THE FRIENDS OF ST. ROSE IS A 501 (C)(3) CORPORATION DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF ST. ROSE OF LIMA CHURCH IN CHERRY GROVE TOWNSHIP OF RURAL MINNESOTA.

St. Rose is a picturesque limestone church built in 1878 by Irish Immigrants who came to America with only their faith and their families in search of a better life. These pioneers chose Cherry Grove Township as the perfect location to settle and begin anew. St. Rose of Lima was built by these settlers skillful hands and stands as a testament to the priority of faith in their lives. Our goal is to collaborate with the Church, community, and historical groups, connecting all of us to our historic sacred past while honoring the Irish pioneers of St. Rose.

Mission Statement

To preserve and restore St. Rose of Lima as a center point for educating future generations of immigrant history by experiencing our pioneer past. St. Rose was built in 1878 by Irish Catholic immigrants who came to America in search of a better life. These immigrants eventually settled in Cherry Grove Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota. They built St. Rose of Lima using native limestone and trade skills from their homeland. St. Rose is emblematic of the pioneer experience and of an ethnic community coming to America and retains fundamental integrity to convey and express its significance as a wholly unaltered tangible piece of immigrant pioneer history.