St. Theodore (Diocese of Winona–Rochester)

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St. Theodore
Dedication: St. Theodore
Type/Classification: Territorial Parish
Non-Parochial: No
Operated By: Diocesan clergy
Venerated Saints: None specified
Diocese: Diocese of Winona–Rochester
Deanery:
Address: 315 E Clark St., Albert Lea, Minnesota 56007-0604
City: Albert Lea, MN
Subdivision: Minnesota
Country: United States
County: Freeborn County
Website: Website
Founded:
School: Yes
Email: None specified
AI Confidence: 6/10
Review Level: 0/5


St. Theodore is a territorial parish of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester, located in Albert Lea, Minnesota, in Freeborn County. Dedicated to Saint Theodore, the parish serves Catholics in and around Albert Lea and also provides a Catholic presence for students at Riverland Community College's Albert Lea campus.

The parish traces its roots to the earliest organized Catholic settlement in the Albert Lea area in the nineteenth century, and it continues today as an active parish community with faith formation programs and an elementary school.

St. Theodore operates St. Theodore Catholic School, a Pre-K through grade 5 elementary school serving the parish and surrounding community.

History

The first St. Theodore Church was built by Catholic families of the Albert Lea vicinity and was dedicated on September 9, 1877, with Father Peter Daignault serving as the parish's first resident pastor to Albert Lea and its surrounding missions.[1]

In September 1887, Father James Donovan arrived at the parish and became a guiding force in its development, introducing weekly devotions in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and establishing a Holy Name Society for the parish's men.[2]

Msgr. Bernard Mangan arrived at the parish in February 1952. During his administration, a 4.9-acre property was purchased in 1953 for a new parish school, with ground broken that same year. In September 1954, the new school opened with 156 pupils in grades six through nine; because construction coincided with the Marian Year, the school was originally named St. Mary Junior High. Declining enrollment led to the school's closure from 1971 until it reopened in 1995.[3]

Today, St. Theodore Parish continues to operate a Pre-K through grade 5 school on its Albert Lea campus, serving students from the surrounding community.[4] Specific dates for subsequent church building expansions or renovations beyond the parish's own historical summary are not documented in publicly available sources.

Special features

  • Devotions in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, a tradition dating to the pastorate of Father James Donovan in the late nineteenth century
  • Active Holy Name Society tradition traceable to the parish's early history
  • Catholic campus ministry presence for students of Riverland Community College in Albert Lea
  • St. Theodore Catholic School, serving Pre-K through grade 5 students

Relics

According to established Catholic tradition, the main altar of a dedicated parish church customarily contains deposited relics of saints. Specific details regarding the relics associated with St. Theodore's altar are not publicly documented in available sources.

Architecture and Art

Exterior features

The current St. Theodore church building stands on the parish's longstanding Clark Street site in Albert Lea. Detailed architectural documentation of the exterior, including its construction date and style, is not publicly available in sources consulted for this article.

Interior features

No detailed public documentation of the church's interior layout or renovations was located in available sources.

Stained Glass Windows

Specific details regarding the church's stained glass windows are not publicly documented in available sources.

Statues and Sculptures

Specific details regarding statuary within the church are not publicly documented in available sources.

Other Artwork

No further devotional artwork is publicly documented in available sources.

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Media

No media found for this saint.

Related parishes

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External links

Social media

Official Social Media

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". St. Theodore Catholic Church. https://sttheo.org/about-us-1. 
  2. ↑ "About Us". St. Theodore Catholic Church. https://sttheo.org/about-us-1. 
  3. ↑ "About Us". St. Theodore Catholic Church. https://sttheo.org/about-us-1. 
  4. ↑ "About Us". St. Theodore Catholic Church. https://sttheo.org/about-us-1. 
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