About St. Andrew Kim · Saint Paul, Minnesota
St. Andrew Kim is a Korean Catholic parish in the Twin Cities (Saint Paul/Minneapolis), Minnesota, and the only Korean Catholic community in Minnesota for over 50 years. It was founded in 1973 when 14 families began celebrating Mass at The Saint Paul Seminary, and it was elevated to parish status in 1990. The parish is named in honor of St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean priest and martyr, who was executed in 1846. It serves Korean immigrant families in the local community along with students from the University of Minnesota, with liturgy celebrated principally in Korean. In recent years it has been hosted by Annunciation Parish in Minneapolis (509 54th St W) while the parish's canonical address remains in Saint Paul. Since 2018 (and continuing under a new 2026 appointment), pastoral care has been provided by priests of the Diocese of Incheon, South Korea.
- Established
- 1973
- Patron
- St. Andrew Kim Taegon (the first Korean priest and martyr, executed 1846)
- Rector
- Rev. Il Sup (Augustinus) Shin (assigned effective March 3, 2026; a priest of the Diocese of Incheon)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis)
Why belong here
St. Andrew Kim has been the only Korean Catholic community in Minnesota for over 50 years, making it a natural spiritual home for Korean Catholic families, Korean-speaking students at the University of Minnesota, and anyone who wishes to experience liturgy in the Korean language in the Twin Cities. The community has celebrated its 40th and 50th anniversaries alongside bishops and cardinals from Seoul, and has been honored with the Archdiocese of Washington's Cardinals' Award — a sign of its standing in the wider Korean-American Catholic world. From faith formation classes and Korean cultural classes to community meals and youth programming, the parish gathers several generations of Korean Catholics under one roof, and since September 2023 has been warmly hosted by Annunciation Parish in Minneapolis for Sunday worship.
Mass times at St. Andrew Kim
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Andrew Kim Parish
St. Andrew Kim is the only Korean Catholic community in the state of Minnesota, serving Korean immigrant families in the Twin Cities and Korean students at the University of Minnesota for more than half a century. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and operates in close partnership with Catholic dioceses in South Korea.
- Named for St. Andrew Kim Taegon (martyred 1846), Korea's first native-born priest.
- Currently celebrating liturgy in Korean and English.
- Hosted by Annunciation Catholic Parish, Minneapolis, since September 1, 2023.
History
The community began informally in 1973 with 14 Korean Catholic families celebrating Mass at The Saint Paul Seminary, then moved in 1974 to Oblate College. It was formally established as a parish in 1990. Through 2015 priests were sent by the Archdiocese of Seoul; from 2018 the Diocese of Incheon has provided clergy. The parish has since hosted milestone anniversary Masses with visiting Korean Catholic cardinals and bishops, and in 2023 entered a formal hosting arrangement with Annunciation Church in Minneapolis.
- 1973 — first Mass celebrated by 14 families at The Saint Paul Seminary.
- 1974 — worship moves to Oblate College chapel.
- 1990 — community established as a parish.
- 2012 — 40th anniversary Mass with Seoul Archbishop (later Cardinal) Andrew Yeom Soo-jung.
- 2021 — Cardinals' Award received from the Archdiocese of Washington.
- 2022.08.28 — celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of St. Andrew Kim Taegon.
- 2023.09.01 — hosted by Annunciation Parish, Minneapolis.
- 2024.09.29 — 50th anniversary Mass celebrated by Seoul Archbishop Chung Soon-taek.
Parish Pastoral Council (사목위원회)
The parish established its first Parish Pastoral Council in 2017 under pastor Fr. Jun-seong (Joseph) Lee, with early chairpersons Sang-gyu Kim and Hyun-tae Kim. A revised set of council statutes (새 회칙) was adopted shortly thereafter, formalizing lay involvement in parish governance.
Faith Formation & Korean Cultural School
On Sundays the parish uses rooms at Annunciation for faith formation classes and for a Korean cultural / language school (한글학교). These programs carry the tradition of catechizing Korean-American children and keeping Korean language and culture alive across generations.
- Faith formation classes held on Sundays at Annunciation.
- Korean language / cultural school (한글학교) on Sundays at Annunciation.
- Outreach to University of Minnesota Korean Catholic students.
Mass and Worship
Sunday Korean-language Mass draws about 100 faithful and is the centerpiece of parish life, complemented by weekday Masses on Thursday morning and Friday evening. The parish's principal Sunday liturgy currently takes place at the Annunciation Catholic Church campus in Minneapolis, in line with the hosting arrangement that began in September 2023.
- Sunday Korean Mass: 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM (noon) at Annunciation, Minneapolis.
- Thursday Mass: 10:00 AM.
- Friday Mass: 7:00 PM.
Community & Outreach
As a small, ethnicity-specific community, St. Andrew Kim is a gathering point for Korean-American Catholics across the Twin Cities. The community meal ministry periodically uses Annunciation's kitchen and social hall to host parishioners, and pastoral and youth activities — including a possible joint Annunciation/St. Andrew Kim youth pilgrimage to Korea — are part of the parish's outreach vision.
- Korean Catholic community meals hosted on the Annunciation campus.
- Youth programming envisioned in cooperation with Annunciation.
- Connection to the broader Korean-American Catholic community honored by the Archdiocese of Washington's Cardinals' Award (2021).
Pastors & rectors through the years
- 1st Pastor: Fr. Young-soo Wang (Francis Xavier)
First parish head priest; departed from role later.
- 2nd Pastor: Fr. Han Holt (Paul)
Succeeded Fr. Wang.
- 9th Pastor: Fr. Chan-il Lee (Andrew)
Departed; succeeded by Fr. Park.
- 10th Pastor: Fr. Yong-il Park (Thaddeus) and Parochial Vicar Fr. Jeong-young Bang (Joseph)
Both departed in February 2015.
- 11th Pastor: Fr. Jong-wook Kim (Michael) and Parochial Vicar Fr. Ki-hwan Kim (Luke)
Parochial Vicar departed; pastor also later departed.
- 12th Pastor: Fr. Jun-seong Lee (Joseph)until 2017
Celebrated Silver Jubilee of priesthood; first Parish Pastoral Council appointed.
- 13th Pastor: Fr. Moonseong Park (Matthew/Matteo)since August 28, 2022
Current serving head priest per parish history.