Jakub Wałenty Jan Pacholski, better known in America as Monsignor James W.J. Pacholski, was born on May 24, 1862, in the village of Pączewo, located in the Polish region of

Kociewie Kociewie is an ethnocultural region in the eastern part of Tuchola Forest, in northern Poland, Pomerania, south of Gdańsk. Its cultural capital is Starogard Gdański, the biggest town is Tczew, while other major towns include Świecie, Pelplin, ...

Biography

Pacholski was educated at

Pelplin Pelplin (; csb, Pôłplëno; formerly German also: ''Pelplin'') is a town in northern Poland, in the Tczew County, Pomeranian Voivodship. Population: 8,320 (2009). Pelplin is located in the ethnocultural region of Kociewie in Pomerania. It is hom ...

and

Wejherowo Wejherowo ( csb, Wejrowò; german: Neustadt in Westpreußen, formerly Weyhersfrey) is a city in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland, with 48,735 inhabitants (2021). It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 199 ...

, and studied for the priesthood at

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

, Belgium. After emigration to the United States, he completed his studies at Saint Thomas Seminary in

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...

, where he was ordained to the priesthood on June 18, 1886. Just one month after his ordination, Reverend Pacholski was called upon to organize Holy Cross Parish in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. He served as pastor at Holy Cross until 1894. He was then transferred to the Diocese of Winona and installed as pastor of

Saint Stanislaus Kostka Stanisław Kostka S.J. (28 October 1550 – 15 August 1568) was a Polish novice of the Society of Jesus. He is venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Stanislaus Kostka (as distinct from his namesake, the 11th-century Bishop of Kraków S ...

Parish, in Winona, Minnesota. This growing parish had experienced a good deal of turmoil in recent years, and it is clear that Reverend Pacholski was expected to bring some needed order. This he accomplished. Winona was already becoming known by this time as the "Kashubian Capital of America;" although not of Kashubian birth himself, he had studied in the Kashubian region and quickly bonded with his new flock. As pastor of Saint Stanislaus Kostka, Reverend Pacholski oversaw the completion and dedication of the 1895 church, and of the parish school constructed in 1905. He was instrumental in the establishment of Saint Casimir's, a daughter parish of Saint Stanislaus Kostka, on Winona's West End, and celebrated the first Holy Mass at Saint Casimir's on Christmas Day 1905. Father Pacholski held the office of Consultor to the Most Reverend Joseph B. Cotter, first Bishop of Winona, which was a very unusual honor for a Polish-born priest serving in an American diocese. He was elevated to the rank of

Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (Latin: ''Benedictus XV''; it, Benedetto XV), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, name=, group= (; 21 November 185422 January 1922), was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His ...

on August 17, 1918. He was admired and loved by his parishioners as a stern shepherd who always cared deeply for his beloved flock; in his role as pastor of Saint Stanislaus Kostka he was also regarded as the leader of Winona's Kaszubian Polish community. The Right Reverend Monsignor Jakub W.J. Pacholski died unexpectedly of a heart attack on July 27, 1932, at the Saint Stanislaus rectory. He was succeeded as pastor by his former assistant, the Winona-educated Father

Jozef Cieminski Józef Franciszek Darzyn Ciemiński ( Borzyszkowy, 4 August 1867- Winona, 1959) was a Polish-born Roman Catholic priest. He emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1881 and was ordained as a Priest in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1895. He w ...

. There were as many as 2,000 mourners at his funeral, including over 100 fellow priests.Winona (Minnesota) ''Republican-Herald'', August 2, 1932, p. 1 Reverend Pacholski is buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Winona, alongside other leading clerics of the diocese.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pacholski, Jakub W.J. 1862 births 1932 deaths American people of Kashubian descent People from Winona, Minnesota American Roman Catholic priests Polish Roman Catholic priests Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester Catholics from Minnesota

Biography

See also

References