About Immaculate Conception · Columbia Heights, Minnesota
The Church of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic parish located in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Founded in 1923, the parish serves a diverse community with Mass celebrated in both English and Spanish, including a weekly Spanish Mass every Sunday at 11:30 AM. The parish campus also houses Immaculate Conception School, a preschool through 8th-grade Catholic school, and offers a full slate of faith formation programs, Eucharistic adoration, and youth ministry. Current pastor is Father Matthew Quail, assisted by Deacon Jose Luis Rodriguez Alvarado and a large parish staff. The parish celebrated its centennial on December 8, 2023, exactly 100 years after the first Mass was said in 1923.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception (of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Matthew Quail
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a long-standing parish in the heart of Columbia Heights with deep roots — descendants of its original four founding families still worship there — and a vibrant present, including a growing Latino community served by a weekly Spanish Mass. The campus combines a parish church, daily Eucharistic adoration in the San Damiano Chapel, an attached preschool-through-8th-grade Catholic school, and a full faith-formation program for children, youth, and adults. It is a place that explicitly welcomes newcomers, offers parish registration in both English and Spanish, and is a convenient choice for anyone living in northeast Minneapolis or the surrounding suburbs.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:45 PM (weekly)
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM (San Damiano Chapel)
- Tuesday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM (San Damiano Chapel)
- Wednesday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM (San Damiano Chapel)
- Thursday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM (San Damiano Chapel)
- Friday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM (San Damiano Chapel)
Parish History
Immaculate Conception Parish traces its beginnings to 1918, when early settlers in the Village of Columbia Heights asked Archbishop Dowling to establish a Catholic parish in their community. The first Mass was celebrated on December 8, 1923, in an unused dance hall at the old Forest Park amusement grounds, and a permanent church was dedicated exactly one year later, on December 8, 1924. The present church was built in 1957–1958 and dedicated by Archbishop Brady on December 8, 1958. A school was added beginning in 1939. The parish celebrated its centennial on December 8, 2023, with Bishop Joseph Williams offering a Solemnity Mass, and descendants of the four founding families still worship here today.
- 1918 — early settlers petition Archbishop Dowling
- 1923 (Dec 8) — first Mass in the Forest Park dance hall; Fr. George Rolwes becomes founding pastor
- 1924 (Dec 8) — original church dedicated at 40th Ave NE and Van Buren St
- 1939 — Immaculate Conception School construction begins
- 1957 (Nov) — groundbreaking for the present church
- 1958 (Dec 8) — present church dedicated by Archbishop Brady
- 2023 (Dec 8) — 100th anniversary celebrated with Bishop Joseph Williams
Mass & Liturgy
Immaculate Conception offers a full schedule of weekend and weekday Masses in English, plus a weekly Spanish Mass every Sunday. Daily Mass Tuesday through Friday is celebrated in English, with a slightly later Thursday Mass during the school year so students can attend. Music and liturgy is directed by Dr. Ray Bannon.
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 PM (English)
- Sunday — 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM (English); 11:30 AM (Spanish)
- Tuesday–Friday — 7:30 AM (English); Thursday 8:30 AM during the school year (Sept–May)
- Director of Music and Liturgy: Dr. Ray Bannon
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Immaculate Conception runs a comprehensive faith-formation program for children, youth, and adults, coordinated by Nora Lara, Director of Catechesis and Evangelization. Programs include Family Formation, Confirmation preparation, a pre-Confirmation Bible study using the Ascension Press 'Encounter' curriculum, Children's Liturgy of the Word during the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass, and the Totus Tuus summer program. The parish also hosts the RCIA / OCIA (RICA / RCIC) process for those entering the Catholic Church.
- Director of Catechesis and Evangelization: Nora Lara
- Confirmation Preparation — Wednesday evenings 6:00–7:30 PM, September–May
- Pre-Confirmation Bible Study — 'Encounter' (Ascension Press) for grades 8+
- Family Formation — one Wednesday a month, with home lesson packets
- Children's Liturgy of the Word — preschool through 2nd grade, 10:00 AM Sunday Mass
- Totus Tuus — K–12 summer program, typically second full week of June
- RCIA / OCIA (RICA / RCIC)
- Adult Formation — Bible studies and faith-enrichment events
Youth Ministry
The parish offers a robust youth ministry for middle school and high school students, with retreats, service trips, and special events throughout the year. The parish participates in regional youth events and uses NET Ministries programming, including retreats like 'Action, Set, Serve,' Winter Blast, the annual Mission Trip, and Quick Catholic Lessons with Fr. Mike Schmitz.
