Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was founded in 1952, combining two parishes, St. Thomas and St. Joseph, whose history goes back 150 years.
Saint Casimir parish was opened on Christmas Day 1905. The people who founded Saint Casimir were previously members of Saint Stanislaus Kostka, a Polish language parish established in Winona on April 2, 1871, and located at the corner of Carimona and East Fourth Street. Early in 1905, Saint Stanislaus started a drive for funds to construct a new and larger school building. At this time there was a feeling among the people of Polish origin in the west end of the city that they should have a church and school of their own rather than contribute to a new building in the east end. Several meetings were held in Albert Wieczorek’s woodworking shop at 514 West Fourth Street. These meetings resulted in organizing a group of about seventy prospective members of a new parish. Three possible building sites were selected, and three men were delegated to call on the Most Reverend Joseph B. Cotter, Bishop of Winona, to seek his approval and advice. The three men so delegated on this committee were Mr. Albert Wieczorek, a cabinet maker, Mr. Frank Jaszewski, a city policeman, and Mr. Frank Zabrocki, a wagon maker. Mr. Zabrocki stated that the only reason he and the other two men were chosen to call on the Bishop was because the group thought that the three of them had the best ability in speaking the English language. These men called on Bishop Cotter in March of 1905 and were received with favorable consideration. The Bishop told them that their plan looked very good to him and that he thought there should have been a Catholic Church and school in the west end of Winona long before this.
In regard to location, the men described their three choices: one at the corner of West Fourth and Olmstead Streets, another on West Fifth Street near Ewing Street, and the third at West Broadway and Ewing Street. The Bishop stated that he liked the location farthest south and on the sunny side of the street. This location was selected and is the present site of St. Casimir’s. The location of Saint Casimir, at the corner of West Broadway and Ewing Street, is the nearest to the original location of the first Catholic church in Winona, the original Saint Thomas, which was built in 1857 on Dakota Street between West Mark and West Belleview Streets. Three other Catholic churches were founded at locations east of Center Street, but none were established west of Center Street in Winona until Saint Casimir in 1905.
The Bishop also told the committee that before they should proceed any further with their plans for their new parish he would speak to their pastor, the Rev. James W. J. Pacholski. The Bishop spoke to Father Pacholski immediately. From the pulpit of St. Stanislaus Church the following Sunday, Father Pacholski announced that he had been informed that some of the west end members wanted to build a church and school of their own in the west end. He mentioned that he doubted their ability to do so, and, speaking in Polish, he said, “Just because they have cooked up a kettle of soup out there in the west end, they think we are going to eat it.” Father Pacholski was highly respected and dearly loved by the Polish people of Winona in the west end, as well as in the east end. If he had said he was opposed to building Saint Casimir’s, he would have had a good reason for it and the committee and program would have been willingly dissolved. If he had said directly that he was in favor of building Saint Casimir’s, he would have found himself with the entire burden of all the details and fundraising involved. However, his speech about the “kettle of soup” was given in such a manner that it was a challenge to the people of the west end. It worked to bring about an apologetic, unified appeal from the people of the west end for assistance from him in establishing a church and school that would be more convenient for them. In a very short time, Father Pacholski recognized the sincerity and unity of his parishioners in the west end to the extent that he assumed the responsibilities as pastor of Saint Casimir for their building project, which was to construct a combination church and school building. This was an additional burden for the priest who had his duties as pastor of the large Saint Stanislaus parish, where he was also in the midst of a new building program.
In acquiring the property for St. Casimir, John Newman, Jr. had been delegated by a committee to make the purchase of the building site at West Broadway and Ewing Street, which consisted of four lots with two houses. Mr. Newman bought the four lots in March of 1905 and sold them to the church in May of the same year at a price that was fifty dollars less than his cost. Seven laymen served on the original building committee. These men were: Michael Drazkowski, Sr., Frank Kustelski, Paul Losinski, John Newman, Jr., Ignatius Szuminski, Peter Szuminski, and Albert Wieczorek.
To help the financial situation for the people of the west end, Father Pacholski withdrew west end contributions to the new Saint Stanislaus school project and transferred them to the Saint Casimir project. Property was purchased in May of 1905, the cornerstone was laid in July of 1905, the combination church and school building was completed, and Father Pacholski celebrated the first Mass in this building on Christmas Day 1905. Every year after that, when health and circumstances permitted, Father Pacholski, who later became the Right Reverend Monsignor Pacholski, returned to Saint Casimir and honored them by leading the annual Forty Hour Devotion held on the Feast of Saint Casimir (March 4).
