Aerial view from the southwest, showing the church, rectory and school. A foundation hole has been dug for the convent building. To the west, most homes and businesses have been razed to make way for construction of Interstate 94.
Aerial view from the southwest, showing the rectory and school buildings. Taken before construction of Interstate 94, so shows homes and businesses in surrounding neighborhood.
Schools in North-central Minnesota (1871-1909). Eden Valley was platted in 1886 when the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Company laid their tracks through the area, Eden Valley developed rather rapidly. By 1901 three Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph went there to teach in temporary classrooms until the new parochial school was completed in 1902. Eventually the enrollment peaked at 310 with 8 sisters teaching at the Assumption School. Watkins The same year, the neighboring town of Watkins was platted along the same railroad. By 1907 the Catholic parish, St. Anthony's, in Watkins was large enough to build its own parochial school. The Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph were invited to teach there and the school soon realized an enrollment of 200 pupils. In subsequent years, the school developed to a peak of 321 students and for some years included high school classes (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, Olsenius, page 137).
The vested Basilica Boys' Choir stands and sings carols before the 5:00 a.m. Mass on Christmas morning. Choir director and organist George Bussman plays a small portable organ just outside the sacristy rail. Boys pictured include: Tommy Hendricks, Martin Strong, Tom Bennett, Danny Stone, and Laird Miller.
View from Hennepin Avenue of the church, hung with banners for the Ninth National Eucharistic Congress on the day of its Consecration. Father Hennepin Memorial is obscured by a tree.
Front exterior is hung with multiple banners. A number of Congress events were held at the church, and rector Father James M. Reardon was General Chairman of the event.
Church and rectory seen through trees along 16th Street North. Noted on reverse by the rector, "The New Look" - probably refers to recent work cleaning the stone and retuckpointing.
Panoramic photograph of the students of the Basilica School, grades 1 through 8. The children are posed on the south side steps of the school building.
Mass celebrating the Basilica being named Co-Cathedral of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. At center behind forward altar, Archbishop Leo Binz, flanked by Father Colbert and Father Gormely.
Interior view of sanctuary during Consecration Mass of the Basilica of Saint Mary. Banners for the Ninth National Eucharistic Congress bedeck the pillars and baldachin.
Exterior view of the St. Mary's Parish School with children in front of the building. They are posed with pastor, Reverend Ansgar Osendorf, Order of Saint Benedict (OSB).
Schools in north-central Minnesota (1871-1909). New Munich began with a few small buildings built by two men, Burns and Sutton, in 1855. They also ran a small "wayside" inn for the stagecoach that ran north-south through this part of the county. The town gradually settled around the church built by the German Catholics. In 1879 three sisters came to New Munich to teach in the district school at the request of the pastor. The trustees and the people did not agree with this decision and hired a lay teacher. The pastor then opened a parochial school in the church basement, but attendance was very small and leaders of the antagonism made it almost impossible for the sisters to live there. Despite the set-backs, the sisters won the good will of the people so that the following year the school opened with over 100 children enrolled (Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives, Olsenius, page 120; Jaakkola and Frericks, page 77).
Color guard exits down front steps, past large crowds to either side. Leaving Memorial Mass said for Marshall Ferdinand Foch, Generalissimo of the allied forces in WWI. The Mass was said the same day Foch was laid to rest at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Consecration of the altar of the shrine of St. Anthony. Consecrator Bishop James Morrison, Bishop of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, is assisted by Father Thomas J. McNamara.
Composite panoramic photograph showing crowds gathered for the dedication of the Father Hennepin Memorial on the grounds of the Basilica. Clergy and Knights of Columbus process down the steps towards the monument. Homes and the Beldon Porter Co. are visible along 17th St. N.
The Solemn Communion Class for 1937 poses on the front steps of the Basilica. Father James M. Reardon and four assistant priests stand at the top. Children include: Colleen Macintosh, Katherine Wolfe, Bonny Howard, Mary Iacona, Pat Haverty, Teddy Lotz, Anthony Mandile, George Mastros, Anthony Battaglia, Joe Battaglia, Russel Favorite, Sammy Iacona, Robert Iacona, Terrence Sweeny, and Danny Skay.
In the pulpit, Archbishop John Gregory Murray preaches his first Pontifical Mass at the Basilica. Assisting were Father James Reardon (rector), Father Thomas Cullen (former rector).
View of the German Roman Catholic Teachers Meeting at St. Martin. The parish church served as background. Eight priests are part of the photo, but only two are identified: Reverend Leo Winter, Order of Saint Benedict (OSB), and Placid Wingerter, Order of Saint Benedict (OSB). J. Conrad Diekmann is on the extreme right.