St. Vincent de Paul Church (Milwaukee) facts for kids
The St. Vincent de Paul Church is a Catholic church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Polish, it's called Świętego Wincentego a Paulo. It's known as one of Milwaukee's "Polish Cathedrals" because many Polish families helped build it and worshiped there. You can find it on Milwaukee's South Side at 2114 W. Mitchell St.
Contents
History of St. Vincent de Paul Church
Building the First Church
In the mid-1880s, people decided to create a fourth Polish church on Milwaukee's south side. They raised $30,000, which was a lot of money back then! A large two-story brick building was designed by Bernard Kopacki. The church was finished in 1888. Archbishop Michael Heiss officially opened it and dedicated it to St. Vincent de Paul.
Early Leaders and Challenges
The first priest at the church was Father Vincent Lewandowski. He became a priest in 1864 in a place called the Duchy of Poznań. Father Lewandowski had to leave his home country in 1872. He arrived in America three years later, in 1875.
In 1894, a serious illness called smallpox spread. Sadly, nine schoolchildren from the parish passed away during this time. Father Lewandowski was known to be a bit grumpy. He left the parish in 1899 and died the next year from a heart attack.
A New, Bigger Church
Around the early 1900s, the church needed to be bigger. More and more people were joining the parish. So, a new church was planned to hold everyone. People raised $85,000 for this new building.
The new "cathedral" was built in a style called Romanesque Revival. It was very large, measuring 66 feet wide and 186 feet long. The church has two tall towers. One tower is 132 feet high, and the other is 195 feet high. There are four bells in the towers. The biggest bell is 62 inches across and weighs 5,000 pounds!
Famous Parishioners
Two important U.S. Congressmen were part of the St. Vincent de Paul Church family. One was John C. Kleczka. He was the first Polish-American person ever elected to the U.S. Congress.
Another famous member was Clement J. Zablocki. He served Wisconsin's fourth district in Congress for 35 years in a row. Congressman Zablocki was also the church organist. He sang in the church choir too!
The Parish School
The church also had a grade school for children. Below is a photo of the 8th-grade class graduating around 1912. One of the students in the picture is Frank E. Gregorski. He later became a judge in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1960.
