Reverends Jen Nagel and Hierald Osorto
BY KAY SCHROVEN
On Sunday, June 22, St. Paul’s – San Pablo held its annual Summer Block Fiesta. There was (free) Northern Fire Pizza, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, live music by Alma Andina and a colorful, native dance performance by Mexica Yolotl (a traditional Aztec dance group). Part of the church’s mission is to create joy in the Midtown Phillips community and this event certainly did just that. In spite of sweltering heat, it was well attended and there was a friendly, celebratory atmosphere.
St. Paul’s – San Pablo was founded as a neighborhood church in 1887 to meet the spiritual needs of the Swedish Lutheran immigrant community. Over time, it has become a church of mostly Latine immigrants, reflecting the changing demographics of the neighborhood. It has now been in the Midtown Phillips neighborhood for 138 years. The church, built in 1905 on 15th Avenue South, is still used today and operates as a bilingual RIC (Reconciliation in Christ) congregation. Mass is conducted in English and Spanish. The ministry reflects the neighborhood. That was true 100 years ago and it is still true today.
The Midtown Phillips neighborhood has challenges: financial (median income is about 60% below the city as a whole), pollution (still recovering from the arsenic ground
Mexica Yolotl dancers perform at the St. Paul’s – San Pablo Block Fiesta
contamination from a chemical manufacturer), and the many challenges that face diverse groups of immigrants and the marginalized. In this neighborhood that includes Latine and Somali immigrants as well as Native, Black, Asian and_Caucasian_Americans, with_additional_challenges related to health, language skills, housing, etc. None of this deterred Pastor Hierald Osorto.
Four years ago Pastor Hierald, (who was born in N.J. after his family fled a civil war in El Savador) was living in upstate New York and was the Director of Religious and Spiritual Life and Executive Director for Student Equity and Belonging at Ithaca College. He felt the need for change and sought to find the right community to join. He found it in St. Paul’s – San Pablo in the Midtown Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. Over the last four years Pastor Hierald has become a part of and has grown with this thriving, diverse community. Sunday services are typically attended by 50-60 parishioners but the church’s reach is much broader, providing services and programs to 400+ people. Regardless of the challenges, Pastor Hierald describes the congregation and community as rich in spirit and in the immeasurables, such as kindness, care, support and love. “We provide sanctuary,” he says. “because that is what the church does.”
Many churches in the U.S. that serve immigrants have expanded their humanitarian, financial, legal and pastoral ministries during the Trump administration’s immigration
St. Paul’s-San Pablo Block Party
crackdown. The administration has pushed the limits of power, clashed with judges and made immigration a top priority second only to the economy. Pastor Hierald says, “We are not hiding and we cannot live in fear and constant alarm. W have to find hope and joy together.”
Another goal of the St. Paul’s – San Pablo ministry is to support health and wellness. The church has hosted the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic to provide free health services for twenty years. On Mondays and
Thursdays the health clinic is opened from 6 to 9 p.m. It is staffed with University of Minnesota students, supervised by doctors and nurses and also involves 400 volunteers with experience in acupuncture, Reiki, cupping therapy, nutrition, language interpretation, social work and more. The Associated Press (5/2/25) released a piece about St. Paul’s – San Pablo Health & Wellness program called “Altar Acupuncture” which was published by media such as the New York Times and NBC news.
St. Paul’s – San Pablo church
St. Paul’s – San Pablo is also committed to youth in the community, creating opportunities to explore the spiritual through art, dance and language. In response to excessive graffiti in the neighborhood, St. Paul’s – San Pablo, through its ministry the Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts, created the first of many beautiful murals known as “Guerilla Garage” at Lake St. and Bloomington Avenue South. Since then, they have gone on to create 25 more. A new mural on the church’s front steps features two traditional Swedish Dala horses between
the Spanish words “sanación” (healing) and “resiliencia” (resilience).
In June St. Paul’s – San Pablo held their four day camp for 5-12 year olds. There were 26 Latine children in attendance. The goal of this program is to give the children new experiences, often cultural in nature, outside of their usual school and church routines. Trips to the Swedish Institute and the Bakken Museum were on the menu this year.
Pastor Hierald and the church community have developed partnerships with like-minded local organizations such as Hinterlands Puppet Co., Alcoholics Anonymous (Spanish speaking), Semilla (seed) Center for Arts & Healing, BareBones Productions and Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater.
Three years ago the church agreed on the following We Welcome statement,: “We
St. Paul’s – San Pablo Sunday celebration
welcome people of all national origins, races and ethnicities, all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, abilities/disabilities, class, family status, recovery status and other differences in lived experiences.”
Sunday Schedule:
11:15 a.m. bilingual worship
12:30 p.m. Fellowship Hour,
St. Paul’s – San Pablo
2742 15th Ave. S.
612-724-3862.
www.sanpablostpaul.org
