The first homes in St. Anthony Park were built during the 1880s. At that time, Catholics living in the area had three choices for Mass: they could hop on the Short Line train to either St. Paul or Minneapolis, or they could hike three miles to the chapel of St. Thomas Seminary or St. Mark. By 1908, they were ready for their own parish. The first Mass in St. Anthony Park was offered at the Odd Fellows Hall. The first Mass at St. Cecilia was offered in 1913. The parish was very active in World War I, as the Aviation Corps quartered 3,500 men in the neighborhood. A special Mass was provided for the Catholics among them on Sundays. Over the years that followed, the parish struggled as the Depression, World War II, and the building of Interstate 94 and Highway 280 took their toll on the community. The school closed in 1968. But the community’s love for St. Cecilia parish has kept it alive, and many travel some distance to continue to worship in this beloved church.
