Second Century Of Faith

YEAR

EVENT

1966

Establishment of “The Island,” Youth Drop-In Center. 

The Youth Road Show “Mississippi Stop” is developed and produced by the St. Peter Claver Youth.  The play is presented with numerous parishes and organizations for a period of two years.

1967

The planning process of Archdiocesan Educational Collaboration begins.  St. Peter Claver, with St. Vincent, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Stanislaus, and Cathedral Schools, try to develop an innovated Catholic Educational Consortium.  The planning process continues for three years.

1968

Fr. Flahavan leaves St. Peter Claver to become director of the Archdiocesan Office of Urban Development.

1969

Fr. Grzeskowiak leaves the parish; Fr. Gerald Kenney is named pastor.

Isabel Calloway becomes the parish Youth leader.

Guitar Masses are introduced to the parish and become an intermittent part of the liturgy for several years.  Cyrill Paul also contributes the Caribbean sound to the liturgy for about two years.

Parish discussions begin for the development of a Parish Council.

The College of St. Thomas becomes educational coordinating institution for Project Discovery.  Chester Oden coordinates the grant writing function for the project and also oversees the teacher-education component of the project. 

1970

Project Discovery begins classes.  Jesse Cotton is named project director. 

A Youth Gospel Ensemble begins to provide music for the liturgy under the direction of Lyn Graham and Ethel Myers.  The group stayed together about 5 years.

The Donut Factory is established to provide financial support to the St. Peter Claver building of Project Discovery under the direction of Marguerite Carter.  The project lasted 3 years. 

1971

Parish elects the first Parish Council; meetings begin in the Fall.

1972

Jesse Cotton named principal of St. Peter Claver building of Project Discovery.

1975

The Oblate Sisters of Providence withdraw the Sisters from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis due to a need to re-distribute personnel.

1977

Fr. Kenney leaves the parish;  Fr. John Brown is assigned as pastor.

Fr. Brown begins process of empowering members of the parish to take more ownership of the parish.  He supports Africentric liturgy by sending Rita Commodore, Parish Council Liturgy Chair, and another representative to the National Office of Black Catholics Liturgy Conference in Indiana.  Rev. Clarence Rivers is the keynote presenter.