Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, United States. Its principal see is in Saint Paul, while the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis serves as its co-cathedral. The archdiocese provides pastoral, liturgical, educational, charitable and administrative services to Catholic parishes and institutions in the Twin Cities area and surrounding parts of east-central Minnesota. The jurisdiction traces its local Catholic history to the missionary activity that followed European exploration and settlement in the upper Mississippi region. A small Catholic chapel associated with missionary Lucien Galtier was established near the Mississippi River in 1841. Galtier named the settlement Saint Paul, linking it symbolically with Saint Peter and helping give the future city its name. Before a local diocese existed, the region was administered successively through wider jurisdictions, including the dioceses of Saint Louis and Dubuque. Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Saint Paul in 1850, taking territory from the Diocese of Dubuque. The original diocese covered the Minnesota Territory, including areas that later became North Dakota and South Dakota. Joseph Crétin became its first bishop. During the nineteenth century, Catholic immigration from Ireland, Germany, Bohemia and Poland drove rapid growth, while religious communities established schools, hospitals, orphanages and care for older people. The jurisdiction was elevated to an archdiocese in 1888 under Archbishop John Ireland. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it developed major educational and clerical institutions, including Saint Paul Seminary and institutions that later became associated with the University of St. Thomas. The Cathedral of Saint Paul was rebuilt in monumental form during Ireland’s tenure and dedicated in 1915. In 1966, the Holy See changed the name to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and designated the Basilica of Saint Mary as co-cathedral, reflecting the ecclesiastical importance of both Twin Cities. The archdiocese operates and supports parish communities, schools, seminaries and social ministries. Saint John Vianney College Seminary and Saint Paul Seminary are located on the University of St. Thomas campus. The former Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary, which operated from 1923 to 1971, was replaced in part by newer approaches to priestly formation as seminary enrollment and educational models changed. In the twenty-first century, the archdiocese faced serious institutional and legal consequences arising from clergy sexual-abuse cases and criticism of its handling of allegations. The resignation of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piché was accepted by Pope Francis in 2015. The archdiocese subsequently entered into a civil settlement framework, filed for bankruptcy reorganization in 2018 and reached a court-approved settlement intended to compensate abuse survivors. Archbishop Bernard Hebda, installed in 2016, has overseen continuing restructuring, safeguarding work and a synodal process. The archdiocesan synod culminated in a synodal assembly in 2022.

Catholic activity in the Minnesota region predates the creation of the local diocese. In 1680, the explorer Louis Hennepin recorded the waterfall later known as Saint Anthony Falls. A Catholic chapel dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel was established at Fort Beauharnois in 1727, during the period of French control. After the Louisiana Purchase, the region came under the jurisdiction of the United States and was administered by distant ecclesiastical authorities. The Diocese of Dubuque received jurisdiction over the Wisconsin Territory, including Minnesota, in 1837. Bishop Mathias Loras visited the area in 1839 and sent the missionary Lucien Galtier the following year. Galtier built a log chapel in 1841 near the Mississippi River and named it Saint Paul. The settlement around the chapel eventually became the city of Saint Paul. Pope Pius IX created the Diocese of Saint Paul on July 19, 1850, assigning it the entire Minnesota Territory and appointing Joseph Crétin as its first bishop. Crétin faced a small but rapidly expanding Catholic population. Irish and German immigration increased the number of parishioners, while later arrivals included Catholics from Bohemia and Poland. He built schools, recruited clergy and religious communities, and began a succession of cathedral projects as the original structures became inadequate. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet arrived in 1851 and opened a girls’ school, while a boys’ school was also established. Thomas Grace succeeded Crétin in 1859 and continued the institutional growth of the diocese, including hospitals, orphanages and care facilities. John Ireland became bishop in 1884 and was elevated with the jurisdiction when Pope Leo XIII created the Archdiocese of Saint Paul in 1888. Ireland promoted a strongly Americanized Catholic model, favoring the use of English and integration into American civic life rather than the continuation of separate ethnic institutions. This position generated controversy within the wider American hierarchy and among immigrant communities. During his tenure, the College of Saint Thomas, Saint Paul Seminary and Saint Thomas Academy were established or developed, and the Basilica of Saint Mary was constructed in Minneapolis. A new Cathedral of Saint Paul was begun in 1907 and dedicated in 1915. The archdiocese continued expanding its educational and pastoral infrastructure under Austin Dowling and John Gregory Murray. In 1941, it hosted the Ninth National Eucharistic Congress, whose programs drew large crowds across the Twin Cities. Territorial changes reduced its geographical extent: the Diocese of Winona was created in 1889, and the Diocese of New Ulm was created in 1957. In 1966, the Holy See renamed the jurisdiction the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and made the Basilica of Saint Mary a co-cathedral. The postwar and postconciliar period brought institutional change. Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary, operated from 1923, closed in 1971 as seminary enrollment and educational arrangements changed. Saint John Vianney College Seminary, founded in 1968, became part of the archdiocese’s contemporary formation system alongside Saint Paul Seminary. Leadership passed through Leo Binz, John Roach, Harry Flynn and John Nienstedt before Bernard Hebda became archbishop in 2016. The modern archdiocese has been deeply affected by clergy sexual-abuse cases and allegations that officials failed to respond adequately to reports. The Curtis Wehmeyer case, public reporting about the handling of allegations, and subsequent legal proceedings produced intense scrutiny. Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piché resigned in 2015. Bernard Hebda first served as apostolic administrator and was installed as archbishop in May 2016. The archdiocese reached agreements concerning abuse-prevention procedures, agreed in 2018 to a large survivor-compensation settlement, and filed for bankruptcy reorganization to manage the claims. Hebda later initiated an archdiocesan synod, which culminated in a 2022 assembly. The archdiocese continues to operate as a metropolitan Catholic jurisdiction centered on parish life, worship, education, formation and charitable ministry.

