St. Katharine Drexel was established on June 21, 2004, after religious,
civic and community leaders jointly requested a new Catholic parish
in response to anticipated growth in the Northwest Metro. Archbishop Harry Flynn honored
the request and announced the formation of a new parish in Ramsey: St. Katharine Drexel,
named after the American saint who died in 1955 and was canonized in 2000.
Word of the new parish quickly spread. Lay leaders emerged and helped plan the first Mass,
which took place at the PACT Charter School on January 30, 2005. As the parish grew, so too did
the need for increased dedicated space. The “warehouse turned prayer house” was inaugurated
on Palm Sunday, March 27-28, 2010. The space was formally blessed and the altar dedicated by
Archbishop Flynn on September 26, 2010.
Today, St. Katharine continues to be a growing, spiritually engaged community. In 2024, the
community began building a permanent home among the Burr Oaks, on beautiful land next
to Ramsey’s Central Park.