User talk:Gui-n-ca

72.197.97.115 08:38, 13 August 2007 (UTC)Hi. This writer is an 80 year old gentleman, now living in California. In regards to the discussion about the OUR LADY OF LOURDES Catholic church in Minneapolis, you folks were in a discussion of the historical aspect of the historic church. If I may voice an observation I experienced in the years 1937 through 1950 for sure (and through 1965 - unsure): IN THE VESTIBULE OF THAT CHURCH WAS DESPLAYED A FRAMED CERTIFICATE, THE ORIGIONNAL, STATING THAT THIS BUILDING IS REGISTERED IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE. THE DOCUMENT WAS SIGNED BY HAROLD ICKES, SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, UNDER THE F.D. ROOSEVELT ADMINISTRATION. The document was dated in the mid 1930's.         Very breifly. In the Twin Cities, there was a heavy population of French decendent people, mostly from French Canada, whom were decendents of the Acadia, in the time of EVANGILINE. These French pioneers in early Minneapolis, founded their Catholis Parish in what was known at that time, Hennepin, Minnesota. That area evolved into the near North-east Minneapolis. In time, they built a larger Church at what is now Main Street and Eighth Ave. in Northeast Minneapolis. They named that church SAINT ANTHONY. As time progressed many Irish Catholic settlers came into the area and settled in the St. Anthony Parish. In time the Parish became dominated by the Irish folks and the French decided to establish a new Church. That is when the present church on Lourdes Place, formaly 21 Prince St. S.E., changed from a UNIVERLIST Church to a Catholic Church. You know why the French named it NOTRE DAME de LOURDES Parish. The church, from the time the French Ethnic Community in Minneapolis founded it in the 1800's, until the mid 1960's, when the majority of French Canadien disapated throughout the Twin Cities and the whole of the U.S., this church was known as NOTRE DAME de LOURDES - "the French Church". In the 1960's the church went though a transition from "The French Church" to what it is today. Little semblence of the French History. Nevertheless, Secretary Of the Interior of the United States, did indeed sign a certificate proclaiming the building as "A NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE".

Italic textABOUT THIS WRITER. His first name is Guillaume (French for William). He was born in Minneapolis in 1926. He was baptised in Notre Dame de Lourdes Church in January 1927. His Grade School Years was attended at the "French School", "Notre Dame", on Fifth St and Sixth Ave. in Northeast Minneapolis. His 6 older siblings also attended the Parish school. He was an alterboy there, and later sang in the Church Choir. The rest is history.72.197.97.115 08:38, 13 August 2007 (UTC) gui-n-ca