About St. Thomas · Jessenland, Minnesota
The Oratory of St. Thomas in Jessenland Township, Minnesota, is the historic Catholic chapel at the heart of what is widely recognized as the first Irish-American farming settlement in the state of Minnesota. Established in 1855 and built up around a community of Irish Catholic settlers who arrived along the Minnesota River beginning in 1852, the present steepled wooden church was completed in 1870 in a Greek Revival style and remains the oldest church standing in Sibley County. The oratory was merged into St. Mary, Arlington as part of the Corpus Christi Area Faith Community, and in 2023 the Diocese of New Ulm closed and sold the building to the non-profit Friends of Jessenland, which now operates it as the Jessenland Historical & Cultural Center while the hillside cemetery remains in the perpetual care of the Diocese.
- Established
- 1855
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle
- Diocese
- Diocese of New Ulm
Why belong here
St. Thomas, Jessenland, is no longer an active worship site — it was closed as an oratory in 2023 and merged into St. Mary, Arlington (part of the Corpus Christi Area Faith Community, www.corpuschristiafc.org). For Catholics in the Jessenland area today, parish life — including Mass, sacraments, confession, and faith formation — continues at St. Mary, Arlington and the other Corpus Christi AFC parishes of St. Michael (Gaylord) and St. Pius X (Glencoe). The historic 1870 church building itself is now preserved as the Jessenland Historical & Cultural Center, where visitors can learn about Minnesota's first Irish-American farming settlement and explore the heritage of the Doheny families and their neighbors.
History of the Parish
St. Thomas, Jessenland, grew out of the 1852 arrival of Thomas Doheny on the steamboat Black Oak and the subsequent settlement of his brothers Walter and Dennis Doheny at Doheny's Landing on the Minnesota River. By 1854 some 200 settlers, most of them Irish Catholics, had staked claims, and in 1855 the parish was formally organized with Father Thomas McManus (McMannus) as its first priest. A log church was raised about 1855, replaced by a frame church ca. 1862, and the present steepled wooden church was completed in 1870 under Father Theodore Venn. It is the oldest church standing in Sibley County and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1991).
- 1852 — Thomas Doheny arrives by steamboat; brothers Walter and Dennis follow in 1853
- 1855 — Parish of St. Thomas formally organized
- 1856 — Oldest tombstone in the cemetery dated this year
- ca. 1862 — Frame church replaces original log church
- 1870 — Present Greek Revival church built; cornerstone laid by Fr. Theodore Venn and Walter Doheny
- 1878 — Rectory constructed
- 1881 — Parish reaches about 130 families
- 1991 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- 2023 — Oratory closed; building sold to Friends of Jessenland
The Doheny Brothers and the First Irish Farming Settlement
The settlement began with Thomas Doheny's steamboat journey up the Minnesota River in July 1852, followed by Walter and Dennis Doheny's 1853 trip fifty miles to St. Paul to file additional claims. The brothers' river stop — Doheny's Landing — briefly rivaled Henderson as an entry point for immigrants. By 1854 the three brothers were joined by roughly 200 settlers, almost all Irish Catholic, fleeing rural poverty in the East and, in many family histories, the lingering effects of Ireland's potato failures.
- Steamboat Black Oak brought Thomas Doheny to Jessenland Township on July 9, 1852
- Doheny's Landing on the Minnesota River rivaled Henderson as a river port
- Post-1851 Treaty of Traverse des Sioux opened the Minnesota River Valley to white settlement
- Catholic press promoted Minnesota as a 'promised land' for beleaguered Irish immigrants
Architecture and the Church Complex
The St. Thomas complex consists of three resources on a five-acre hillside parcel overlooking the Minnesota River Valley: the 1870 Greek Revival church, the 1878 rectory, and a hillside cemetery whose oldest marked grave is dated 1856. The church measures 36 by 85 feet, with a pediment gable roof, slender round tower and spire, and Georgian stylistic overtones. It was built by men of the parish under local builder Wilson, directed by Father Theodore Venn. The roof was replaced in 2013 and repairs were made to the steps prior to the 2023 transfer to Friends of Jessenland.
- 1870 church — Greek Revival, 36' × 85'
- 1878 rectory — wood-frame
- Hillside cemetery — oldest tombstone 1856
- 2013 — Roof replaced and gutters updated
- 1991 — NRHP listing (NRHP reference No. 88003085)
The Cemetery
The five-acre parcel was donated by William and Mary Young and was sited on the higher ground to the rear of the property so that high water from the nearby Minnesota River would not threaten the graves. The cemetery served as the burial ground for the original Irish Catholic farming community and remains in the perpetual care of the Diocese of New Ulm even after the 2023 sale of the church and rectory to Friends of Jessenland.
- Land donated by William and Mary Young
- Oldest tombstone dated 1856
- Remains under the perpetual care of the Diocese of New Ulm
Closing of the Oratory and the Friends of Jessenland
In 2023 the Diocese of New Ulm formally closed the Oratory of St. Thomas and sold the church building and rectory to the non-profit Friends of Jessenland, which is converting the complex into the Jessenland Historical & Cultural Center. The new center's mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, share, and celebrate the history and culture of the Jessenland area and the Minnesota River Valley, with programming on the three nationalities of the area — French, German, and Irish — and a dedicated Irish Cultural Center for genealogy, music, food, and art.
