About St. Hedwig · Minneapolis, Minnesota
St. Hedwig is one of three historic worship campuses of Holy Cross Catholic Church, a multi-campus Roman Catholic parish in Northeast Minneapolis under the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Founded in 1914 as a Polish parish spun off from the older Holy Cross community, St. Hedwig takes its name from St. Hedwig of Silesia, Patroness of Poland, and remains a spiritual home for Polish-American Catholics and others in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. The 129 29th Ave NE church is physically connected to the River Village Catholic Eldercare senior community, making it a quiet center of daily worship and eldercare chaplaincy in addition to its weekend parish life.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Hedwig of Silesia (Jadwiga Śląska), 13th-century Duchess of Silesia and Patroness of Poland
- Rector
- Fr. Spencer Howe (Pastor of Holy Cross Parish, of which St. Hedwig is a campus)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Why belong here
St. Hedwig offers what few parishes in Minneapolis can: a deeply rooted Polish-Catholic devotional heritage carried forward from a community founded in 1914, weekly Mass celebrated just steps from the River Village eldercare campus, and a quiet, intimate setting in the heart of Northeast Minneapolis. The parish's adult ministries span liturgical service (lector, altar server, usher, sacristan), pastoral care for the homebound and bereaved (prayer shawls, funeral luncheons, home visits), and community outreach putting the Works of Mercy into practice — making it an unusually strong fit for those who want to belong to a small, intergenerational Catholic family while still drawing on the wider resources of Holy Cross parish.
Mass times at St. Hedwig
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 2:45 PM — 3:45 PM at St. Hedwig Church (St. Hedwig campus)
- Saturday: 4:00 PM — 4:45 PM at Holy Cross Church (prior to vigil Mass)
- Sunday: 8:30 AM — 9:00 AM (Holy Cross)
- Sunday: 11:00 AM — 11:30 AM in Polish (before Polish Mass)
- Sunday: 5:30 PM — 6:00 PM (Holy Cross)
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM — 5:30 PM (Holy Cross)
Adoration times
- Monday: 7:15 AM — 11:00 AM (Holy Cross)
- Tuesday: 10:30 AM — 8:00 PM at St. Hedwig Campus
- Wednesday: 3:00 PM — 6:00 PM (Holy Cross)
- Thursday: 7:15 AM — 8:15 AM (Holy Cross)
- Friday: 1:00 PM — 6:00 PM (Holy Cross)
St. Hedwig Campus — History
St. Hedwig was born as a daughter parish of Holy Cross in Northeast Minneapolis. The first Mass was offered on Christmas Day, 1914, after sixteen Catholic families pooled resources to purchase six lots on the west side of University Avenue for the new church and school. An early frame church was destroyed by fire in 1919 and quickly rebuilt. Through the 20th century St. Hedwig served Polish-American families who had moved further north along the riverbank; in 2013 it was canonically merged with St. Anthony of Padua and St. Clement into Holy Cross Parish, retaining its 129 29th Ave NE campus as a worship site.
- First Mass: Christmas Day, 1914
- Original frame church destroyed by fire: 1919
- Canonical merger into Holy Cross Parish: 2013
- Named for St. Hedwig of Silesia, 13th-century Duchess and Patroness of Poland
Worship Schedule at St. Hedwig
St. Hedwig serves as a quieter, intimate worship site within the larger Holy Cross parish. The Saturday 4:00 PM Vigil Mass, the Sunday 9:45 AM Mass (shifted after January 5, 2026), and the Tuesday 10:00 AM Mass are all celebrated at the St. Hedwig campus. Confessions are heard Saturdays from 2:45 to 3:45 PM in the church. Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration is held on site from 10:30 AM until 8:00 PM, making St. Hedwig a particularly strong destination for weekday prayer.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass — 9:45 AM
- Tuesday Daily Mass — 10:00 AM
- Confessions — Saturday 2:45–3:45 PM
- Eucharistic Adoration — Tuesdays 10:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Connection to River Village Catholic Eldercare
St. Hedwig is physically attached to the River Village Catholic Eldercare campus (2919–2921 Randolph Street NE), which serves seniors in assisted living, memory care, and subsidized independent living (River Village East and River Village North). Mass is celebrated in St. Hedwig for eldercare residents, and the parish's Pastoral Care Ministry regularly brings Holy Communion to those with limited mobility. This makes St. Hedwig a unique crossroads of intergenerational parish life, where daily Mass, adoration, and the prayer shawl ministry all reach into the eldercare community.
