St. Stanislaus Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Oratory - Roman Catholic parish in the historic Mitchell Street District of Milwaukee
, Wisconsin
. It was designed by Polish nobleman Leonard Kowalski, one of Milwaukee's early Polish residents, who took the name Leonard Schmidtner
and spoke German.
One of Milwaukee's 'Polish Cathedral's, the parish was founded in 1866 by immigrant Poles
in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. St. Stanislaus parish was the third Roman Catholic Polish
church in the United States
and the first based in an urban area.
Members started with an old frame building which was purchased in 1866 from nearby St. Stephen Lutheran Church for a sum of $4,500. The twin towered building seen today was completed in 1873 with a parochial school to follow in 1889.
Today, the church is the home of the Milwaukee Latin Mass community. The church was erected as an oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
, an order of priests dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.
, Polish martyr and saint of the Roman Catholic Church
.
an Catholics to the region. St. Stanislaus and the surrounding neighborhood quickly grew to become the center of Polish life in Milwaukee. Mitchell Street was often referred to as the "Polish Grand Avenue," reflecting its importance and distinction from the German
dominated Grand Avenue
(now Wisconsin Avenue), a popular downtown merchant street. From 1876 to 1883, the parish was served by Pastor Hyacinth (Jacek) Gulski
On May 1, 1886 about 2,000 Polish workers gathered at St. Stanislaus to organize and protest the 10 hour work day. Factories closed down as they marched through the city adding to their numbers, until sixteen thousand strong. The Bay View Tragedy
later followed when State Militia
confronted protesters who had camped out at the rolling mill in Bay View.
The church started a number of other Polish-speaking congregations in the East Side
and Jones Island neighborhoods. By 1903, Milwaukee held the largest number of Catholics found in any city, and helped to establish a presence in other growing industrial towns that were part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
.
January 14, 1914 was the focal point of the celebration of Father Edward Kozlowski
being named as Milwaukee's first Polish bishop. He was only the second Polish-speaking Bishop in America, following the appointment of Bishop Paul Peter Rhode
in Chicago
in 1908. A parade was organized from St. John’s Cathedral
, where Father Kozlowski had been consecrated, to Saint Stanislaus in a carriage pulled by four horses. Passing along Milwaukee’s streets, which had been lit with torches, an estimated 50,000 gathered at the church to witness Bishop Kozlowski's assumption of the bishop's mitre
. Crowds gathered once again at the church a year later after Bishop Kozlowski fell ill from blood poisoning and died on August 7, 1915; 30,000 mourners attended the funeral. Bishop Paul Rhode famously declared at the memorial service: “How difficult it was for us to obtain a second Polish bishop, and how easy to lose him.”
In 1926 the school was expanded and given a new facade. The original copper sheet domes of the church were replaced with 23 carat
gold leaf in 1966, and all of the stained glass windows were removed. A mural featuring the iconic Our Lady of Czestochowa was also added to the Mitchell Street side.
As the city's Polish-American population slowly followed the urban sprawl
that began in the 1950s, they were replaced by other ethnic groups. St. Stanislaus continues to serve the local community, now mostly Hispanic
, by offering bilingual confession and Sunday services in Spanish
.
In May 2007, St. Stanislaus became the home of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Latin Mass
community, offering the "missa extraordinaria" (the 1962 missal of John XXIII) weekly on Sundays, at 10:00 AM. While Mass in Spanish was relocated to neighboring St. Anthony's Church, St. Stanislaus continues to offer the "missa ordinaria" (the 1970 missal of Paul VI) in English each Saturday evening, at 4:00 PM.
In 2008, the church was erected an Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
, an order of priests dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. Canon Olivier Meney of the Institute was appointed the rector of the oratory.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. It was designed by Polish nobleman Leonard Kowalski, one of Milwaukee's early Polish residents, who took the name Leonard Schmidtner
Leonard Schmidtner
Leonard A. Schmidtner, born Leonard Kowalski, was a Polish architect who moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and designed the former Milwaukee County Courthouse, a clock tower for Holy Trinity Church on South Fourth and West Bruce Streets, and St...
and spoke German.
One of Milwaukee's 'Polish Cathedral's, the parish was founded in 1866 by immigrant Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. St. Stanislaus parish was the third Roman Catholic Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
church in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the first based in an urban area.
Members started with an old frame building which was purchased in 1866 from nearby St. Stephen Lutheran Church for a sum of $4,500. The twin towered building seen today was completed in 1873 with a parochial school to follow in 1889.
Today, the church is the home of the Milwaukee Latin Mass community. The church was erected as an oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a society of priests in the Catholic Church that celebrates the Liturgy in Latin in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents. Its goals are to preserve and patronize traditional Latin Rite liturgical art and music...
, an order of priests dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Dedication
St. Stanislaus Catholic Church was dedicated to Stanislaus of SzczepanówStanislaus of Szczepanów
Stanislaus of Szczepanów, or Stanisław Szczepanowski, was a Bishop of Kraków known chiefly for having been martyred by the Polish king Bolesław II the Bold...
