St. Ladislaus Church (South Norwalk, Connecticut)
Encyclopedia
St.Ladislaus is a Roman Catholic church in South Norwalk
, Connecticut
, part of the Diocese of Bridgeport
.
had arrived in South Norwalk in the late 19th century. As of 1985, the church still conducted some Hungarian language
services in addition to services in English.
district of Budapest
that is dedicated to St. Ladislaus. The Romanesque Revival-style
church was designed by distinguished Hungarian architect Odon Lechner
, marking one of the few times that an American Roman Catholic church was designed by a European architect. The sanctuary features stained glass
windows made in Germany
. One of the windows adjacent to the altar
depicts St. Ladislaus leading his armies during the Crusades
. The image in the window on the opposite side of the altar shows St. Stephen of Hungary handing the crown of Hungary to Mary
and baby Jesus. The church's steeple, which has a distinctive octagonal base, is a local landmark that has been a reference point for fishermen on Long Island Sound
and for World War II
aviator
s.
The church's interior was renovated in 1977 and 1983. The steeple
was toppled during a storm in March 2010, but was taken to a restoration company for repairs and was expected to be replaced.
South Norwalk, Connecticut
South Norwalk is a neighborhood in Norwalk, Connecticut. SoNo features a high density of bars and eateries and is the center of Norwalk's nightlife and restaurant culture...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, part of the Diocese of Bridgeport
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport is located in the south western part of the state of Connecticut, and its boundaries are the same as that of Fairfield County, Connecticut. There are 87 parishes in the diocese. Its cathedral is St. Augustine in Bridgeport.The current bishop is The Most...
.
History
St. Ladislaus Church was established in 1907 to serve a Hungarian congregation. Many immigrants from HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
had arrived in South Norwalk in the late 19th century. As of 1985, the church still conducted some Hungarian language
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
services in addition to services in English.
Buildings
The church building, which was completed in 1912, is patterned after a church in the KőbányaKobánya
Kőbánya is the 10th district of Budapest and one of the largest by territory. It is located in southeast Pest, easily accessible from the downtown by Metro 3, whose terminus is named Kőbánya-Kispest....
district of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
that is dedicated to St. Ladislaus. The Romanesque Revival-style
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
church was designed by distinguished Hungarian architect Odon Lechner
Ödön Lechner
Ödön Lechner was a Hungarian architect, nicknamed the "Hungarian Gaudí".Lechner was one of the early representatives of the Hungarian Secession movement, called szecesszió in Hungarian, which was related to Art Nouveau and Jugendstil in the rest of Europe...
, marking one of the few times that an American Roman Catholic church was designed by a European architect. The sanctuary features stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows made in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. One of the windows adjacent to the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
depicts St. Ladislaus leading his armies during the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
. The image in the window on the opposite side of the altar shows St. Stephen of Hungary handing the crown of Hungary to Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
and baby Jesus. The church's steeple, which has a distinctive octagonal base, is a local landmark that has been a reference point for fishermen on Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
and for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
s.
The church's interior was renovated in 1977 and 1983. The steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
was toppled during a storm in March 2010, but was taken to a restoration company for repairs and was expected to be replaced.