Church of St. Thomas (Jessenland Township, Minnesota)

{{short description|Church complex in Minnesota, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Church of St. Thomas

| image = 2013-0415-ChurchofStThomas.jpg

| caption = The Church of St. Thomas viewed from the east

| alt = A small, steepled wooden church and wooden house in front of a hillside cemetery

| locmapin = USA Minnesota#USA

| map_alt = A map of Minnesota with a dot in the south central portion of the state

| location = 31624 Scenic Byway Road, Jessenland Township, Minnesota

| nearest_city = Henderson, Minnesota

| coordinates = {{coord|44|35|56|N|93|54|0.5|W|display=inline,title}}

| area = {{convert|5|acre|ha}}

| built = 1870 (church), 1878 (rectory), 1856 (cemetery)

| architect = Unknown

| architecture = Greek Revival

| refnum = 88003085{{NRISref|2010a}}

| added = September 16, 1991

}}

The Church of St. Thomas is a former Roman Catholic church complex in Jessenland Township, Minnesota, United States. It consists of an 1870 church, 1878 rectory, and a hillside cemetery whose oldest tombstone is dated 1856. Together they are remnants of the very first agricultural settlement established by Irish Americans in Minnesota, founded here along the Minnesota River in 1852.{{cite report |last=Johnson |first=Liz Holum |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Church of St. Thomas (Catholic) |url={{NRHP url|id=88003085}} |publisher=National Park Service |date=June 1987 |access-date=2020-04-25 |type=none}} With {{NRHP url |id=88003085 |photos=y |title=six accompanying photos from 1987}} The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 for its local significance in the theme of European ethnic heritage.{{cite web |title=Church of Saint Thomas (Catholic) |url=http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/nrhp/NRDetails.cfm-NPSNum=88003085.html |work=Minnesota National Register Properties Database |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |year=2009}} It was nominated for its association with Minnesota's first Irish-American farming settlement and one of the first agricultural communities in Sibley County. In 2023, the Diocese of New Ulm closed the oratory and sold the building to a non-profit organization named Friends of Jessenland. Their mission is to create an Irish cultural center. The cemetery remains in perpetual care of the Diocese.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}