The first Catholic mass for the Immaculate Conception parish was celebrated Saturday, Dec. 8, 1923, in an unused dance hall at the old Forest Park amusement grounds on 40th Avenue and 7th Street NE in Columbia Heights. One hundred years later to the day, the church held a centennial celebration for members of the parish, alumni of Immaculate Conception school, and friends and neighbors.
Among the more than 170 guests were Columbia Heights Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula and her husband Frost Simula, Heights City Council member Kt Jacobs and former Immaculate Conception school principal Sister Clarinda Coffel.
Before the evening’s guests entered the church, they passed through a path lined with 120 flickering luminaria, donated by parishioners in honor of a special event or in memory of a family member. Next to the sign-in table was a memorial quilt made by a committee of parishioners who met weekly to design a lasting memento. Each Immaculate Conception ministry was asked to contribute one quilt block. The center panels included photographs of the original church’s stained-glass windows, which now hang in the narthex as a tribute to the original church structure.
After a champagne reception and buffet dinner in Fellowship Hall, Immaculate Conception’s pastor, Father Matthew Quail, began the presentation with a prayer, saying,“You make good stewards of the ministries and facilities of this parish. May we respond to our parish with faith and generosity to shatter the darkness and make this campus a sanctuary for your kingdom.” He asked the audience to join in a toast, “To one hundred years of faith fellowship here and beyond this block in Columbia Heights.”
Faith Formation Director Mary Nawrocki spoke about the church’s early years: Four men would meet in a streetcar in Columbia Heights on their way to mass, each to a different church because of their nationalities. In time, they approached the St. Paul Archdiocese about the possibility of having a Catholic church in the Heights. Eventually, services were moved from the dance hall to a movie theater on the Forest Park grounds.
After a few years and a green light from the Archdiocese, 14 lots were purchased, and construction began in the spring of 1924; by summer, Masses were celebrated in the basement of the unfinished church. On Dec. 8, 1924, Immaculate Conception’s new home at 40th Ave. NE and Van Buren Street was dedicated by Archbishop Dowling.
As the parish grew, a school was clearly needed, and construction began in 1939. Sister Clarinda, who as a child was part of the first class in the new school, later became a nun. In 1976, she returned to the school and was appointed its principal. At the evening’s event, she recalled her eight years as a student, adding, “God seeded this place and He let it grow and continue to grow as it does today.”
By 1955, the parish’s need for a newer, larger home had become apparent, and two years of fundraising resulted in a November 1957 groundbreaking for the church building that stands today (the original church building serves as the school’s lunchroom and gymnasium).
Susan Ashmore, the church’s communications coordinator, said Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and School serves “as a beacon of faith, love and philanthropy … in Columbia Heights,” and noted that descendants of the original four founding families still worship at the church today. She added, “The community is grateful for our past and look forward to the next century with great anticipation. We have a growing and thriving Latino community and welcome anyone to join us in drawing closer to Christ and His mother Mary, for whom we are named.”
Following a slideshow on the history of the parish, many of the guests attended a Solemnity Mass, celebrated by Bishop Joseph Williams.
Bishop Joseph Williams, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, with Alexander Marquette, Seminarian behind.
Father Matthew Quail chatted during the reception.
Faith Formation Director Mary Nawrocki and Sister Clarinda Coffel shared the stage.