Mission Statement
We, the members of All Saints Parish, gather together to promote our lifelong faith journey. We are committed to gaining a greater understanding of God through Word and Sacrament, faith formation, responsible stewardship, and service to those in need. By reaching out to others and uniting as a family, we seek to make God a primary focus in our lives.
Parish History
Archbishop Henry P. Rohlman established All Saints Parish in the southeast quarter of Cedar Rapids in 1947, appointing Father Bernard G. Collins as the first pastor. There were eighty families in the parish, most of them former members of Immaculate Conception Parish.
In the summer of 1948 Father George A. Stemm was appointed pastor. The ground had already been broken for a combination church and school. Christmas Mass that year was celebrated in the unfinished building. In August 1949 the building was dedicated.
The parish school opened September 1949 with 141 students in grades K through 8.
Father Louis V. McDonough was appointed pastor in 1952. That year adjoining property was purchased to provide for expansion.
A new church was constructed under the leadership of Msgr. Edmund Becker and was dedicated in November of 1966. By 1967 the parish had grown to more than 700 families. In 1984 the parish installed the pipe organ. The Msgr. Becker Parish Center, consisting of a multi-purpose room and gym, was constructed and dedicated in 1987.
An 8.3 million dollar construction project, led by Fr. David O'Connor began in 2009. It was completed the same year and included a partial renovation of the school and church plus construction of a narthex, social hall, parish offices, a parking lot, and a walkway between the church and school. The project included geothermal heating and cooling. Mass in the renovated church was first celebrated on Christmas Eve. Queen of All Saints Chapel, a part of the narthex, was completed in 2010. A kitchen adjacent to the social hall will be completed in 2011.
The parish, composed of 1052 families and 2994 souls, is a Twenty-First Century Catholic catalyst through its support of Catholic education, electronic evangelical outreach, and renewal of hearts and minds through the preaching of the Gospel and sacramental life. All Saints is a leaven for the southeast side of Cedar Rapids and beyond.