| Pastors of Holy Rosary (1995-present)1995-2002 Charles Santaro, O.P.
2002-pres. Jose Santiago, O.P. |
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| 1995 Two Non-Ordained Commissioned |
| On January 15, 1995, responding to the possibility of a priestless Sunday, Fr. Gregory Moore, O.P. commissioned Sr. Martha Weigand, O.P. and Edward J. McDermott, O.P.L. who were appointed by Archbishop John Roach to be the first non-ordained members to lead the parish in worship on Sunday using the ritual Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest in emergency situations when there is not a priest available for Mass. Their appointment was for a three-year term. Similar ministers were appointed by the Archbishop throughout the archdiocese. |
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| 1995 Priory Closes |
| The priory officially closed in 1995 when the remaining priests were relocated, some going to the Dominican priory at St. Albert the Great parish. Rumors about the parish also closing were unfounded, but nonetheless spread through the congregation. Although during this period, Bishop Welsh approached the Dominican provincial office inquiring to purchase Holy Rosary so that the diocese could establish an Hispanic center, the Dominicans declined to sell and plans were made to offer more services to Hispanics who were moving into the neighborhood. |
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| 1990s The "Ellis Island of Minneapolis" |
|  | | | | | CENSUS DATA: | | | The Hispanic population in the Phillips Neighborhood increased from
667 in 1990 to
4,385 in 2000. | |
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Holy Rosary went through another significant transition in the 1990's as the demographics of Phillips Neighborhood continued to change. Over 100 ethnic groups are represented in the neighborhood. Holy Rosary's Sr. Martha Wiegand, O.P. refers to the neighborhood as "Ellis Island of Minneapolis." The Phillips Neighborhood's 17,500 residents are largely recent immigrants who make up the transient population. Many of the Hispanics are from Mexico and Ecuador. |
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| 1995 Bread for the Village Program Instituted |
| Each Friday since 1995 Lou and Jerry Schilling have unloaded a huge truck of food from Cub Foods. Maggie Rose sorts out the breads, rolls, sweet breads, pies, cakes and cookies and greets neighborhood residents. At least 60-80 families are served each week. |
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| 1996 Parish Hall Renovated |
| In 1996 it was necessary to renovate the kitchen and parish hall with a new floor, ceiling, painted wall, and all new kitchen appliances. Since the renovation, the area has become a gathering place of hospitality for parishioners, neighbors, friends, and the economically disadvantaged. The hall was named Martha's Vineyard in honor of Sr. Martha Wiegand, O.P. who spearheaded the renovation and raised $380,00 for the project. |
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| 1997 Elevator Makes Church Handicap Accessible |
| | | The church and parish hall were made handicap accessible in September 1997 when an elevator was installed and restrooms renovated for wheelchair accessibility. The total cost of the project was $240,000. |
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| 1997 Bilingual Church Sign Erected |
|  In Fall of 1997, a new church sign on the corner of 24th Street and 18th Avenue signified the parish's bilingual identity incorporating the Hispanic community with the long-time established Anglo community. The year marked the first time Holy Rosary Catholic Church was also officially termed as Santo Rosario Catholic Church. At the same time, the parish began to make a conscious effort to print all publications in both English and Spanish.
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| 1999 "Mall of Latin America" Opens |
| More than 40 Latino merchants at the Mercado Central, 1515 E. Lake St., opened for business in 1999, offering a range of goods and services worthy of a traditional Latin American market. Several of Holy Rosary's parishioners own businesses in the mall. |
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| 2000 Parish Supports Immigrants in Battle |
| | | | |  | | | Estela Albino prepares to sign the EEOC settlement agreement as co-workers (l-r) Norma Pineda, Rose Albino and Evertina Albino wait their turn. After the signing, Estella Albino said, "We thank the union, the church and everyone who supported us." (photo by Barb Kucera) |
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Parishioners at Holy Rosary Church, led by
Fr. Ed Leahy, O.P. supported and defended eight Mexican workers (seven of them parishioners) from the Holiday Inn Express after they were arrested by the INS. They led a massive candlelight vigil of more than 600 people October 18, 2000 outside the hotel on South 11th Street. Leahy had been active in helping the members of the hispanic community to speak up for their rights, including the right to collective bargaining in the workplace. Eventually, in a court settlement, $72,000 in compensatory damages and back wages were awarded to the immigrant workers. |
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| 2000 Fr. Leahy's Departure |
| Fr. Ed Leahy, O.P. leaves Holy Rosary. A priest of Irish ancestry who spoke Spanish as fluently as English, he was very popular among the people. A leader of Hispanic causes, he had charisma. Some Hispanic parishioners were upset about his departure and requested that the priest who replaces him be as fluent in Spanish as Leahy. |
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| 2001 ESL Classes For Immigrants Begin |
| | | |  | | | Computers are one of many resources students use to learn English. | |
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Sr. Sharon Casey, O.P. established an English as Second Language (ESL) program at Holy Rosary. The first registration of ESL students was conducted in August of 2000. Over one hundred students signed up for the free classes. Sister Martha Wiegand raised $60,000 to sustain the program through its first year. By January of 2001, the program accommodated 250 students.
Sr. Colleen Moran, O.P. became the program's second Director, and Sr. Peggy Marrin, O.P. was hired as a full time teacher. The school budget is $115,000 per year. When Sr. Colleen died suddenly in April 2002, Sr. Peggy and Ms. Sharon Brown became co-directors of the program. |
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| 2002 Parish Welcomes Hispanic Priest as Pastor |
| Father Jose M. Santiago, O.P. became pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in January 2002. For seven years before coming to Minneapolis, Father Jose was pastor of St. Dominic Church in Denver, Colorado. Father Jose loves parish life because it gives him an opportunity to minister with and to families throughout the life cycle, from birth to death. One of his goals in parish life is to help faith communities celebrate their diversity and grow in their communication within the community, the family, as couples, and personally. Parish life when it is healthy and vibrant is an image of Jesus' principle concept of the Reign of God on Earth in process. |
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| 2002 Neighborhood Crime-Prevention Patrol |
| In April 2002, the Neighborhood Citizens' Patrol was established and met each morning from 6-8 a.m. in order to patrol the streets and make the neighborhood safe from drugs and prostitituion. The group of 8-10 has volunteered over 2000 hours in its first four months. They post flyers that give advocacy information to prostitutes. The group cooperates with the 3rd police precinct, local businesses, and the Women's Program for Prostitutes. |
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| 2002 Parish Website Launched |
| In preparation for the parish's 125th anniversary, Fr. Jose Santiago, O.P. and Sr. Martha Wiegand, O.P. commission Br. Don Kania, O.P. to design a web site to showcase the programs offered by the parish, the church interior, the history of the parish, and an on-line photo archive. |
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| 2003 Looking Ahead |
|  As Fr. Jose Santiago, O.P. and the Parish Council prepare for the 125th Anniversary of the establishment of the parish, they anticipate continued growth and expansion of Hispanic ministry programs. Although the parish is very proud of its history, even with all the successes of previous generations, the parish confidently says today that the best is yet to come! Its members are committed to living the Gospel and want to positively influence the lives of all who come to their church.
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Holy Rosary/Santo Rosario Catholic Church
[Home] [Tour] [History] [Location] [Staff] [Sacraments] [Ministries] [School] [Outreach] Web site Designed by Don Kania, O.P. in consultation with Peggy Marrin, O.P.
Copyright 2002, Holy Rosary/Santo Rosario Catholic Church, Minnesota
All Rights Reserved
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