Four bells once echoed from the Church of Saint Joseph. German immigrants founded this church in 1870 in downtown Minneapolis. They wanted to worship in a familiar setting. So they asked St. John’s Abbey for a German-speaking priest. The parish built bigger churches over the years. This accommodated the growing number of worshippers. A school was added too. It taught kindergarten through 8th grade. A drawing shows how the church looked in the 1950s until the 1970s.
The Church of Saint Joseph was very active for many years. The bells came from Germany. They united people from their home country. They also welcomed people to the opportunities in Minnesota. But in 1972 a tornado struck. It toppled the bell towers into the street. Cars narrowly escaped damage.
Around the same time, the state planned a freeway. It would connect downtown to the western suburbs. The state bought the entire block. This included the Church of Saint Joseph, school, convent, rectory, and playground. This made way for Highway 394. The church was near where 394 starts near the Twins ballpark.
The Archdiocese wanted to move the parish. Maple Grove was chosen as the new location. The Archdiocese planned to use the sale money for a new parish. But it was against Canon Law. You can’t take money from one parish and give it to another. So the new church kept the name St. Joseph. To make it distinct, it became St. Joseph the Worker.
The new parish began in a house in Maple Grove in 1975. Mass was in the basement. Soon the parish outgrew the house. It moved to Cedar Island School. In 1977, the cornerstone of the first church was laid. That church served a growing number of families for 25 years. Many were recent immigrants.
As Maple Grove grew, so did the parish. Fr. George Kinney oversaw the church’s beginning. In the early 1990s, Fr. John Parkos guided the church’s major growth. The population boomed. The church grew from 50 families to over 1000. Many children were baptized. Religious education programs thrived.
Fr. Mike Sullivan arrived in 2000. Construction on a new building started in 2002. It finished in March 2003. People were amazed by the new structure. On May 1, 2003, Archbishop Harry Flynn dedicated the new church. He praised the parish’s prayer and singing. Since Fr. Sullivan arrived, Maple Grove has grown. The church has grown from 1500 families to 2400. Members come from all over the Twin Cities.
St. Joseph the Worker has a history of social justice. It promotes affordable housing. It also supports food for the hungry. The church advocates for better education. They organize food baskets for holidays. They care for the environment. The church has influenced city council decisions. They helped create affordable housing for laborers. School board members recognize church members at meetings. The church is known as a transformative power in Maple Grove.
In 2009, St. Joseph the Worker partnered with St. Catherine’s in Haiti. People from the parish visited Haiti. They learned about the culture and faith. The church supported them after the 2010 earthquake. They helped provide clean water. They sent books and food for the school. The school has grown since the aid began. The church has helped them recover from hurricanes. They regularly exchange news and pictures. The spirit of the original Church of Saint Joseph lives on.