- Friends of Jessenland — 501(c)(3) non-profit
- Mailing address: PO Box 234, Henderson, MN 56044
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.jessenland.org
- Partners include Knights of Columbus, Ancient Order of Hibernians (Shamrock Division), Minnesota Irish Genealogical Society, Sibley County Historical Society, Henderson Historical Society, Belle Plaine Historical Society, Minnesota Historical Society, French American Heritage Foundation of Minnesota, Celtic Junction, and the Minnesota Department of Tourism
Pastoral Succession
The earliest priests served the rural farming community on horseback or by steamboat from St. Paul. Father Thomas McManus (Irish) and Father Somereisen (German) are recorded as visiting Jesenland Catholics as early as 1854, before the parish was formally organized. Father Theodore Venn, often credited as the designer of the present church, became the first resident pastor and laid the cornerstone in 1870. The parish was subsequently ministered by pastors of the Diocese of New Ulm and is now merged into St. Mary, Arlington, where sacramental records are kept.
- Father Thomas McManus (McMannus) — first priest (visiting, 1854)
- Father Somereisen — visiting priest (1854)
- Father Theodore Venn — first resident pastor; built and possibly designed the 1870 church
- Sacramental records now held at St. Mary, Arlington
Jessenland and the Minnesota River Valley
Jessenland Township sits along the west bank of the Minnesota River about five miles north of Henderson. The river served as the lifeline of the early settlement, supplying goods and exporting agricultural products — wheat, potatoes, corn, and furs — first by barge to La Crosse and later by rail after the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad reached Henderson in 1871. A single February 1873 shipment moved 82,865 bushels of wheat from the Henderson warehouses, much of it grown in Jessenland Township and neighboring Irish-settled townships of Green Isle, Washington Lake, and Faxon.
- Minnesota River as primary transportation route in the 1850s–1860s
- Henderson platted by Joseph R. Brown in 1855
- St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad reaches Henderson in 1871
- By 1870 Jessenland Township was the most populous township in Sibley County (pop. ~700–900)
Heritage and Cultural Programming
Since acquiring the building in 2023, Friends of Jessenland have hosted Christmas concerts, choir concerts, food and clothing drives, community dinners, and a KFAI MinneCulture documentary (April 2026) about the church and preservation efforts. The site's Irish Cultural Center is envisioned as a hub for genealogy research, Irish music, food, and art, with a concert series, classes, and events in collaboration with the Ancient Order of Hibernians' local Shamrock Division, the Minnesota Irish Genealogical Society, and Celtic Junction in St. Paul.
- KFAI MinneCulture podcast documentary by Kyle Shiely (April 2026)
- AOH Shamrock Division active on site
- Concerts, community dinners, and seasonal fundraisers
- Genealogy and archives work in partnership with the Minnesota Irish Genealogical Society
Visiting the Site
The church sits prominently on a hillside five miles north/northeast of Henderson, Minnesota, along the Minnesota River Scenic Byway. Its iconic white clapboard exterior, steepled tower, and grove of trees have made it a favorite subject for photographers — including Sarafina Claeys, whose September 2010 sunrise image of the church won a Smithsonian Magazine photo contest. Visitors are encouraged to check jessenland.org for the latest tour and event schedule during the cultural center's restoration.
- 31624 Scenic Byway Road, Jessenland Township
- Nearest city: Henderson, Minnesota
- Approximately 5 miles N/NE of Henderson on the Minnesota River Scenic Byway
- Smithsonian Magazine photo contest winner (2010) — Sarafina Claeys
Diocese of New Ulm
St. Thomas, Jessenland, is one of the oldest parishes in the Diocese of New Ulm. The Diocese listed the oratory as merged into St. Mary, Arlington (Deanery 1), with all sacramental records kept at St. Mary. The Diocese retains perpetual care of the St. Thomas cemetery.
- Diocese of New Ulm — Deanery 1
- Merged into St. Mary, Arlington
- Sacramental records at St. Mary, Arlington
Related Parishes in the Corpus Christi Area Faith Community
The former St. Thomas oratory is administered together with three surviving parishes of the Corpus Christi Area Faith Community, which share pastors, staff, and a single website at corpuschristiafc.org. Worship for Jessenland-area Catholics now centers on St. Mary, Arlington (Sunday Mass 8:00 AM, daily Mass Friday 9:30 AM), with the AFC's other Masses at St. Michael, Gaylord (Saturday 5:00 PM) and St. Pius X, Glencoe (Sunday 10:00 AM English and 12:00 PM Spanish, Tuesday 5:30 PM). Confession is offered Sunday 7:30–8:00 AM at St. Mary; Tuesday 5:00–5:30 PM at St. Pius X; Thursday 9:00–9:30 AM at St. Michael; Friday 9:00–9:30 AM at St. Mary; and Saturday 9:00–10:00 AM and 4:15–4:55 PM at St. Michael.
- St. Mary — 504 7th Ave. NW, Arlington, MN 55307
- St. Michael — Gaylord, MN
- St. Pius X — 1014 Knight Ave. N., Glencoe, MN 55336
- AFC phone: (507) 964-5413
- AFC website: www.corpuschristiafc.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Thomas McManus (McMannus)1854–
First priest to serve the parish (visiting from St. Paul); the parish's dedication to St. Thomas is attributed to him.
- Father Theodore Vennca. 1862–
First resident pastor; directed and possibly designed the present 1870 church and laid its cornerstone with trustee Walter Doheny.