The first Catholics, of Irish and German descent, came to Winona about 1854. As early as 1841, however, the Rt. Rev Monsignor Augustine Ravoux made the site of Winona a tarrying point on one of his journeys from Saint Paul to Prairie du Chien.
In 1856 Bishop Cretin, the first Bishop of Minnesota and the Dakotas, visited Winona and offered the first Mass of which there is record at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Urell, located on Johnson Street between Seventh and Eighth streets. At that first Mass all the Catholics of the vicinity met and the first parish of the city was organized. In 1857, the Rev. Thomas Murray was appointed to visit and attend to the wants of the new mission. Father Murray selected two lots on Dakota Street between Mark and Belleview Streets, upon which he intended to erect a two story frame building to serve as a church and temporary parochial residence. This practical design was altered and the church erected for church purposes only. It was dedicated to Saint Thomas the Apostle. The Rev. Anatole Oster, later the Vicar General, visited the struggling little mission and succeeded in 1857 in completing the church.
In July, 1858, the Rev. Michael Prendergast became the first resident Catholic pastor of Winona. Since the original site of the church was found to be too far south and west for the majority parishioners, a sixty foot frontage on Wabasha Street, near Center Street, was purchased on July 29, 1861. During the moving of the church to the center of the city, which occurred from April to June 1864, the parishioners attended the newly erected Saint Joseph's Church (1862).
On the departure of Father Pendergast early in 1864, Father Morris attended to the missions in Southeastern Minnesota until the appointment of the Rev. William Lette as the Pastor of St. Thomas church in April of that year. Father Lette had all the Catholics of the county under his charge until the month of June 1868. During his administration, the parish bought the land between the church and Center Street and the foundation of a new church dedicated to St. Thomas was laid. The Rev. Alois Plut, on succeeding him, completed the major portion of the church, whose cornerstone was placed by the Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Grace, O.P., Bishop of Saint Paul on August 28, 1870.
In June 1871, the Rev. Joseph B. Cotter, by the appointment of Bishop Grace, assumed the pastoral care of Saint Thomas parish, to which the missions at Saint Charles, Hart, Lewiston and Ridgeway were attached shortly after. He remained in charge until December 27, 1889, the date on which he was consecrated the first bishop of Winona.
During the administration of Father Cotter, much progress was made. Harassing debts were paid; the church was finally completed; additional lots on which the old convent and rectory once stood were acquired in October 1873; a new parochial school was built on Wabasha Street to the west of the church; the parish was thoroughly organized.
When Bishop Cotter was appointed the first Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (then known as the Diocese of Winona), the Rev. P. J. Gallagher was named the pastor of the parish. From this time on, the church was called Pro- Cathedral of Saint Thomas. The Rev. W. E. F. Griffin, who succeeded Father Gallagher in December 1911, remained until August 1913, when he was named the first rector of Saint Mary's College. The Rev. John P. Sherman became the pastor on October 12, 1913. On the occasion of the golden jubilee of the building of the church structure, he completely renovated the parish buildings. In the early part of 1925 the Rev. Louis D. O' Day succeeded Father Sherman. During his pastorate a new school was built and a Sisters' convent purchased at 63 East Wabasha Street. The old school and convent was demolished.
In 1924, Monsignor O' Day was succeeded by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Robert E. Jennings, who remained as pastor until April 1, 1951. He then became the pastor of Saint Mary's parish, Winona. At the same time, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph F. Hale was named the Administrator of the parish of Saint Thomas.
As the years passed, the inadequacy of St. Thomas Pro-Cathedral to meet the needs of the growing Diocese of Winona-Rochester became more and more apparent.
In 1944, a fund drive was begun to raise money for the construction of a new cathedral for the diocese. As the fund drive neared completion, discussion began for the merger of St. Thomas and St. Joseph parishes to form the Cathedral parish. On June 15, 1950 the Vatican granted a petition to unite the parishes, only four blocks apart, but long separated by language and nationality.
At the time of its' union with the parish of Saint Joseph to form the parish of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the parish of Saint Thomas numbered on its' rolls about six hundred households or approximately twenty-four hundred souls. The members of the parish corporation at the time of the union were following: the Most Reverend Edward A. Fitzgeral, D. D., President; the Rt. Rev. Joseph F. Hale, V. G., Vice-president; Mr. Joseph, Secretary; Mr. Leo P. Curran, Treasurer.
