Incarnation Church

OThe Beginning of a Community  by Matthew J. Rieger (written 2009)

It was in the year 1907 that several members of St. Stephens Church on 22nd and Clinton approached Archbishop John Ireland, head of the Archdiocese of St. Paul, regarding the establishment of a new church south of Lake Street. The area was then considered the southern outskirts of Minneapolis. The Archbishop was reluctant to do so, however, because he felt the area, which was primarily open prairie with a scattering of homes, had too few Catholic families. Finally, after many meetings and several conferences with his Minneapolis priests, Archbishop Ireland appointed Father James M. Cleary as the founder and pastor of the new parish. This was in the summer of 1909. 
 

Father Cleary was born in Dudham,  Massachusetts on September 8, 1849, the son of Thomas and Julia Cleary who had come to this country from County Galway, Ireland. There were five other boys besides James in the family, and his father, a farmer, found it difficult to make a living from the stony soil. The family moved to Walworth County, Wisconsin where the future priest spent the greater part of his childhood attending public schools and caring for daily tasks  around the farm. At the age of 15 years, young James was sent to St. Lawrence College near Fond du Lac and then to St. Francis College at Milwaukee. He finished his seminary course in 1871. Priesthood was conferred on the young man when he was but 22 years old. The ordination took place in the chapel of St. Francis Seminary on July 9, 1872. He celebrated his first mass the following Sunday in St. Peter's Church, East Troy, Wisconsin.

http://www.inc-scj.org/our-history.html

I live across from this church at 38th Street and Grand Avenue.  It is an active church.  It is wonderful to see how the population on the church has changed, and how the church has changed to meet these needs.   The congregation has several Spanish services, and today I sat in on a quinceañera.