Trains & More Trains
Cathedral of St. Paul
Churches function as gathering places for those of like beliefs. The buildings are as diverse as the people they serve.
This chapter offers tours of Catholic churches rich in history and steeped in tradition—right down to the stained glass windows and pungent scent of burning incense. Marvel at the exquisitely crafted pews and confessionals, hand-painted statues and stenciled ceilings and walls. Domed naves arch to the heavens.
Most churches are open daily—usually until early evening. Use a side entrance if you find the front doors locked.
CHURCHES
St. Boniface Church, Hastings
Option: Little Log House Village
St. Joseph Miesville Catholic Church, Hastings
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Vermillion
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, New Trier
Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul
Church of Saint Agnes, St. Paul
Church of the Assumption, St. Paul
Option: Mickey’s Diner
The Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis
Options: Loring Park, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
COUNTRY CHURCHES
1 St. Boniface Church
21889 Michael Avenue, Hastings; 651-437-2693; www.littleloghouseshow.com
Originally located in Hastings, historic St. Boniface found itself slated for demolition in 1995. Steve and Sylvia Bauer, owners of the Little Log House Village and Antique Power Show, bought the 1892 German Catholic church and dismantled it brick by brick, preserving the limestone foundation as well. They moved the materials, including the original stained glass windows, woodwork, light fixtures, pews and white painted altar to their antique village, then rebuilt the church to ⅔ scale. Open only during the Little Log House Antique Power Show in the last full F–Su in July. Fee charged. Wheelchair accessible.
OPTION
Established in 1989, the Bauer’s privately owned Little Log House Village comes alive annually during the last full weekend in July. See antique tractors work the fields as the threshers harvest grain. Belly up to the bar at the once bustling saloon, or watch the miller grind flour using waterwheel power. Explore old homesteads, an operating sawmill, a blacksmith shop, a general store, a schoolhouse, a butcher shop, a brothel, the Soo Line Depot and train, and old cars, machinery and tools. Stroll more than 40,000 square feet of beautiful gardens that were featured in the September 1999 issue of Country Living magazine. Take a walk or buggy ride over the world-famous spiral bridge (one of only three known to have existed in the world). Concessions; fee charged.
NOTE: Although the public may not enter the grounds without permission during the rest of the year, the village is definitely worth a drive-by.
2 St. Joseph Miesville Catholic Church
23955 Nicolai Avenue, Hastings; 651-437-3526; www.stjosephmiesville.com
Constructed in 1907, St. Joseph’s was completely rebuilt after a devastating fire. Tradition is alive and evident in this village church, right down to the unmistakable aroma of incense and candles burning before patron saints. St. Joe’s also has beautifully carved confessionals, wall stencils, hand-painted statues and a half dozen beautiful stained glass windows—including one in the balcony. Wheelchair accessible.
3 St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
106 West Main Street, Vermillion; 651-437-5652; www.stjohns-vermillion.com
This 1913 church has wonderful fluted columns, a half-circle choir loft, more than a dozen stained glass windows, a domed ceiling and ornate plaster moldings. A glorious trek into the past. Wheelchair accessible.
4 St. Mary’s Catholic Church
8433 239th Street East, New Trier; 651-437-5546; www.stmarysnewtrier.com
St. Mary’s is an imposing structure of red and white brick built high on a hill overlooking New Trier, a small village of 112 souls. The 1909 church is on the National Register of Historic Places and boasts an annual sausage supper right along with its mass schedule. Marvel at the unique curved communal rail, altar and side altars—all constructed of dark butternut edged in gold. The church has a domed ceiling over the nave and more than a dozen stained glass windows. Wheelchair accessible.
TWIN CITIES CHURCHES
5 Cathedral of St. Paul
239 Selby Avenue, St. Paul (across from the Minnesota History Center); 651-228-1766; www.cathedralsaintpaul.org
Cathedrals need not be grand—the only requirement is that they house the bishop’s chair, or cathedra. However, the Cathedral of St. Paul is regally grand, serving the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. French architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray produced the cathedral’s modified Renaissance design in the early 1900s. (Masqueray also designed The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis.) Behind the massive altar, separate alcoves display hauntingly beautiful statues of several patron saints. Wheelchair accessible.