The following are the priests who served as assistants in the parish of Saint Thomas; Rv. James Durward; Rev. John J. Sullivan; Rev. Joseph Mattson; Rev. John Cummiskey; Rev. Joseph Mangan; Rev. Daniel J. Lavery; Rev. Michael E. O' Connor; Rev. H. Sherlock; Rev. Francis T. English; Rev. A Dittman; Rev. John A. Parkinson; Rev. Humphrey F. Collins; Rev. John B. Gregoire; Rev. James Donovan; Rev. J. E. Scullen; Rev. Leo M. Devlin; Rev. D. A. Cunningham; Rev. R. E. Jennings; Rev. Paul H. Hodapp; Rev. Joseph E. Davy; Rev. Hilary L. McNallan; Rev. Michael J. Kuisle; Rev. Harold B. Mountain; Rev. Cyril P. Peterson; Rev. William D. Curtis; Rev. Sherlock P. Weir; Rev. Peter Coleman; Rev. Edward Mountain; Rev. Emmett F. Tighe.
Catholic residents of all nationalities attended the first Catholic church in Winona, which was built in 1857. It was located on the corner of Mark and Dakota streets, but later transferred to Wabasha Street. At this time, the number of Catholics of German nationality was small, but there was a desire among them to have a church and, especially, a priest who would continue to instruct them and their children in their native language. On August 15, 1858, the small group took the first step toward their ambition when they elected a committee to secure a site for a church somewhere between Main and Kansas Streets and Second Street and Broadway. The men within this committee included: Anton Roewekamp; W. H. Melchior, secretary; P. J. Schumacher, treasurer; Clemens Mertes and Carl M. Germes, counselors.
They decided to purchase a lot on the corner of fifth and Kansas Streets from Mr. L. D. Schmitt for $500.00. Since they could not secure a clear title, however, they decided to purchase a lot on the corner of fifth and Walnut Streets for $400.00. Two hundred dollars was to be paid at once, so Mr. George Hornung agreed to loan them the money until they could collect two hundred dollars. The site was purchased on September 8, 1858.
It was not until August 5, 1861 that the sum of $400.00 was collected. For some months during 1861, the committee acted under the guidance of the Rev. E. Essing of Caledonia. With the arrival of Father Theodore Venn as the assistant pastor of St. Thomas church, greater progress was made. A committee, composed of Mr. H. Kilian, Mr. C. Mertes, and Mr. G Schwark, was appointed to secure the stone for the foundation and walls of the church. A building committee, which obtained permission to build the church from the Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Grace, Bishop of St. Paul, was elected on April 3, 1862. The following were members: Messrs. Joseph Braendle, F. Rademacher, Frank Becker, Peter Hornung, J. W. Schwark, and Frank Winkels. The building was completed in the month of November 1862.
The Rev. Theodore Venn was appointed the first pastor on August 12, 1862, and remained until October 15, 1863. From then until April 1864, Father Michael Prendergast of Saint Thomas parish was in charge of the parish. The Reverend William Lette became the second pastor and he remained until 1868. He was succeeded by the Rev. Alois Plut, who was the pastor from 1868 to 1876. He enlarged the parochial school and church in 1871. Missions were established at Wilson, Elba, and Rollingstone. Rev. Karl Koeberl became his assistant. The Rev. F. C. Walter succeeded Father Plut and remained as pastor until February 1878.
On February 11, 1878, the Rev. A. Heller took charge of the parish. A new brick and stone church was begun under his direction in 1881. The corner stone of the new church was placed on April 30, 1882, with the Most Reverend John Ireland of Saint Paul officiating. The building cost $22,000.00 without fixtures and the completed structure cost $40,000.00. The old church building was moved and used as a parochial school and convent. A new rectory was also built at this time at the corner of fifth and Lafayette Streets. The building committee was: J. B. Kirch, Joseph Schlingermann, C. M. Germes, John Winkels, Joseph Braendle, Jacob Mawry, John Ludwig, Peter Hengel, Anton Trautner, and Joseph Kasimor. The parish was incorporated in 1879.
