St. Stanislaus Catholic Church (Milwaukee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. StanislausChurch |
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St. Stanislaus Catholic Oratory
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| Location | Milwaukee |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | St. Stanislaus Oratory |
| History | |
| Founded | 1866 |
| Founder(s) | Polish immigrants |
| Dedication | St. Stanislaus |
| Dedicated | |
| Consecrated | |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | For Polish immigrants |
| Architect(s) | Leonard Schmidtner (Kowalski) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Polish Cathedral |
| Groundbreaking | 1866 |
| Completed | 1873 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick |
St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Oratory (which means Kościół Świętego Stanisława in Polish) is a beautiful and historic Roman Catholic church. You can find it in the old Mitchell Street District of Milwaukee.
This church was designed by Leonard Kowalski, a Polish nobleman who later used the name Leonard Schmidtner. He was one of the first Polish people to live in Milwaukee. St. Stanislaus is known as one of Milwaukee's 'Polish Cathedrals'. These are large, grand churches built by Polish immigrants.
The church was started in 1866 by Poles who had moved to the area. It was the third Polish Catholic church in the United States. It was also the very first one built in a city.
The first church building was an old wooden one. It was bought in 1866 from a nearby church. The amazing building you see today, with its two towers, was finished in 1873. A school for the children of the parish was built later, in 1889.
Today, St. Stanislaus is a special place for people who attend the Traditional Latin Mass. It is an "oratory" of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. This is a group of priests who focus on celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass. The church has been fully restored recently. This means its beautiful art, windows, and roof have been repaired and made new again.
Contents
What is St. Stanislaus Church?
St. Stanislaus Catholic Church is named after Stanislaus of Szczepanów. He was a Polish martyr and a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. A martyr is someone who dies for their beliefs.
The Story of St. Stanislaus
How the Church Grew
In the 1880s, many more Catholic people from Eastern Europe moved to Milwaukee. This was because of new jobs in factories. St. Stanislaus and the area around it quickly became the heart of Polish life in Milwaukee.
Mitchell Street was even called the "Polish Grand Avenue." This showed how important it was. It was different from the main downtown street, which was mostly German. From 1876 to 1883, a priest named Hyacinth (Jacek) Gulski led the church.
Workers' Rights and Community Action
On May 1, 1886, about 2,000 Polish workers gathered at St. Stanislaus. They organized a protest against working 10 hours a day. Factories closed as they marched through the city. Their numbers grew to 16,000 people.
Later, there was a sad event called the Bay View Tragedy. State police met the protesters who were camped out at a factory. This event showed how important the church was to the community.
Helping Other Churches Grow
St. Stanislaus helped start other Polish-speaking churches. These new churches were in areas like the East Side and Jones Island. By 1903, Milwaukee had the most Catholics of any city. St. Stanislaus helped spread the Catholic faith to other growing factory towns.
A Special Bishop
January 14, 1914, was a very important day. Father Edward Kozlowski became Milwaukee's first Polish bishop. He was only the second Polish-speaking bishop in America.
A big parade was held from another church, St. John’s Cathedral, to St. Stanislaus. Father Kozlowski rode in a carriage pulled by four horses. The streets were lit with torches. About 50,000 people gathered at the church to see Bishop Kozlowski.
Sadly, Bishop Kozlowski became sick and died on August 7, 1915. About 30,000 people came to his funeral. Another bishop said, "How difficult it was for us to obtain a second Polish bishop, and how easy to lose him."
Changes Over Time
In 1926, the school building was made bigger and given a new front. In 1966, the church's copper domes were replaced. They were covered with 23 carat gold leaf, which is very shiny! All the stained glass windows were also removed at that time. A large painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa was added to the side of the church facing Mitchell Street.
Over the years, many Polish-American families moved to the suburbs. Other groups of people moved into the neighborhood. St. Stanislaus still helps the local community today. It offers services in Spanish for the mostly Hispanic families who live there now.
Modern Use of the Church
In May 2007, St. Stanislaus became the home for Milwaukee's Latin Mass community. They offer the Traditional Latin Mass every Sunday. The Mass in Spanish moved to a nearby church. However, St. Stanislaus still offers a regular Mass in English every Saturday evening.
In 2008, the church officially became an Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. This group of priests is dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass. Canon Olivier Meney was chosen to lead the oratory.
Images for kids
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St. Stanislaus Catholic Oratory
See also
- Polish Cathedral style churches
- Edward Kozłowski
- Hyacinth (Jacek) Gulski
