St. Clement

St. Clement at Holy Cross Catholic Church

St. Clement is the 24th Avenue NE campus of Holy Cross Catholic Church, a multi-campus parish that was formed by canonical merger on July 1, 2013, bringing together four historic Northeast Minneapolis parishes: Holy Cross, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Clement, and St. Hedwig. The St. Clement campus is located at 911 24th Ave NE, Minneapolis, and offers Sunday Mass at 11:15 AM. The parish office, clergy, and main school building are at 1621 University Ave NE (Holy Cross campus).

History of St. Clement

St. Clement Parish was established in April 1902 by its first pastor, Reverend Robert Fitzgerald, who began the community in a small white frame church at 25th Avenue and Quincy Street NE. The parish grew out of St. Anthony of Padua (Minneapolis's first Catholic parish, founded 1849), and St. Clement became the English-speaking parish of Northeast Minneapolis, in contrast to the Polish, German, and other ethnic parishes nearby. Father Fitzgerald organized construction of the present brick church; the cornerstone was laid on September 7, 1913, and Archbishop John Ireland dedicated the new building on May 24, 1914. The 1913 church seats about 600. In 1915 the original 1902 frame building was sold to St. Hedwig and physically moved to 29th Avenue and Grand Street.

• Founded: April 1902
• First Pastor: Rev. Robert Fitzgerald
• Cornerstone laid: September 7, 1913
• Church dedicated: May 24, 1914 by Archbishop John Ireland
• Capacity: ~600
• St. Clement Church address: 24th Avenue & Jackson Street NE, Minneapolis

The 2013 Merger and Holy Cross Parish

As part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis' Strategic Plan, St. Clement was clustered in 2010 with Holy Cross, St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Hedwig for potential merger. After canonical appeals were exhausted, the four parishes were canonically merged on July 1, 2013 under the name Holy Cross, with Father Glen Jenson (previously pastor of three of the four) as pastor and Father Earl Simonson (the former pastor of St. Clement) as pastor emeritus. The new parish retained three of the four historic church buildings for worship — Holy Cross, St. Hedwig, and St. Clement — while the St. Anthony of Padua building was acquired by Catholic Eldercare to serve as their residents' chapel.

• Canonical merger effective: July 1, 2013
• New parish name: Holy Cross
• First pastor of merged parish: Father Glen Jenson
• Pastor Emeritus: Father Earl Simonson
• Worship campuses retained: Holy Cross, St. Hedwig, St. Clement
• St. Anthony of Padua now serves as Catholic Eldercare Chapel

Clergy and Parish Staff

Holy Cross parish (which serves the St. Clement campus) is led by a pastor and two parochial vicars, supported by a full parish staff. The pastor is Father Spencer Howe; Father Miroslaw Szynal serves as Parochial Vicar for Polonia, and Father John Rumpza was assigned as Parochial Vicar effective July 1, 2025, transferring from St. Odilia in Shoreview. Father Earl Simonson is Pastor Emeritus in recognition of his years of service to the former St. Clement parish. Father Justus Musinguuzi, who previously served as parochial vicar here, was reassigned in 2025 to Annunciation in Hazelwood and St. Dominic in Northfield.

• Fr. Spencer Howe — Pastor
• Fr. Miroslaw Szynal — Parochial Vicar for Polonia
• Fr. John Rumpza — Parochial Vicar (from July 1, 2025)
• Rev. Earl Simonson — Pastor Emeritus
• Dr. Sam Backman — Director of Sacred Music / Liturgical Life
• John Gendreau — Business Administrator / Safe Environment
• Grant O'Neil — Director of Lifelong Discipleship & Outreach
• Laura Andersen — Family Life & Baptism Coordinator
• Elizabeth Brown — Marriage Formation Coordinator
• Bernadette Demers — Youth Discipleship Associate
• Hanna McLevish — Administrative Assistant to Clergy and Pastoral Care
• James Bueltel — Office Manager
• Tom Johannes — Maintenance Associate

Faith Formation, Youth and Family

The Holy Cross Family Faith Formation program engages the whole family in Catholic teaching, active-participatory liturgical formation, and an encounter with God through Sacred Scripture. It serves children Pre-K through Grade 12 and is rooted in the principle that parents and guardians are the primary educators of their children. The model encourages families to learn, pray, and live the faith together in small groups with other parish families, using the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and the Baltimore Catechesis (the first Sunday of the month for First Communicants).

• Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — Level 1 (Ages 3–6)
• First Reconciliation / First Communion preparation (Grade 2) — one-year process
• Confirmation preparation (Grade 8 and up)
• Youth Group for middle- and high-school students
• Regional Youth Nights: Lifeline, Lifeline Latinamente, Nordeast Catholic Underground (in partnership with Immaculate Conception and St. William, Fridley)
• Family-centered model: parents and children learn together in small groups

Adult Faith Formation and Sacraments

In addition to programs for children and youth, Holy Cross parish offers formation for adults preparing for full communion with the Catholic Church. The sacraments of Baptism, First Reconciliation and Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage are prepared for through dedicated parish coordinators, and the parish maintains an after-hours pastoral emergency line for Anointing of the Sick and last rites.

• RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
• Adult Confirmation
• Baptism preparation — Laura Andersen, coordinator
• Marriage Formation — Elizabeth Brown, coordinator
• Anointing of the Sick and last rites via after-hours pastoral emergency line

Polish Ministry and the Wider Community

Holy Cross parish — and by extension the St. Clement campus — remains a spiritual home for the Polish Community of the greater Twin Cities. Polish-language Mass is celebrated at the Holy Cross campus every Sunday at 11:30 AM and every Friday at 7:00 PM, and Polish-language Reconciliation is offered on Sundays at 11:00 AM. Father Miroslaw Szynal serves as Parochial Vicar for Polonia to support Polish-speaking parishioners.

• Polish Mass: Sundays 11:30 AM at Holy Cross
• Polish Mass: Fridays 7:00 PM at Holy Cross
• Polish Reconciliation: Sundays 11:00 AM at Holy Cross
• Fr. Miroslaw Szynal — Parochial Vicar for Polonia

St. John Paul II Catholic School

The merged Holy Cross parish partners with the regional Catholic school, St. John Paul II, which is hosted on the Holy Cross campus at 1621 University Ave NE. A school Mass is offered at the Holy Cross church on Thursdays at 8:45 AM when St. John Paul II School is in session, and the parish works closely with the school for sacramental preparation and family faith formation.

• Regional Catholic school: St. John Paul II
• Located on the Holy Cross campus, 1621 University Ave NE
• School Mass: Thursdays 8:45 AM at Holy Cross (when school is in session)

Locations, Contact and Pastoral Care

The parish operates out of three historic Northeast Minneapolis worship sites, with the main office at the Holy Cross campus. Office hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, and an after-hours pastoral emergency line is available for Anointing of the Sick, last rites, or other urgent pastoral needs. Handicap-accessible parking is available at the 16th and University entrance of the Holy Cross campus.

• Holy Cross (main office): 1621 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 — 612-930-0860
• St. Clement: 911 24th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
• St. Hedwig: 129 29th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
• St. Anthony of Padua Chapel (Catholic Eldercare): 804 2nd St NE, Minneapolis
• Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• After-hours pastoral emergency line available
• Handicap parking at 16th & University (Holy Cross)
• Email: [email protected]