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Church of St. Adrian–Catholic facts for kids

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Church of St. Adrian--Catholic
Church of St. Adrian.jpg
Church of St. Adrian–Catholic is located in Minnesota
Church of St. Adrian–Catholic
Location in Minnesota
Church of St. Adrian–Catholic is located in the United States
Church of St. Adrian–Catholic
Location in the United States
Location Main and Church Sts., Adrian, Minnesota
Area less than one acre
Built 1900 (1900)
Architect Foeller, Henry
Architectural style Romanesque
MPS Nobles County MRA
NRHP reference No. 80002094
Added to NRHP May 15, 1980

The Church of St. Adrian–Catholic is a very old and important church building. You can find it at Main and Church Streets in Adrian, Minnesota, United States. It has a long history and is a special part of the community.

History of St. Adrian Church

The story of St. Adrian Church began in the late 1870s. At that time, Bishop John Ireland saw that southwestern Minnesota was growing. He asked Mayor Ben Thompson to find good places for new churches.

Founding the Parish

In 1877, Bishop Ireland started a new church group, called a parish, in Adrian. Back then, Adrian was a very small town. It only had three houses, two stores, one hotel, and a train stop. There was only one Catholic person living there! Father C. J. Knauf was the first leader of this new parish. The church was named after Saint Adrian, a brave warrior.

Early Church Buildings

The very first church building was made of wood. It was built in 1878 and cost about $700. Later, in 1887, a new building was constructed. This one was made of brick. Sadly, this brick church was destroyed by a fire on December 24, 1899.

Building the Current Church

After the fire, the community worked together to raise money for a new church. They collected $30,000, which was a lot of money back then! The first stone for the new church was placed on July 4, 1900. The church members started worshiping in this beautiful new building the next year, in 1901.

A Historic Landmark

Because of its long history and importance, the Church of St. Adrian was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means it is recognized as a special historic site in the United States.

St. Adrian Today

Today, the Church of St. Adrian is still an active place of worship. It is part of a group of four churches. This group includes St. Kilian Church in Wilmont Township, St. Anthony in Lismore, and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Wilmont.

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