese on May 4, 1888, with John Ireland (1884–1918) as the first archbishop. Ireland championed “Americanization,” founding the College of St. Thomas (now University of St. Thomas), St. Paul Seminary (1894), and St. Thomas Academy. He spearheaded construction of the Cathedral of Saint Paul (third iteration, 1907–1915, designed by Emmanuel Masqueray) atop Summit Avenue, dedicated in 1915, and the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis (1907–1915, also by Masqueray) as a pro-cathedral.
The Basilica, dedicated on August 15, 1915, became the U.S.’s first minor basilica in 1926 under Pope Pius XI and was added as co-cathedral in 1966, fulfilling Ireland’s vision for balanced representation in the Twin Cities. The 1889 creation of the Diocese of Winona split southern territory. Subsequent archbishops drove progress: Austin Dowling (1919–1930) founded Nazareth Hall Seminary (1923) and the Ireland Education Fund; John Gregory Murray (1931–1956) hosted the Ninth National Eucharistic Congress in 1941, drawing 80,000 for a Mississippi River procession.
As fallout from the sex abuse scandals of the late 20th century, Archbishop Bernard Hebda (installed in 2016), oversaw a $210 million settlement in 2018 with 450 victims—the largest U.S. archdiocesan bankruptcy payout—and child protection agreements. The 2021–2022 synod, the first in 80 years, produced the 2022 pastoral letter ”
Today, the archdiocese serves approximately 870,000 Catholics (26% of 3.3 million residents) across 12 counties, with 340 diocesan priests, two seminaries, and 95 schools enrolling over 31,000 students.
Catholic places of interest in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota
Basilica of Saint Mary (Minneapolis)
Church of Saint Agnes (Minneapolis): Traditional Latin Mass.
University of Saint Thomas: Catholic university.
Traveling to Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota
By air: Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is served by several major airlines, with a few international destinations such as Toronto and Dublin. The two cities are connected by the Metro Transit light rail, making it easy to travel between them and access downtown areas from the airport.
By train: Amtrak has train service to Minneapolis-Saint Paul via the train called The Empire Builder, which runs between Chicago and the West Coast, making stops in Minnesota, including St. Paul/Minneapolis, St. Cloud, Staples, and Detroit Lakes. The Amtrak station is located in Saint Paul at the Union Depot.