About St. Columba · Saint Paul, Minnesota
St. Columba is a Roman Catholic parish centrally located in the historic Hamline-Midway neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. It is an English- and Vietnamese-speaking Catholic community founded in 1914 by Archbishop John Ireland, with a present-day congregation that is majority Vietnamese American. The parish worships in a striking mid-century modern stone church completed in 1950 and designed by Chicago architect Francis Barry Byrne, which is regarded as a high point of modern church architecture in the Twin Cities.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Columba (Columba of Iona)
- Rector
- Rev. Hoang D. Nguyen (Father Hoang Nguyen)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Columba is a bilingual English-Vietnamese Catholic community that has served the Hamline-Midway neighborhood of St. Paul since 1914 and worships in a celebrated mid-century modern church. Its life combines traditional parish devotions (perpetual Eucharistic Adoration maintained by parishioners for over 20 years) with practical outreach, including monthly Loaves and Fishes meals at the Dorothy Day Center and an active Council of Catholic Women. Families can enroll their children in either English sacramental preparation (First Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation) or Vietnamese religious education that runs from Pre-K through Grade 9 alongside Vietnamese language classes.
Mass times at St. Columba
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) — parishioners and visitors are invited to sign up for a weekly holy hour; sign-up forms are in the chapel
Parish History
St. Columba parish was created by Archbishop John Ireland on September 1, 1914, in St. Paul's largely Protestant Hamline-Midway neighborhood. Archbishop Ireland chose an Irish-born priest, Father Michael J. Casey — whom he had met in Kilkenny, Ireland — as founding pastor. Casey had graduated from the St. Paul Seminary in 1906 and was serving a tiny parish in Big Stone County when Ireland called him back to St. Paul. The first Mass was celebrated in September 1914 in a storefront at the corner of Hamline Avenue and Thomas Avenue, and a permanent frame church in a 'Norman-Gothic' style, designed by James Donohue and featuring squat twin towers, was dedicated on November 21, 1915.
- 1914 — Parish established; first Mass in a storefront at Hamline and Thomas
- 1915 — Frame Norman-Gothic church dedicated (architect James Donohue)
- 1922 — School opens on Hamline Avenue (architect C. H. Wheeler)
- 1931 — School addition raises capacity to 1,000 students
- 1945 — Father Casey launches the new-church fundraising drive; $300,000 raised
- 1948 — Construction begins (McGough Construction); original church's last Mass September 12
- 1949 — Cornerstone laid February 19
- 1950 — Present stone church completed and dedicated; designed by Francis Barry Byrne
- 2004 — Elementary school closed after 82 years due to declining enrollment and debt
The Present Church Building (1950)
The present church was designed by Chicago modernist Francis Barry Byrne (1883–1967), who was personally known to Father Casey. To save money Byrne designed the church with no basement, pouring concrete over a steel frame, and curved the exterior walls so that the interior evokes the ancient Christian symbol of the fish. Against his own wishes he acceded to Father Casey's insistence that the building include a tall 'Irish tower' as a tribute to St. Columba. The church was placed on a diagonal on its small lot to fit roughly 1,000 seats, and its pillar-free sanctuary is filled with what architectural historian Larry Millett calls 'mysterious and ethereal' light. The building is the only Minnesota work of Byrne and has been called a high point of modern church architecture in the Twin Cities.
- Architect: Francis Barry Byrne, Chicago (1883–1967)
- Builder: McGough Construction; cost approximately $600,000
- Mid-century modern stone construction, concrete on steel frame, no basement
- Curved exterior walls form a fish-shaped interior
- Tall 'Irish tower' on the south (Lafond Avenue) side
- Open, pillar-free sanctuary; capacity ~1,000
Sacraments
The parish prepares children and teens for the sacraments of initiation in two parallel tracks — English sacramental preparation and Vietnamese religious education — and offers standard preparation for Baptism, Marriage, and sacramental certificate requests. Sacramental certificate requests must be submitted in writing on the parish's request form; the parish notes that it does not research sacramental records for genealogical purposes.