- Middle school and high school events
- Winter Blast
- Mission Trip
- NET Ministries retreats — 'Action, Set, Serve'
- Northeast Regional Youth Event — Lifeline Latinamente
- Quick Catholic Lessons with Fr. Mike Schmitz
Immaculate Conception School
Immaculate Conception School is a licensed, accredited Catholic preschool through 8th-grade school on the parish campus, featuring small class sizes, Spanish, music, technology, and physical education classes, and a 'personalized learning' approach in which each student is given a personalized education plan. The school serves a diverse population with a large percentage of Latino families, employs a cultural liaison to build relationships in school and in the community, and 'se habla español.' The school's mission is to be 'a thriving Catholic community ministering to children within the parish and throughout the surrounding neighborhoods,' dedicated to fostering academic excellence, spiritual growth, and a commitment to becoming disciples in the world.
- Preschool through Grade 8
- Licensed and accredited; small class sizes
- Specializes in 'personalized learning'
- Spanish, music, technology, and physical education classes
- Cultural liaison to support the diverse, multilingual community
- School phone: (763) 788-9065
- Original 1924 church building serves as the school's auditorium/cafeteria and gymnasium
Parish Staff & Clergy
Immaculate Conception is served by a pastor, a deacon, and a large lay staff handling communications, faith formation, music, liturgy, ministry coordination, weddings, operations, and maintenance. Contact the parish office at (763) 788-9062; staff extensions are available through the main number.
- Fr. Matthew Quail — Pastor
- Dcn. Jose Luis Rodriguez Alvarado — Deacon
- Susan Ashmore — Communications (Option 4)
- Dr. Ray Bannon — Director of Music and Liturgy
- Glenda Castillo — Ministry Coordinator
- Nora Lara — Director of Catechesis and Evangelization
- Barb Hartwick — Wedding Coordinator
- Julie Moricz — Director of Operations
- Doug Olson — Maintenance Supervisor
- Eden Demiss — Maintenance Staff
- Daniel Salvador Mejia-Pulla — Maintenance Staff
Hispanic Community / Comunidad Hispana
Immaculate Conception has a growing and thriving Latino community and celebrates a weekly Spanish Mass every Sunday at 11:30 AM. The parish website publishes a Spanish welcome message and a parish-registration form ('Registrarse para la Familia Parroquial'). Pastoral contacts for Spanish-speaking families include Padre Matthew Quail and Mary Nawrocki, Director of Faith Formation.
- Misa en Español — Domingo 11:30 AM
- Parish registration available in Spanish
- Se habla español en la escuela y la parroquia
Sacraments
Information about each of the seven sacraments is available through the parish. Preparation for First Eucharist and First Reconciliation is offered through the Family Formation program, and Confirmation preparation meets on Wednesday evenings during the school year. Weddings are coordinated through the parish's Wedding Coordinator, and adults or children seeking to enter the Catholic Church go through the RCIA / OCIA (RICA / RCIC) process.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Eucharist & First Reconciliation — through Family Formation
- Confirmation — Wednesday evenings 6:00–7:30 PM, September–May
- Marriage / Weddings — Barb Hartwick, Wedding Coordinator
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- RCIA / OCIA (RICA / RCIC) — for adults and children entering the Church
Visit, Register, and Get Involved
Newcomers are warmly welcomed. The parish encourages visitors to explore the website, attend Mass, register as parishioners ('Register for the Parish Family'), and consider volunteering. A Faith Formation Volunteer form lists the parish's many programs and lets prospective volunteers indicate preferred age groups, gifts (e.g. bilingual, teaching, hospitality, liturgical roles such as lector or Eucharistic minister), and time availability.
- Parish registration available in English and Spanish
- Volunteer opportunities in: Adult Formation, Confirmation, Family Formation, Children's Liturgy of the Word, RCIA/OCIA, Totus Tuus, Youth Ministry
- Contact: (763) 788-9062 — Fr. Matthew Quail or Mary Nawrocki
- Emails: [email protected], [email protected]
Contact & Visit
Immaculate Conception Parish is located at 4030 Jackson St NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421-2929, just minutes from downtown Minneapolis. The parish office can be reached at (763) 788-9062 (fax 763-788-0202) and by email at [email protected]. Mass times and a Google Maps link are posted on the parish's 'Mass Times & Directions' page. The school office has its own line, (763) 788-9065.
- Address: 4030 Jackson St NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421-2929
- Phone: (763) 788-9062
- Fax: (763) 788-0202
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://parish.iccsonline.org/
- School phone: (763) 788-9065
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. George Rolwes1923–
Founding pastor; appointed by Archbishop Dowling. Celebrated the first Mass on December 8, 1923, in the dance hall at the old Forest Park amusement grounds. Bought the large Columbia Heights property in 1924 and oversaw construction of the first permanent church, dedicated December 8, 1924.