- St. Hedwig is the spiritual center of River Village Catholic Eldercare
- Mass on site for residents of River Village East and River Village North
- 105-unit assisted living / memory care and 35-unit subsidized independent living on campus
- Pastoral Care chaplains coordinate with parish clergy
Adult Ministries and Groups
The parish frames lay ministry under three headings — Liturgical, Pastoral, and Outreach — drawing on the Second Vatican Council's call to 'full, conscious, and active participation' in the liturgy and the Catechism's teaching on the Works of Mercy. Adults can serve as lectors, altar servers, ushers, or sacristans; join Pastoral Care to visit the homebound and bereaved; or volunteer in Community Outreach to feed, shelter, clothe, and accompany neighbors in need.
- Liturgical: Lector, Altar Server, Usher, Sacristan
- Pastoral Care: homebound visits, prayer shawl ministry, funeral luncheon hospitality
- Intercessory Prayer Line
- Community Outreach — Works of Mercy in Northeast Minneapolis
Faith Formation, Sacraments, and Family Life
Holy Cross Parish supports families across every sacramental milestone. Laura Andersen coordinates Family Life and Baptism preparation; Bernadette Demers walks couples through Marriage Formation; the Lifelong Discipleship & Outreach office (Grant O'Neil) and Youth Discipleship team (Elizabeth Brown) accompany ongoing formation for children, teens, and adults. Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion, and Confirmation are all coordinated through the parish office at 1621 University Ave NE.
- Baptism: Laura Andersen, 612-930-0866
- Marriage: Bernadette Demers, 612-930-0867
- Youth Discipleship: Elizabeth Brown, 612-930-0875
- Lifelong Discipleship & Outreach: Grant O'Neil, 612-930-0869
Clergy, Staff, and Pastoral Leadership
Holy Cross Parish is currently pastored by Fr. Spencer Howe, with three parochial vicars — Fr. John Rumpza, Fr. Justus Musinguizi, and Frs. Miroslaw Szynal and Cyprian Czop (assigned to Polonia ministry). Dr. Sam Backman leads Sacred Music and Liturgical Life for all three campuses. The full parish team — from business administration and safe environment coordination to maintenance — supports the daily operation of the merged parish.
- Pastor: Fr. Spencer Howe
- Parochial Vicars: Fr. John Rumpza, Fr. Justus Musinguizi, Fr. Miroslaw Szynal, Fr. Cyprian Czop
- Director of Sacred Music / Liturgical Life: Dr. Sam Backman
- Business Administrator: John Gendreau
Heritage and Patroness — St. Hedwig of Silesia
St. Hedwig of Silesia (Jadwiga Śląska, 1174–1243) was a Bavarian-born princess who became Duchess of Silesia and later High Duchess of Poland. After her husband Henry the Bearded's death she entered Trzebnica Abbey, where she lived out a life of prayer, charity to the poor, and care for the sick. Pope Clement IV canonized her in 1267. She is venerated as Patroness of Poland and of Silesia, and her feast day is celebrated on October 16 in the General Roman Calendar.
- Born 1174 in Andechs, Bavaria; died 15 October 1243 at Trzebnica Abbey
- Canonized 26 March 1267 by Pope Clement IV
- Patroness of Poland, Silesia, Andechs, and the Archdiocese of Wrocław
- Feast day: October 16
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Donald Schwalm
Listed as Parochial Vicar serving St. Hedwig in coverage of Holy Cross parish.
- Rev. John Brandeis
Priest Chaplain for St. Anthony of Padua Chapel within the merged parish; previously served St. Boniface.
- Rev. Earl Simonson
Pastor Emeritus of St. Clement, one of the merged sister parishes.