Saint Adalbert Basilica, (referred to in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

as Bazylika Swietego Wojciecha) is a historic Roman Catholic church located on Buffalo,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

's East Side within the

Diocese of Buffalo The Diocese of Buffalo is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Buffalo, New York, United States. It is a suffragan diocese within the metropolitan province of the Archdiocese of New York. The Diocese of Buffalo includ ...

. It is a prime example of the Polish Cathedral style of church architecture in both its opulence and grand scale. A rare and special designation bestowed on the parish occurred in 1907, when the Vatican proclaimed St. Adalbert a basilica, the first in the USA. The proclamation, as well as its English translation, can be viewed to this day in the basilica's museum room.

History

Built by Huber and Company in 1890, it was built by

immigrants. The building itself is

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

, its dimensions are long, wide, nave high, the two towers are high with a

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

wide and soaring above the main nave. At that time it was the largest church in Western

and cost $63,000 without the furnishings. The 36 stained glass windows of the Basilica were produced by Franz Mayer & Co. of Munich, Germany. The interior was decorated by

Jozef Mazur Jozef C. Mazur (March 17, 1897 – April 23, 1970) was an American stained-glass artist, painter and sculptor. His works can be found signed as Josef Mazur, Joseph Mazur, Joe Mazur, J. C. Mazur as well as a few others. Life Mazur was born to ...

Community

The St. Adalbert's Response to Love Center, run by Sister Mary Johnice, is located next to the Basilica and provides services for the poor of Buffalo, such as hot meals, a food pantry, toys and clothing for children, GED classes, and basic career-related computer training. In 2016, St. Adalbert's former rectory was transformed into the Mother Teresa Home, a haven for pregnant women operated by the Diocesen Office of Pro-Life Activities.

Current status

The last mass was scheduled for November 25, 2007, but had been put on hold due to the parish having filed an appeal to the Vatican. In February 2008 the Vatican's highest Canonical Court upheld Bishop

Edward Kmiec Edward Urban Kmiec (, ; June 4, 1936 – July 11, 2020) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo in New York from 2004 to 2012. Kmiec previously served as an auxiliary b ...

's decision to close the church. An appeal was made by the "Save St. Adalbert" committee, and the process was delayed. Again revisited, The Vatican Congregation for the Clergy has upheld the decision to merge St. Adalbert Parish into St. John Kanty Parish, with St. Adalbert's remaining open for worship. The final weekly Mass at St. Adalbert's was celebrated on Sept. 18, 2011, marking the end of the yearlong observance of the 125th anniversary of the parish. St. Adalbert Basilica remains open to this day for four yearly special masses plus weddings, funerals, baptisms, tours, and other occasions.

Gallery

Image:St adalbert basilica buffalo.jpg, Saint Adalbert Basilica Image:St adalbert basilica buffalo2.jpg, Saint Adalbert Basilica, rear view Image:St adalbert school buffalo.jpg, Former school at Saint Adalbert Basilica Image:St adalbert school inscription.jpg, Inscription over door of former school at Saint Adalbert Basilica: "Come, Holy Spirit." Image:Saint Adalbert's Basilica 2.JPG, Image:Saint Adalbert's Basilica rear.jpg, rear of the church Image:Saint Adalbert's love center.JPG, Response to Love Center (behind church) Image:Saint Adalbert's Rectory.JPG, rectory Image:Saint Adalbert's sign.JPG, sign to the left of the front entrance

References

External links

St. Adalbert's Website

Broadway Fillmore Alive (Neighborhood Website)

St. Adalbert's Facebook Page

City of Buffalo Preservation Board Survey CBCA PN 03-010 (see page 5-76)

Skyscraperpage building page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Adalbert Basilica, Buffalo Polish-American culture in Buffalo, New York Christian organizations established in 1891 Roman Catholic churches completed in 1891 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States Culture of Buffalo, New York Tourist attractions in Buffalo, New York Polish cathedral style architecture Roman Catholic churches in Buffalo, New York 1891 establishments in New York (state) Buildings and structures in Buffalo, New York Basilica churches in New York (state)