About Ss. Cyril and Methodius · Minneapolis, Minnesota
Ss. Cyril and Methodius is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota, belonging to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The community was founded in the late 1880s by Slovak Catholic immigrants who had previously worshipped with the Polish community at Holy Cross. After more than a century as a Slovak heritage parish, the faith community has been predominantly Hispanic since 1997, drawing many Spanish-speaking immigrants from Ecuador and other Latin American countries. Today the parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish and serves as a vital anchor for the Northeast Minneapolis neighborhood. The handsome 1917 brick church on Second Street NE, designed in the Renaissance Revival style, remains the home of this welcoming, multicultural flock.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- Saints Cyril and Methodius (Byzantine Greek brothers and missionaries to the Slavs, c. 826–869 and c. 815–885, co-patrons of Europe)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
Ss. Cyril and Methodius is a welcoming, bilingual (English/Spanish) parish that has served Northeast Minneapolis since 1890 and today reflects the neighborhood's vibrant Hispanic heritage. With three Sunday Masses (two in Spanish, one in English), a Saturday evening anticipatory Mass in Spanish, weekly weekday Masses, and Saturday confessions, the parish offers regular opportunities for worship across the week. Its long-running stewardship of the Northeast Catholic school community — and its role as a gathering place for new immigrant families from Ecuador and elsewhere — make it a place where newcomers are quickly folded into a living, multilingual Catholic community.
Mass times at Ss. Cyril and Methodius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (English), or by appointment / O por cita previa
History of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish
Ss. Cyril and Methodius has roots that stretch back to the first wave of Slovak Catholic immigration to Minneapolis in 1875. For more than a decade these immigrants worshipped alongside the Polish community at Holy Cross, but in 1888 a group of Slovak laypeople formed the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Lodge, a mutual-benefit society, and soon began raising money to found their own parish. Land was acquired, a first church was built in 1893, and the parish was formally incorporated in 1890. In 1909 the church was moved to the present Second Street NE site, and the brick building that stands there today was completed in 1917.
- 1875: First Slovak Catholics settle in Minneapolis.
- 1888: Sts. Cyril and Methodius Lodge founded as a Slovak benevolent society.
- 1890: Parish incorporated.
- 1893: First church built.
- 1909: Church moved to present Second Street NE site.
- 1917: Current brick church designed by Victor Cordella completed.
- 1937: Parish school opens.
- 1944: Fr. Joseph Balent assigned as assistant; later becomes pastor for 42 years (until 1986).
- 1969: Parish school closes as regional Catholic schooling begins.
- 1980: Diocese permits addition of St. Methodius to the parish name.
- 1997: Parish becomes predominantly Hispanic with new immigrants from Ecuador and other countries.
Architecture and Building
The 1917 church is a notable example of the work of Minneapolis architect Victor Cordella, who designed many of the Twin Cities' immigrant Catholic churches in a style that blended European and American influences. Ss. Cyril and Methodius is built in the Renaissance Revival style with an elaborate Baroque tower, executed in handsome brick. The building is a visible landmark on Second Street NE and continues to be the principal place of worship for the parish.
- Architect: Victor Cordella (of Polish-Italian immigrant heritage)
- Style: Renaissance Revival with a Baroque tower
- Material: Brick
- Completed: 1917
Parish School and Catholic Education
Ss. Cyril and Methodius operated its own parish school from 1937 to 1969, educating generations of Northeast Minneapolis children during the height of the parish's Slovak era. After 1969, Catholic schooling in the neighborhood was reorganized into the Northeast Regional Catholic School, which the parish helped support together with neighboring parishes including St. Anthony of Padua, St. Boniface, All Saints, Saint Maron, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Hedwig, and Holy Cross. In 2003 that regional school was renamed Pope John Paul II Catholic School (St. John Paul II Catholic School after his canonization in 2014), and Ss. Cyril and Methodius families continue to be part of its community.
- Parish school: 1937–1969
- Northeast Regional Catholic School (formed 1969) — supported by Ss. Cyril and Methodius and other NE parishes
- St. John Paul II Catholic School — current regional Catholic school, includes Ss. Cyril and Methodius families
Slovak Heritage and Hispanic Community
Ss. Cyril and Methodius is a parish of successive waves of immigration. Founded by Slovak Catholics in 1890, it grew through the early and mid-twentieth century as a Slovak heritage parish — the 1940s through 1980s were particularly shaped by the long pastorate of Fr. Joseph Balent. Since 1997, the parish community has been predominantly Hispanic, with many new Spanish-speaking immigrants from Ecuador and other Latin American countries making the parish their spiritual home. The parish is now a bilingual English/Spanish faith community that honors both heritages.
- Founded 1890 as a Slovak Catholic parish.
- Fr. Joseph Balent served as pastor for 42 years (until 1986).
- Since 1997 the parish has been predominantly Hispanic.
- Bilingual parish: English / Spanish / Una Parroquia Bilingüe.
Patron Saints: Cyril and Methodius
The parish is named for Saints Cyril (c. 826–869) and his older brother Methodius (c. 815–885), Byzantine Greek missionaries to the Slavic peoples. They are credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet (the precursor to the Cyrillic script) to translate Scripture and liturgy into Slavonic, and they are recognized as co-patrons of Europe. Their liturgical feast day is February 14. Naming a Slovak parish after these saints connected the immigrant community to its Christian Slavic roots.
- St. Cyril (c. 826–869)
- St. Methodius (c. 815–885)
- Byzantine Greek missionaries to the Slavs
- Credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet
- Co-patrons of Europe
- Feast day: February 14
Contact and Location
The parish office is located in the church building at 1315 Second Street NE in Northeast Minneapolis. The mailing address uses ZIP code 55413-1131. Telephone, fax, and a map link are available through the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis listing for the parish.
- Address: 1315 2nd St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413-1131
- Phone: (612) 379-9736
- Fax: (612) 378-3976
- Neighborhood: Northeast Minneapolis
- Archdiocese listing: archspm.org/location/ss-cyril-and-methodius-catholic-church/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph Balent1944–1986
Grew up in the parish; assigned as assistant in 1944, later became pastor. Served as pastor for 42 years, the longest tenure in parish history.