Abandoned newborn found in entryway at Cathedral of St. Paul

A custodian found a newborn at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul Jan. 4 about 6 p.m. while locking up the building following the evening Mass. The baby was left in a plastic laundry basket between the exterior and interior doors of a Dayton Avenue entrance.

The custodian immediately alerted Cathedral Rector Father John Ubel, who called 911. Father Ubel and the custodian, Nathan Leonhardt, brought the baby to the sacristy where Father Ubel baptized him while they awaited police. By 6:30 p.m., the infant was in an ambulance. He was admitted to Children’s Hospital.

Father Ubel said he hopes the boy, whom he christened Nathan John, will be adopted by a Catholic family. He finds it significant that the baby was left at a Catholic parish. The baby is now in the care of Ramsey County Child Protective Services.

Police are not pursuing the abandoned infant as a criminal matter. In Minnesota, it is legal to leave a newborn in a safe place within seven days of his or her birth.

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“The child is in good shape,” he said.

The baby was found wrapped in blankets. Police reports do not mention the presence of any notes or additional items with the boy, Ernster said.

STrib