A Swiss View of Berne, Minnesota – Indoor

October 18, 6:30-8:00pm (Central Time)

Location: Assisi Heights (1001 14th Street NW, Rochester, MN 55901) Click here for map.

$15 preregistered/prepaid.

Registration requested by October 17.

Join our panelists from the Berne, Minnesota community to learn about its extraordinary history from the book, The Berne Church: Rooted and Grounded in Love. This is a compilation of oral history, articles and research, told in storytelling style, which brings to life the Swiss pioneer families who settled among the indigenous peoples in the 1850s. The Berne Church, established in 1872, overcame challenges, including discrimination of their German speaking community during WWI with the Americanism movement and the rise of the KKK in the area. The Berne Swissfest established in 1949, entertained and introduced Swiss cuisine and culture for 58 years. Today, Berne is known for its Wednesday, Wood-Fired Pizza nights. At its center, is the country Church, which is “Small enough to know you, and big enough to do God’s Work.”

Some of the voices you will hear include:

Catherine Eayrs, researcher and editor of The Berne Church: Rooted and Grounded in Love. She grew up in Berne, participated in the Berne Swissfest and lived in Switzerland for three years. She is a retired teacher and writer.

Colleen Hayne, a Director of the West Concord Historical Society, is a retired teacher, writer and musician who lives with her husband, Greg, in the Berne area.

Welcome to this indoor program at Assisi Heights! Participants are required to be fully up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations. Please refrain from attending if experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illness or have been exposed to any persons infected with COVID-19. Please park in the lot in front of Assisi Heights and enter through the main entrance.