, Polish martyr and saint of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
History
A shift of economy in the 1880s from commerce to industry brought about a rapid influx of Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an Catholics to the region. St. Stanislaus and the surrounding neighborhood quickly grew to become the center of Polish life in Milwaukee. Mitchell Street was often referred to as the "Polish Grand Avenue," reflecting its importance and distinction from the German
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...
dominated Grand Avenue
Shops of Grand Avenue
The Shops of Grand Avenue is an urban shopping plaza that spans three city blocks in the downtown neighborhood of Westown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin....
(now Wisconsin Avenue), a popular downtown merchant street. From 1876 to 1883, the parish was served by Pastor Hyacinth (Jacek) Gulski
Hyacinth (Jacek) Gulski
Father Hyacinth Gulski was a Pioneer Polish-American Roman Catholic Priest.-Biography:Hyacinth Gulski was born in Chełmno that was part of West Prussia in 1847. In 1866 he joined the Order of the Franciscan Fathers. Gulski was ordained at Laki, German partition of Poland, entering the Priesthood...
On May 1, 1886 about 2,000 Polish workers gathered at St. Stanislaus to organize and protest the 10 hour work day. Factories closed down as they marched through the city adding to their numbers, until sixteen thousand strong. The Bay View Tragedy
Bay View Tragedy
The Bay View Massacre was the culmination of events that began on Saturday May 1, 1886 when 7,000 building-trades workers joined with 5,000 Polish laborers who had organized at St...
later followed when State Militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
confronted protesters who had camped out at the rolling mill in Bay View.
The church started a number of other Polish-speaking congregations in the East Side
East Side, Milwaukee
East Side is a neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, considered to be a cultural and trend-setting center of the city since at least the 1960s. Encompassing an area just north of downtown Milwaukee to Shorewood, bordered by the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan, the area encompasses residences,...
and Jones Island neighborhoods. By 1903, Milwaukee held the largest number of Catholics found in any city, and helped to establish a presence in other growing industrial towns that were part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is a Roman Catholic archdiocese headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, as well as the counties of Dodge, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha, all...
.
January 14, 1914 was the focal point of the celebration of Father Edward Kozlowski
Edward Kozlowski
Father Edward Kozlowski was a Polish-American Catholic Priest, and the first Polish Bishop, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.-Biography:...
being named as Milwaukee's first Polish bishop. He was only the second Polish-speaking Bishop in America, following the appointment of Bishop Paul Peter Rhode
Paul Peter Rhode
Paul Peter Rhode was a Polish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Green Bay from 1915 until his death in 1945.-Biography:...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1908. A parade was organized from St. John’s Cathedral
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is the episcopal see of the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Milwaukee Landmark. It is located just east of Cathedral Square Park.- Description :Archbishop...
, where Father Kozlowski had been consecrated, to Saint Stanislaus in a carriage pulled by four horses. Passing along Milwaukee’s streets, which had been lit with torches, an estimated 50,000 gathered at the church to witness Bishop Kozlowski's assumption of the bishop's mitre
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
. Crowds gathered once again at the church a year later after Bishop Kozlowski fell ill from blood poisoning and died on August 7, 1915; 30,000 mourners attended the funeral. Bishop Paul Rhode famously declared at the memorial service: “How difficult it was for us to obtain a second Polish bishop, and how easy to lose him.”
In 1926 the school was expanded and given a new facade. The original copper sheet domes of the church were replaced with 23 carat
Carat (purity)
The karat or carat is a unit of purity for gold alloys.- Measure :Karat purity is measured as 24 times the purity by mass:where...
gold leaf in 1966, and all of the stained glass windows were removed. A mural featuring the iconic Our Lady of Czestochowa was also added to the Mitchell Street side.
As the city's Polish-American population slowly followed the urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
that began in the 1950s, they were replaced by other ethnic groups. St. Stanislaus continues to serve the local community, now mostly Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, by offering bilingual confession and Sunday services in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
In May 2007, St. Stanislaus became the home of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Latin Mass
Latin Mass
The term Latin Mass refers to the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Mass celebrated in Latin.The term is frequently used to denote the Tridentine Mass: that is, the Roman-Rite liturgy of the Mass celebrated in accordance with the successive editions of the Roman Missal published between 1570 and 1962...
community, offering the "missa extraordinaria" (the 1962 missal of John XXIII) weekly on Sundays, at 10:00 AM. While Mass in Spanish was relocated to neighboring St. Anthony's Church, St. Stanislaus continues to offer the "missa ordinaria" (the 1970 missal of Paul VI) in English each Saturday evening, at 4:00 PM.
In 2008, the church was erected an Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a society of priests in the Catholic Church that celebrates the Liturgy in Latin in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents. Its goals are to preserve and patronize traditional Latin Rite liturgical art and music...
, an order of priests dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. Canon Olivier Meney of the Institute was appointed the rector of the oratory.