Pax Christi got its start in the late 1970s, a time of explosive growth for the suburbs of Eden
Prairie and West Bloomington. Catholic families moving into the area became members
of churches in surrounding communities, including Bloomington, Edina, Chanhassen, and
Glen Lake. Families organized their own home-based religious education program, and
that group became the nucleus of a new parish. In November 1979, Diana Pauling and Mary
Beth Buckman began the formal process of petitioning the Archdiocese for a new parish.
They presented a viability study to the Archdiocese in March 1980, and that same year the
Archdiocese gave its official blessing to the new parish and allowed the community to choose
the name: Pax Christi. Father Tim Power was appointed founding pastor.
With no church yet, the parish moved to several locations for Mass and acquired the nickname
“The Traveling Salvation Show.” The community continued to grow, and by the time the church
building was complete, it numbered 1,000 households. Today, Pax Christi is the church home for
over 3,000 households who participate in 115 ministries and activities.