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ALL SAINTS CATHOLIC CHURCH · CEDAR RAPIDS

A story of faith
and belonging.

From eighty founding families to a remarkable round church and generations of service, the story of All Saints is one of worship, welcome, and a community that keeps growing.

Explore our history
Historic gathering during the blessing of the All Saints construction site
An early chapter in the All Saints story
1947Parish founded by eighty families
1966Landmark round church dedicated
2000Partnership with a parish in Haiti begins
2009Christmas Eve Mass in the renewed church
202275 years of parish community

THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

Rooted in the past.
Growing in faith.

All Saints has been shaped by more than the buildings on its campus. Its history is also a story of people: families who founded a parish, priests who guided its growth, and generations of parishioners who put their faith into action.

Explore five chapters, with historic photographs and records that help tell the story.

01 / THE BEGINNINGS1947

A parish begins
with a community.

In September 1947, the Archdiocese of Dubuque purchased five acres of land in southeast Cedar Rapids. A new parish began to take shape, with a founding congregation of just eighty families—many of whom had previously belonged to Immaculate Conception Parish.

Those first parishioners helped choose the name All Saints. Plans soon moved forward for a school facility, providing a starting point for a community that would continue to grow.

As the parish put down roots along 29th Street, a church and school served its growing congregation. A City of Cedar Rapids historical study documents both facilities in the 1950s, bridging the years between the founding community and the church building parishioners know today.

Before there was a church building, there were families with a shared vision for their parish.

Historic illustrated plans for the proposed All Saints School
Early architectural plans for All Saints School
Archbishop Henry P. Rohlman and parishioners at a construction site blessing
Archbishop Henry P. Rohlman at the site blessing
02 / BUILDING THE CHURCH1965–66

A permanent home
takes shape.

Under the guidance of Msgr. Edmund Becker, construction of All Saints Church began in May 1965. The new church was consecrated in November 1966—an important milestone for a parish that had grown well beyond its original eighty families.

Within a year, the congregation had grown to more than 700 families. The building reflected a community ready to worship, gather, and continue its life together.

Historic photograph showing the All Saints church building under construction
Building the church, 1960s
Interior view of the church during the construction process
The structure takes shape
Architectural interior during construction
Inside the new building
Historic newspaper article reporting on the construction of All Saints Church

FROM THE ARCHIVES

A moment worth remembering.

Historic photographs and newspaper clippings preserve a glimpse of the work, anticipation, and dedication behind the new church.

These records remind us that the buildings we know today were once hopes and plans made real by the people who came before us.

03 / FAITH BEYOND OUR WALLS2000

A friendship that
crosses borders.

On January 26, 2000, All Saints began a sister-parish partnership with Notre Dame de Lourdes in Belle Fontaine, Haiti. The relationship became a lasting expression of parish life beyond Cedar Rapids.

Through prayer, fundraising, educational support, and visits over the years, members of the two communities have remained connected. Supporting the schools of Notre Dame de Lourdes and their teachers has been a central part of that mission.

Our history is also written in the friendships we build and the neighbors we serve.

04 / RENEWAL AND RECONNECTION2009

Making room for
what comes next.

In 2009, under the leadership of Fr. David O’Connor, All Saints undertook an $8.3 million renovation and expansion of its church and school campus. The work reconnected the buildings through parish offices and improved the experience of arriving, gathering, and worshiping.

The renovation reworked the sanctuary for improved lighting and acoustics and introduced a full-immersion baptismal font. New gathering spaces included a narthex, social hall, day chapel, and covered entrance, while renovations to the school improved access, security, and learning facilities.

The first Mass in the renewed church was celebrated on Christmas Eve 2009. The architects, Neumann Monson, list the broader project as completed in 2010, reflecting the difference between worship resuming and the full project milestone.

The campus changed, but the purpose remained: a place for people to gather in faith and community.

Aerial photograph of the All Saints church and school campus
The All Saints church and school campus

05 / GENERATIONS OF FAITH · 2022

Seventy-five years,
and still growing.

In 2022, All Saints marked the 75th anniversary of its founding. A parish bulletin announced a special Mass and gathering for July 24 to recognize the generations of parishioners who had built, sustained, and served the community since 1947.

From its founding families to those who call All Saints home today, the anniversary offered a reminder that the life of a parish is carried forward by its people.

Historical sources and further reading

Dates and details draw on parish records and independent historical sources. The original church and school construction dates are described differently by some sources; the webpage therefore gives the period rather than a precise opening date.

THE STORY CONTINUES

History is more than
what we remember.

The story of All Saints continues in the lives of the people who worship, serve, learn, and come together here. We are grateful for the generations that brought us to this point—and for those who will carry the story forward.

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