Be the Cyrenian I: Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis, MN

By Nicholas Alexander Trandem, M.J.C.

Note: This post is a part of the Marching Orders project.

The purpose of the "Be the Cyrenian" section of Marching Orders is to present some concrete examples of projects for which Trads can roll up their sleeves, open their wallets, and materially help in the work of the Restoration.

Being a Minneapolis native, I couldn't help choosing Our Lady of Lourdes as the first project to highlight in "Be the Cyrenian." I know several of the guys involved in the restoration effort, and I know how much they need more people to lend their time, talent and/or treasure (man, did I just use that phrase? Someone must have slipped an evangelickey into my drink...).

This was the first Church in the United States to be dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. Built in 1854-7 by the First Universalist Society, it was bought by Minneapolis' Catholic French Canadian community in 1877. They renovated the structure, which had originally been built in a Greek temple style (silly Universalists!), in the style of a Quebecois-French Provincial church with a mansard-style transept, a bell tower, sacristy, stained-glass windows, and a vestibule with steps. It was designated a U.S. historic landmark in 1934, but it narrowly avoided being closed in 1968 (oh Vatican II, is there nothing good you don't try to destroy? But I digress...). Now the parish is contemplating a restoration project. Now, this being Minneapolis, the city that gave us such stellar examples of Episcopal dignity as Bishop James "I love sex more than God" Shannon and Archbishop John Roach the Ever-So-Appropriately-Named, there are suggestions that the restoration be more of a wrekovation, complete with the requisite oh-so-popular-with-the-aging-hippie-crowd theater in the round makeover. Fortunately, a group of parishioners and other sane Minneapolitans are pushing for a true restoration to the 1930 floor plan (click the pic at right to go to the floor plan, but be warned, it's a big image and may be slow to load) and are also pushing to have the "Extraordinary Form" said there, as provided for in the Motu Proprio. The Archdiocese has had a regular (nee Indult) TLM since 1988 at St. Augustine in South St. Paul, but that's quite a bit out of the way for Minneapolis residents (speaking as one who used to make that drive), not to mention residents of the Western suburbs.

Some quotes from their emails:

In every community meeting about the interior restoration, the 1930 floor plan was continually referred to. One father with children in hand was wondering if the altar rail was still available, similarly at another meeting the leader committed to getting the seating capacity numbers for the 1930 floor plan.

We are meeting with two very simple aims which have merits that would be of cultural and religious interest chiefly to a broad spectrum of people who will benefit from this church in the coming years:

1. Having the Mass said according to the 1962 Missal


2. Restoring its interior on a 1930's floor plan which could provide the proper setting for the Immemorial Mass of Ages, and conveniently, the way that people, not only the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes, but the people residing in the St. Paul Archdiocese, whether or not they happen to be Catholics, think a Catholic Church ought to look.

The reasons we have chosen this particular church [for trying to get a TLM in Minneapolis] are fourfold:

1. The location close to downtown in a historic neighborhood. It is also close to the University and the uniqueness of the building combined with the solemnity of the Traditional Mass could bring young people to take new stock of this ancient Faith.


2. The time of the 150Th Anniversary of the Apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes, the patroness of the Parish.


3. The need for such a parish in Minneapolis, which currently has no such parish offering the Immemorial Rite of the Mass. We currently have 34 signatures. [as of April 15th]


4. The cultural legacy of this Parish and its connection to France would make this restoration project something all people of the State of Minnesota could take some edification and joy at seeing the old grotto put back and to enter a shrine that really looks like a Catholic church, to hear the glorious music of the Gregorian Chant and perhaps the repertoire of Charles Gounod.

I urge all our readers, especially those with ties to Minnesota, to contact Mr. Cyril Koob and offer support and help!

Posted on the Feast of St. Boniface the Apostle of Germany, a.D. MMVIII.