• 2022

  Archdiocesan synodal assembly

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  A synod initiated under Archbishop Hebda culminates in a diocesan assembly.

• 2018

  Bankruptcy reorganization follows abuse settlement

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  The archdiocese files for bankruptcy reorganization while addressing a major settlement with survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

• 2016

  Bernard Hebda is installed as archbishop

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  After serving as apostolic administrator, Bernard Hebda is named archbishop and installed at the Cathedral of Saint Paul.

• 2015

  Senior leaders resign amid abuse crisis

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  Pope Francis accepts the resignations of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piché.

• 1966

  Minneapolis is added to the archdiocesan name

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  The jurisdiction is renamed the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and the Basilica of Saint Mary becomes its co-cathedral.

• 1941

  Ninth National Eucharistic Congress

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  The archdiocese hosts a national Eucharistic congress with events throughout the Twin Cities and a large closing procession.

• 1915

  Cathedral of Saint Paul is dedicated

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  The present Cathedral of Saint Paul is dedicated after construction initiated during John Ireland’s archiepiscopate.

• 1888

  The diocese becomes an archdiocese

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  Pope Leo XIII elevates Saint Paul to an archdiocese under Archbishop John Ireland.

• 1850

  Diocese of Saint Paul is erected

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  Pope Pius IX creates the Diocese of Saint Paul and appoints Joseph Crétin as its first bishop.

• 1841

  Lucien Galtier establishes a chapel at Saint Paul

  [1]Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org

  Missionary priest Lucien Galtier builds a log chapel near the Mississippi River and names it Saint Paul, helping establish the ecclesial and civic identity of the future city.

A regional Catholic ecclesiastical institution serving parish life, worship, education, clergy formation and charitable ministry in Minnesota, with Saint Paul as its metropolitan see and Minneapolis as its co-cathedral city.

• Cathedral · 1915

  Cathedral of Saint Paul

  The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the mother church and principal cathedral of the archdiocese. The current monumental building was begun in 1907 during the administration of Archbishop John Ireland and dedicated in 1915. It serves as the archbishop’s principal liturgical and ceremonial church in Saint Paul.

• Co-cathedral and basilica · 1966

  Basilica of Saint Mary

  The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis is the archdiocese’s co-cathedral. Its designation as co-cathedral in 1966 formalized the ecclesiastical relationship between Minneapolis and Saint Paul and recognized the importance of both cities within the metropolitan jurisdiction.

• Seminary · 1885

  Saint Paul Seminary

  Saint Paul Seminary is a principal center for priestly formation associated with the archdiocese and located on the University of St. Thomas campus. It supports academic, spiritual and pastoral preparation for seminarians and other church leaders.

• College seminary · 1968

  Saint John Vianney College Seminary

  Saint John Vianney College Seminary provides college-level formation for men discerning a vocation to the Catholic priesthood. Founded in 1968, it became an important successor to earlier preparatory-seminary arrangements and is located at the University of St. Thomas.

• Preparatory seminary · 1923

  Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary

  Nazareth Hall was the archdiocese’s high-school-level preparatory seminary. It operated for much of the twentieth century before closing in 1971 as patterns of seminary recruitment and formation changed.

• 2015

  Leadership resignations amid abuse crisis

  Pope Francis accepted the resignations of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piché amid the continuing abuse crisis and institutional scrutiny.

  Source

• 2013

  Questions over handling of abuse allegations

  Media reporting raised allegations that senior archdiocesan officials knew about and failed to properly address an earlier abuse allegation, intensifying criticism of institutional responses.

  Source

• 2012

  Curtis Wehmeyer abuse case

  Curtis Wehmeyer pleaded guilty to numerous charges involving sexual abuse and child pornography. The case became part of wider scrutiny of archdiocesan safeguarding and personnel practices.

  Source

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• 2019Archdiocesan Synod

  Minnesota, United States

  Archbishop Bernard Hebda announced a synodal process intended to consult clergy and lay Catholics about the pastoral direction of the archdiocese. The process continued through formal convocation and a synodal assembly.

  Outcome. The process culminated in a synodal assembly in June 2022.

  Source

• 2019

  Launch of an archdiocesan synodStrategy

  Background

  Archbishop Bernard Hebda sought a structured process for listening, discernment and pastoral planning across the archdiocese.

  Action taken

  He announced plans for an archdiocesan synod, the first in approximately eight decades.

  Aftermath

  The synod was formally convoked and concluded with a synodal assembly in 2022.

  Source

• 2018

  Bankruptcy reorganization connected to abuse claimsOther

  Background

  The archdiocese faced substantial claims by survivors of clergy sexual abuse after negotiating a civil settlement.

  Action taken

  It filed for bankruptcy reorganization to address settlement obligations and other claims.

  Aftermath

  The proceeding became one of the largest Catholic bankruptcy cases in the United States and formed part of the archdiocese’s broader response to the abuse crisis.

  Source

• 2015

  Appointment of an apostolic administratorOther

  Background

  The resignations of Archbishop John Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piché left the archdiocese requiring interim leadership.

  Action taken

  Pope Francis appointed Bernard Hebda as apostolic administrator pending the appointment of a permanent archbishop.

  Aftermath

  Hebda was named archbishop in 2016 and installed on May 13 of that year.

  Source

• 2010

  Parish restructuring planStrategy

  Background

  The archdiocese reviewed its parish network and pastoral resources amid changing demographic and institutional conditions.

  Action taken

  It announced a plan to merge 21 parishes into 14 neighboring parishes, followed by additional mergers.

  Aftermath

  The number of parishes declined from 213 in October 2010 to 188 in July 2013.

  Source

1. 1Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official website of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolisarchspm.org