Fr. Hennepin Memorial
Heather Craig, the archivist for the Basilica of Saint Mary, chose this panoramic photo from the dedication of the Father Hennepin Memorial from their collection in MDL:
Background
This panoramic photo (pieced together from two separate images) shows the crowds gathered for the October 12, 1930 dedication of the Fr. Hennepin Memorial, erected by the Knights of Columbus. Groups of Knights from parishes across Minnesota participated in the procession.
Significance
I think the photo represents the centrality of faith in the Minneapolis Catholic Community earlier this century. It is also one of the few images in our collection that shows the Basilica in the context of the surrounding neighborhood - it is hard now, with the freeway, to imagine this enormous structure surrounded by homes and small shops.
Why is it one of your favorites?
I love seeing the church in the context of being a neighborhood church. I love that so many people turned out to dedicate a statue - that would never happen today, no matter who was being honored. Admittedly, Fr. Hennepin's legacy is problematic today - which is another reason I think the image is valuable.
How does it represent your organization's region or role?
Since it opened, the Basilica has seen itself not just as a Catholic parish church but a church for all the people of Minneapolis. While this was a Catholic event, I feel like the crowds show to some degree how many people, while not in the parish, still felt a strong connection to the church building.
About the Basilica of St. Mary
The archival collection of the Basilica of Saint Mary contains documents and artifacts dating to the parish's founding in 1858. Images contributed to the Minnesota Digital Library include: photographs documenting the life of the church from 1907 to 1966; architectural drawings for the interior finish of the Basilica church, rectory and sacristy in the 1920s, primarily from the St. Paul firm Slifer & Abrahamson; selected Announcement books from 1881-1928.
Browse the Basilica of St. Mary collection in MDL.
See more favorites using the page links below.