Jan Romuald Byzewski, better known in America as Father Romuald Byzewski, was born in the Kaszubian village of

Karwia Karwia ( csb, Karwiô, german: Karwen) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Władysławowo, within Puck County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, located on the south coast of the Baltic Sea. It lies approximately north- ...

, in the Prussian jurisdiction of Danzig (Gdansk), on Oct. 10, 1842.

Biography

After graduating from secondary school in

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 19 ...

he entered the Franciscan Recollect Province as a

novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...

on Feb. 7, 1861. Since this was the feast of

Saint Romuald Romuald ( la, Romualdus; 951 – traditionally 19 June, c. 1025/27 AD) was the founder of the Camaldolese order and a major figure in the eleventh-century "Renaissance of eremitical asceticism".John Howe, "The Awesome Hermit: The Symbolic ...

. he added the name Romuald to his own. He was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood at Liège,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

, on Aug. 5, 1866. After his ordination, Reverend Byzewski became professor of philosophy and theology at the Franciscan seminary in Łąki Bratiańskie, Poland. In 1875, at the height of the

Kulturkampf (, 'culture struggle') was the conflict that took place from 1872 to 1878 between the Catholic Church led by Pope Pius IX and the government of Prussia led by Otto von Bismarck. The main issues were clerical control of education and ecclesiasti ...

, the

Congregations Law The Congregations Law of 1875 is a legislative bill of the Kulturkampf period that abolished religious orders, stopped state subsidies to the Catholic Church, and removed religious protections from the Prussian constitution. It was based on similar ...

was enacted, effectively forbidding Roman Catholic religious orders to operate within the Prussian Empire. Reverend Byzewski was consequently permitted to leave the Franciscans and emigrate to the United States, thereby becoming part of the

Kaszubian diaspora The Kashubian diaspora resulted from the emigration of Kashubians mainly in two waves occurring in the second half of the 19th century. The majority of Kashubian emigrants settled in the United States; others emigrated to Canada and Brazil. An onli ...

. Reverend Byzewski arrived in New York on August 13, 1875, aboard the SS Mosel. His first service in America was as pastor of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish in

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who s ...

. He served in this role until 1890, helped no doubt by his Kashubian heritage in a city which came to be known as the "Kashubian Capital of America." He established a school for the parish, brought in the

School Sisters of Notre Dame School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide religious institute of Roman Catholic sisters founded in Bavaria in 1833 and devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and m ...

to teach there, and served as a capable intermediary between the English-speaking majority and the bumptious Kaszubian Poles. As a stalwart supporter of the

Polish Roman Catholic Union of America The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America ("PRCUA") (pol. ''Zjednoczenie Polskie Rzymsko-Katolickie w Ameryce'') is the oldest Polish American organization in the United States. Currently licensed to sell its products in 27 states, it is a frat ...

he also established the newspaper Wiarus, which quickly became the United States's leading Polish-language periodical, under the editorship of the mercurial Kaszubian poet

Hieronim Derdowski Hieronim Derdowski (March 9, 1852, Wiele, Pomeranian Voivodeship, German Empire – August 13, 1902, Winona, Minnesota, America) (Kashubian ''Hieronim Derdowsczi'' or ''Jarosz Derdowsczi''), Kashubian-Polish intellectual and activist, was born t ...

. According to the historian-priest Reverend

Waclaw Kruszka Wenceslaus, Wenceslas, Wenzeslaus and Wenzslaus (and other similar names) are Latinized forms of the Czech name Václav. The other language versions of the name are german: Wenzel, pl, Wacław, Więcesław, Wieńczysław, es, Wenceslao, russian: ...

, unexplained “disagreements and difficulties” may have sped Father Byzewski's departure from Winona.Father Waclaw Kruszka, "History of the American Poles," volume 4, p. 122. An 1890 city directory for

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

lists Reverend Byzewski as an assistant pastor at Saint Stanislaus Church at 404 Mitchell Street. Yet by June 1890, he was in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

directing the foundation of that city's fifth Polish parish, Saint Francis of Assisi. In 1898 he was transferred to

Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church The Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church is located at 4440 Russell Street (at East Canfield Street) in Detroit, Michigan, in the Forest Park neighborhood on the city's central East side. The Gothic Revival cathedral styled church is t ...

, also in Detroit. In 1899, Reverend Byzewski was granted readmission to the Franciscan Order, and relocated to

Pulaski, Wisconsin Pulaski is a village in Brown, Oconto, and Shawano counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,539 at the 2010 census. Of this, 3,321 were in Brown County, 218 in Shawano County, and none in Oconto County. The Brown and Ocont ...

. There he was a pastor for parishes and served as the first rector of Saint Bonaventure College. Reverend Jan Romuald Byzewski died in

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea l ...

, on October 30, 1905
His grave
is at Franciscan Fathers Cemetery in

Pittsville, Wisconsin Pittsville is a city in Wood County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 874 at the 2010 census. History Pittsville was platted in 1883, and named after Oliver W. Pitts, the proprietor of a local sawmill. Geography Pittsville is locate ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Byzewski, Jan Romuald 1842 births 1905 deaths American people of Kashubian descent People from Winona, Minnesota Religious leaders from Milwaukee 19th-century Polish Roman Catholic priests Kashubian clergy Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona-Rochester People from Pulaski, Wisconsin Catholics from Wisconsin Catholics from Minnesota 19th-century American Roman Catholic priests