Church of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr (Buffalo, New York) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St. Stanislaus - Bishop & Martyr Church

Location	Buffalo, New York
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	Stanislaus Church in Buffalo
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	June 3, 1873 (1873-06-03)
Founder(s)	Jan Pitass
Architecture
Functional status	"Active"
Architect(s)	T.O.Sullivan
Style	Romanesque
Groundbreaking	August 10, 1882 (current church)
Completed	October 17, 1886
Specifications
Length	192 feet (58.5 m)
Width	104 feet (31.7 m)
Height	217 feet (66.1 m)
Materials	Jammerthal flint stone with lockport limestone trim
Administration
Parish	Theresa Gonciarz

St. Stanislaus - Bishop & Martyr Church is a historic church found in Buffalo, New York. It is on the city's east side. This church is the oldest Polish Catholic church in the Buffalo area. It is often called the "Mother Church of Polonia" for western New York.

History of St. Stanislaus Church
- Founding and Early Years
- Church Features and Cemetery
Building the Church Structure
- Construction of the Main Church
- Restoring the Church Building
St. Stanislaus Church Today
Gallery
See also

History of St. Stanislaus Church

Founding and Early Years

The St. Stanislaus parish was started on June 8, 1873. It was founded by Reverend Jan Pitass and a group called the Society of Saint Stanislaus. The first church building was made of wood and had two stories. It was built in 1874.

After the current, larger church was finished in 1886, the original wooden church became a school. By 1904, the church was very popular. It had almost 20,000 members. Nearly 2,000 children attended the school.

Church Features and Cemetery

The church has a large pipe organ in the choir area. This organ was built in 1893 by Johnson & Son. Inside the church, there are three altars made of white carrara marble. The main altar is very tall, standing 34 feet high.

In 1889, a cemetery for St. Stanislaus was opened. It is located nearby in Cheektowaga, NY. This cemetery covers 20 acres of land. Later, in 1965, a social center for the church was built close by.

Building the Church Structure

Construction of the Main Church

Work on the church building you see today began on August 10, 1882. It took almost four years to complete this large church. In 1908, more parts were added to the church. These included the tall steeples, bells, and round Cupolas on top. Large clocks, each 6.5 feet wide, were also installed. The church's massive towers reach a height of 217 feet.

Restoring the Church Building

On November 20, 2000, a strong storm hit the church. High winds caused the cross and cupola on the left tower to fall off. Fixing this damage took a lot of work. The restoration of the cupola was finished on July 11, 2003. The cost for this repair was $300,000. Only one-third of this cost was covered by insurance. Because of this, the left and right cupolas now have different colors.

In 2005, the church had its biggest restoration project ever. This work included adding 8 new clock faces and 4 new bells to the clock towers. The historic 1893 Johnson pipe organ was also repaired. Workers also fixed the beautiful stained glass windows and handmade wooden doors. A special gold-leaf design was added to the church's entrance area. New lighting was also installed for the fountain statue outside. The total cost for all these repairs was close to US$2 million.

St. Stanislaus Church Today

In 2009, Thaddeus Bocianowski became the seventh pastor of this historic church. The Roman Catholic Church has been making some changes. As part of these changes, St. Stanislaus Church was given a new role on October 11, 2009. It became a "shrine to St. Stanislaus and all Polish martyrs." It also serves as a Polish cultural center. This change happened because fewer people were attending the church.

The school on Wilson Street, which was part of the church, closed in 2008. This happened because only 75 students were enrolled. The school had been open for 127 years. It was always staffed by the Felician sisters during its long history.