- Baptism — contact the parish office for the pre-baptismal program and date
- First Holy Communion & Reconciliation — Second grade and older; every-other-year classroom + home curriculum
- Confirmation — Ninth grade and older; every-other-year schedule
- Matrimony — contact the pastor at least six months before the proposed date
- Sacramental certificate requests — written request only, on parish form
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Columba is offered in two languages. English-language sacramental preparation covers First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation on an every-other-year cycle that combines classroom instruction and home curriculum. Vietnamese-language religious education runs from Pre-K through Grade 9 on Sundays after the Vietnamese Mass (September through June) and combines religious education with Vietnamese language classes. Classes are held in the former school building.
- English Sacramental Preparation — 2nd grade and older; 9th grade and older
- Vietnamese Religious Education — Pre-K through Grade 9
- Curriculum integrates Vietnamese language instruction with catechesis
Music and Liturgy
The parish choir welcomes adults and children in grade 4 and older, both as singers and as instrumentalists. Choir members sing three times a month at the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass and provide music for special liturgies during Lent/Easter and Advent/Christmas. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings at 7:00 PM. Lay liturgical roles — Mass Servers (boys or girls), Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Sacristans, and Ushers — are scheduled quarterly, and parishioners are encouraged to volunteer.
- Parish Choir — adults and children (grade 4+), Monday 7:00 PM rehearsal
- Lay & Extraordinary Ministry — Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Sacristans, Ushers
- Choir contact: Joanne Whalen, 651-645-9179
Parish Life and Ministries
Parish life at St. Columba is organized around a small number of longstanding groups. The Council of Catholic Women (CCW) is affiliated with the national CCW and supports the parish through prayer, supplying church and altar needs, hosting receptions and funeral luncheons, and assisting with parish functions. The Parish Finance Council, chaired by Patricia Frankenfield, meets quarterly to oversee the parish budget, and the Parish Trustees — Bernard Hesse and Peter Nguyen — are appointed by the pastor.
- Council of Catholic Women — President Vicki Hesse, 651-642-9090
- Parish Finance Council — Chair Patricia Frankenfield
- Parish Trustees — Bernard Hesse and Peter Nguyen
Outreach: Loaves and Fishes
St. Columba parishioners serve the evening meal at the Dorothy Day Center in downtown St. Paul on the second Friday of each month. Volunteers arrive at 3:30 PM for food preparation and meal service, with cleanup usually complete by 6:00 PM. The ministry is coordinated by Bernie Hesse (651-642-9090).
- Loaves and Fishes at the Dorothy Day Center — second Friday of each month
- Volunteers arrive 3:30 PM; cleanup usually done by 6:00 PM
- Coordinator: Bernie Hesse, 651-642-9090
Adult Volleyball
An adult Volleyball League runs September through April, meeting in the former school gymnasium on Friday evenings. Registration opens in early September, space is limited, and the season cost is $20 per person. Contact Dave Dahl at 651-645-9411.
- Friday evenings in the gymnasium, September–April
- $20 per person per season; sign-up begins early September
- Contact: Dave Dahl, 651-645-9411
Contact, Office, and Visiting
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, and the building can be reached by mail, phone, or the parish website. Sacramental and parish business should be directed through the office manager, Joanne Whalen. The parish's mailing address and main phone number are listed on both the parish site and the Archdiocesan directory.
- Address: 1327 Lafond Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104
- Phone: (651) 645-9179; Fax: (651) 645-9170
- Office Manager: Joanne Whalen
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
- Website: https://www.stcolumba.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael J. Casey1914 – c. 1950
Irish-born founding pastor, appointed by Archbishop John Ireland in 1914. Graduated from the St. Paul Seminary in 1906; led the parish from its first Mass in a storefront at Hamline and Thomas through the dedication of the present Byrne-designed church in 1950. He personally knew architect Francis Barry Byrne and insisted the new church include the 'Irish tower.'