Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus
Location in Ohio
|
|
| 41°27′32″N 81°38′40″W / 41.458800°N 81.644575°W | |
| Location | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów |
| Dedicated | November 15, 1891 |
| Relics held | St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów, True Cross, St. Anthony, St. Bonaventure, St. Clare, St. Francis, St. Gemma, St. George, St. Gerard, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Ivan, St. James, St. John Vianney, St. Joseph of Leonessa, St. Julian, St. Lawrence, St. Louis, St. Nicasius, St. Pius X, St. Sebastian, St. Theodosius, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, mitre of Pope John Paul II |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Polish Cathedral style |
| Groundbreaking | 1886 |
| Completed | 1891 |
| Construction cost | $150,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Width | 85 ft (26 m) |
| Nave width | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Other dimensions | 67 ft (20 m) ceilings |
| Number of spires | 2 |
| Spire height | built:232 ft (71 m) rebuilt:122 ft (37 m) |
| Materials | Locally made warm red brick and dressed stone. |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Cleveland |
| Province | Cincinnati |
The Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus is a historic Catholic church in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a very important place for Polish people in Cleveland, especially those from the Warsaw area. Many call it the "mother church" for the Polish community there.
You can find the church in the South Broadway neighborhood, which used to be called Warszawa. Today, this area is known as Slavic Village. Both the church building and the neighborhood are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are recognized as important historical sites.
Contents
History of St. Stanislaus Church
The story of Catholic Polish people coming to Cleveland began around 1868. At first, there were only a few families. By 1873, more Polish families had arrived. The local bishop, Richard Gilmour, decided they needed their own church group.
Since they didn't have much money, Bishop Gilmour let them use St. Mary's on the Flats. This was the first Catholic church building in Cleveland. Polish Catholics used this church from 1872 to 1879.
How the Church Was Founded
The St. Stanislaus community officially started in 1873. This was about 25 years after the Diocese of Cleveland was created.
To help the Polish speakers, Father Victor Zareczny was put in charge in 1873. He was from Lwów, a city then in Galicia. Later, in 1877, Father John A. Marschal became the first full-time priest for the Polish community.
In 1879, the Order of Friars Minor (also known as Franciscans) started helping the church. Father Wolfgang Janietz, a Franciscan, took over as priest. By this time, St. Mary's on the Flats was no longer in good shape. So, Father Janietz arranged for the Polish community to use the Franciscan Monastery Chapel.
Building the First Church
In August 1881, the church bought the land where the current church stands. This area was close to the Cleveland Rolling Mills, where many Polish immigrants worked. The land cost $3,000 and had plenty of space for church buildings.
Father Janietz had a simple wooden building built on the land. It was 35 feet wide and 86 feet long. The top floor was used as a temporary church, and the bottom floor was a school. This building cost $4,600. Bishop Gilmour dedicated it to St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów on November 13, 1881.
The next year, Father Anton Francis Kolaszewski became the first full-time priest of St. Stanislaus. He had the wooden church made bigger to fit the growing number of families. This expansion cost $1,500.
In 1883, the church community had about 200 families. A parish school also opened with the first church. It was run by the Sisters of St. Francis. By 1903, about 1,000 students attended the school.
Changes and Growth in the Late 1800s
As Cleveland grew, some Polish families moved further away from St. Stanislaus Church. They lived too far to easily attend Mass or send their children to the school. So, in 1889, some of these families started a new church called Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.
Later, in 1891, another group of Polish families in northeastern Cleveland also needed their own church. They formed St. Casimir Church. This was the third Polish Catholic church in the city.
Twentieth Century Milestones
On April 21, 1909, a strong tornado hit the church. It destroyed the two tall spires at the front of the building. But the community quickly rebuilt them within a year. The original spires were 232 feet tall, but the rebuilt ones are 122 feet tall.
In 1962, St. Stanislaus built a new social center and gym. In 1968, Cleveland Central Catholic High School was started at the parish. Both Cleveland Central Catholic and St. Stanislaus School hold Masses in the church.
A very special visitor came to the parish in 1969: Cardinal Karol Wojtyła. He later became Pope John Paul II.
The church was recognized for its historical importance on June 22, 1976. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
21st Century Events
In 2004, St. Stanislaus finished a big renovation project. They spent $1.4 million to update the inside of the church. On May 8, 2004, it was rededicated and officially named the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus.
In 2008, the Franciscans who cared for the church changed their leadership. The Polish-American branch of the Franciscan Order took over.
In April 2007, some church members traveled to Kraków, Poland. They brought back a special icon (a religious painting) of St. Stanislaus with Pope John Paul II. The artist, Mado Anna Kucharska, added a golden halo around John Paul's head on April 29, 2011. This made it one of the first official images of Blessed John Paul II in the world.
After serving the church for 105 years, the Franciscan order left St. Stanislaus in 2011. They explained that they had fewer members and their priests were getting older.
Architecture and Design
The land for the church was bought in August 1881. It was located at the corner of Forman Street and East 65th Street. This spot was chosen because many Polish families had settled nearby.
The property was a square piece of land with plenty of room for all the church buildings.
The Current Church Building
In August 1886, construction began on the foundation for the current church. The building itself was enclosed the next year. It was built using warm red bricks made locally and dressed stone.
The church was finished and ready for dedication on Sunday, November 15, 1891. It was dedicated by Felix Boff, who was in charge of the diocese at the time.
The church is known for its beautiful Gothic style. It originally had two spires, each 232 feet tall. The cost of building the church, including altars, pews, and statues, was about $150,000. Some sources say it cost $250,000.
Historian John Grabowski described the church as the largest Gothic church ever built by Catholics in Ohio. He also noted that it was second in size only to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York among Gothic churches built by Catholics in America. This shows how important and grand the church was. It was a symbol of the Polish community's hard work and dedication.
In 1958, the walls inside the church were repainted with new frescoes.
Relics and Sacred Art
The Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus is home to many important religious items called relics. These are often small pieces of something holy, like a saint's belongings or a piece of the True Cross.
In 2010, the church displayed some of its relics as part of a special exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art. This exhibit helped people learn about these sacred objects.
- A piece of the True Cross is located near the Pietà statue at the church entrance.
- The main altar has six special spots that hold many relics. These include relics of St. Bonaventure, St. Clare, St. Francis, St. Gemma, St. John Vianney, Pope Pius X, and St. Stanislaus.
- In the shrine area, you can see relics of St. Francis, St. Anthony, and St. Clare together.
- Beneath the ecce homo statue, there is a container with relics of many other saints. These include St. George, St. Gerard, St. James, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Julian, St. Ivan, St. Joseph of Leonessa, St. Lawrence, St. Louis, St. Nicasius, St. Sebastian, St. Theodosius, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Cleveland, Ohio
- Sacred Heart of Jesus Church
- St. Casimir Church
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
