St. Thomas The Apostle - Corcoran, MN
Posted by: 
FSU*Noles
N 45° 05.680 W 093° 32.690
15T E 457129 N 4993611
This is St. Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church in Corcoran, MN - founded in 1884 and rebuilt in 1896. It is assumed that the name was chosen because it was the patron saint of the bishop of the diocese, Bishop Thomas Grace.
Waymark Code: WM3Z3D
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 06/08/2008
Views: 117
This church is actually the combination of three previous churches!
The first is the church of St. Mary, built to the NW of this location on June 21, 1881. That church, unfortunately, burnt down shortly after it was built. The bell that hangs in the bell tower of the current church was originally cast for St. Mary's.
The second church, the parish of St. Jeanne de Chantel, was built December 3, 1881 just a few miles west of this location.
The third church, the church of St. Patrick of Maple Grove, was established on December 12, 1882. When this church burned down in the late 1800's, orders came from the Archdiocese that there was to be just one church in the local area, and the site chosen was this one, in Corcoran.
Around 1894, Father Adam Coyle was sent to Corcoran by Bishop Ireland to consolidate the parishes of St. Thomas and St. Patrick, and to build a new church. The new church was officially founded on March 11, 1895, when Father Coyle signed the incorporation papers. The first mass was held in the new church on Christmas Day, 1896 but it wasn't until nearly a century later that the Parish of St. Patrick was legally dissolved.
On June 24 1952, the Corcoran area was struck by a massive tornado. The church of St. Jeanne de Chantel was completely destroyed, and only the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus survived. This statue now sits in a place of honor in the St. Thomas Parish Center.
After the tornado, a decision was made to consolidate the parishes of St. Jeanne's and St Thomas. On October 6, 1992 the three parishes of The Church of St. Jeanne de Chantel, The Church of St. Patrick and St. Thomas the Apostle merged into a single legal entity.
This church has now served the community continuously for over 112 years, with services still being held inside this historic church!
Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 03/11/1895
Age of Church building determined by?: Church website
If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Roman Catholic
If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday
Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 8:00 AM
Street address of Church:
20000 County Road 10
Corcoran, MN USA
55340
Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]
If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed
Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:1) A photo of the church is required for visits to a waymark.
2) Please share some comments about your visit.
3) Additional photos are encouraged. If you can have information in addition to that already provided about this church, please share it with us.