Holy Family Maronite Church (Eastern Catholic). 204 East Robie St. (cor Ada and East Robie).
Accounts of the formation of this congregation and its early years differ somewhat. The 1936 WPA report says that “a group of Syrians, formerly attending St. Michael’s banded together and organized this parish, calling a Syrian priest to serve them.” They organized a parish and bought Holy Trinity Lutheran in 1916. Archbishop John Ireland dedicated the church to the Maronites in 1916. (WPA report)
The Reverend Richard Berg, however, states that St. Michael's pastor, Father Patrick O’Neill, “encouraged the arrangement of a Mass station situation for the Lebanese. The priest would come from St. Maron’s in Minneapolis every Saturday night and say an early Mass in the Maronite [sic] rite for the Lebanese in the basement chapel of St. Michael’s church” (Berg, 24). Fr. Paul Rizk fulfilled this duty form 1913-1916 and Fr. Emanual Al-Ksouri did so until 1917. Berg indicates that the group bought “a small and dilapidated Protestant church, for $1,800 in 1917.
A third account appears on the website of The Holy Family Maronite Church. That account indicates that Lebanese Maronites in St. Paul attended St. Michael’s Church for about 15 years and [later?] met in the homes of the organizers before their church was built. The website further indicates that the Maronite group bought Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at the corner of Ada and East Robie for $2,250 (website) in 1918. They remodeled and redecorated it for their services.
Despite the disparity in the details, the connection to St. Michael’s and the purchase of the former Lutheran church remain consistent across all accounts.
According to the WPA report, the language used during services was Arabic while the Mass was in Syriac. This practice continued at least through 1936 when the WPA report was produced although it did mention the inclusion of English, “for the benefit of the younger people.”
The congregation broke ground in 1950 for a new church at 203 East Robie. They built the rectory in 1958.
The congregation has (seemingly) recently moved to 1960 Lexington Ave. S, Mendota Heights, MN 55118.
- Berg, Richard. The History of St. Michael’s Parish, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1866-1966. St. Paul, Minn.: St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, 1966. WPA report. Jacob Engelmann, author. February 27, 1936 (MNHS) Holy Family Maronite Church. Website. http://www.holyfamilymaronitechurch.org/mn/. Accessed January 23, 2015.