Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul has the distinction of being the
first Spanish-speaking church in the state of Minnesota. Begun in
1931 as a mission for Mexican Americans and other Spanish-speaking
Catholics, it was first located in a rented storefront. Later it moved to a
former pool hall. Eventually, the community was able to purchase the
entire building. In 1961, when the West Side Flats were demolished, the
parish moved to its current location at 401 Concord Street.
Under the leadership of its pastors and women religious, especially
Sr. Mary Giovanni of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Our Lady of
Guadalupe provided educational, social, and legal assistance programs
to the community.
Since the 1970s, many other Latino groups have been integrated into the
life of the parish. In recent years, Our Lady of Guadalupe was designated a
Diocesan Shrine to honor its seminal role in the Latino Catholic community.