Father Heller was succeeded in 1885 by Rev. John Meier. During Father Meier's pastorate, the existing debt on the new church was paid. In 1896, the school was built at a cost of $50,000.00. In 1918, a new brick and stone rectory replaced the old frame structure. During this time, stained glass windows were put in the church and a central heating plant was installed to service both the church and school. Father Meier was made a Domestic Prelate in 1922 and died in 1927. Rt. Rev. Msgr. John Meier was succeeded by the Rev. George Jaegen, under whose guidance the parish grew to over three hundred families. Father Jaegen directed some very necessary repairs and alterations in the church buildings. The church was redecorated, and air-conditioning system installed, and a new roof put on both buildings.
Father Jaegen retired in 1937 and the assistant pastor, Father Alphonse Diekman, took charge until August 30, 1938, when the Reverend B. A. Kramer was appointed pastor. During Father Kramer’s pastorate, a rectory was purchased at 103 East Fifth Street at a cost of ten thousand dollars. The former rectory was remodeled as a home for the Sisters of Saint Francis, who were in charge of the school. The old quarters of the Sisters in the school building were remodeled for school purposes. Father Kramer was named Vicar General of the Diocese by Bishop Kelly. He was elevated to the dignity of a Domestic Prelate by Pope Pius XII in October 1943. He resigned the pastorate of Saint Joseph's in 1946 to assume charge of Saint Agnes Parish at Kellogg, Minnesota. On July 31, 1946, the very Rev. Msgr. Joseph F. Hale, V. G., became the pastor of Saint Joseph's and its mission, the Immaculate Conception Church of Wilson Township.
At the time of its' union with Saint Thomas' parish to form the parish of Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, there were over three hundred households in the parish or about fourteen hundred souls. The members of the parish corporation at the time of the union were as follows: The most Reverend Edward A. Fitzgerald, D. D. President; The Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph F. Hale, Vice president; Mr. Edward J. Hartert, Secretary; Mr. Alois Koutsky, Treasurer.
The following are the priests who served as assistants in the parish of Saint Joseph; Rev. Karl Koeberl; Rev. Mathias Jostock; Rev. Alois Gmeinder; Rev. George Jaegen; Rev. Peter Tibesar; Rev. Alois Wermerskirchen; Rev. H. Schouven; Rev. B. A. Kramer; Rev. Joseph Koch; Rev. C. Steger: Rev. Urban Buchheit; Rev. Alphonse Diekmann; Rev. R. J. Jansen; Rev. H. C. King; Rev. Daniel Tierney; Rev. Raymond Redder; Rev. Francis W. Klein; Rev. Eugene J. Gores.
The Saint Joseph School was established and opened in 1858 in a small building on East Fifth Street between Chestnut and Liberty Streets. In 1858, the school was moved to East Fifth Street. In 1869, the School Sisters of Notre Dame were asked to take charge of the school, but they were unable to send sisters until 1872. Two sisters came that year to assist a lay teacher. Four sisters assumed all teaching duties in 1879. In 1855, the School Sisters of Saint Francis, also from Milwaukee, succeeded the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The Sisters of Saint Francis of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, whose motherhouse is in Rochester, took over the instruction in 1927 and continued to teach there until June of 1952.
During the pastorate of Father Meier, the number of pupils had so increased that it was necessary to build a new school. According to the plan drawn by the architectural firm of Stevens and Vandeusen, a two-story brick school was erected in 1896 at the cost of $50,000.00. It contained classrooms, quarters for the Sisters, and the large Saint Joseph’s Hall on the second floor. The Sisters moved into the former rectory in 1939 when the rectory at 103. E. Fifth Street was purchased. In its last year as an elementary school, 1951-1952, there were 230 pupils taught by six Sisters and one lay teacher. The children began to attend the Cathedral Grade School, the former Saint Thomas School, in September 1952. At that time, the school was also used as a part of Cotter High School. The Sisters who taught at Cotter High School resided in the old convent and rectory at 102 and 103 E. Fifth Street.
If you are looking for your records for a sacrament, please contact the parish office at (507) 452-4770 or [email protected] with your name, the type of record being requested, the name and date of birth for person record requested. After hours please also leave your phone number and/or email address.
Due to privacy regulations and record deterioration we do not allow anyone to see the original books or records. We are not allowed to photocopy the original record but will supply a certificate or letter upon request.
Due to various circumstances, our early records are limited. In your request, you will need to specify the parish and type of record you are looking for. If you are unsure which parish you are looking for, try reading through the history of the parishes.
Records for St. Casimir Parishioners prior to 1901 will probably be at the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka.
Records for Cathedral parishioners prior to 1952 will probably be under St. Thomas or St. Joseph.