St. Adalbert's Church referred to in

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

as 'Kościół Świętego Wojciecha', is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Parish located at 1923 W. Becher St on

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

's South Side, and one of

's ' Polish Cathedrals.

Dedication

The church is dedicated to

Adalbert of Prague Adalbert of Prague (, , , , ; 95623 April 997), known in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia by his birth name Vojtěch (), was a Czech missionary and Christian saint. He was the Bishop of Prague and a missionary to the Hungarians, Poles, ...

, Slavic martyr and saint of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

History

With the need for additional churches exploding on Milwaukee's South Side, five lots were purchased on the corner of Becher and South 19th street on June 23, 1908. Two months later the

cornerstone A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry Foundation (engineering), foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entir ...

was laid and blessed under the guidance of Rev. Michael Domachowski was also named as the first parish priest. On February 28, 1909, the church and its adjoining school were blessed and completed later that year. The students were taught by 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 min ...

. On September 18, 1909 Domachowski was followed by another priest Wacław (Wenceslaus) Kruszka fresh from his extensive "exile" in

Ripon Ripon () is a cathedral city and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Within the boundaries of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, the ...

. He was elated to finally have a

parish, which had been brokered by the Polish bishop in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Auxiliary Bishop

Paul Peter Rhode Paul Peter Rhode (; September 18, 1871 – March 3, 1945) was a prelate of Western Slavic (German Empire, German) origin of the Roman Catholic Church in USA. He served as bishop (Catholic Church), bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gree ...

. Father Kruszka brought love and passion to his parish. The adjoining school reached its peak enrollment by 1924, when 1,585 pupils were taught by 23 sisters. Due to growing attendance and the popularity of the pastor, the parish decided to build a new church at a cost of $252,000 on land donated by St. Hyacinth’s parish. On April 23, 1931 the church was completed and blessed. During the time, Father Kruszka was also instrumental in organizing the new Blessed Sacrament Parish on 41st and Oklahoma Streets.

Architecture

The church is the city’s only example of Polish-inspired

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

architecture. The tall tower on the northwest corner of the church was built to resemble that of

Wawel Cathedral The Wawel Cathedral (), formally titled the Archcathedral Basilica of Stanislaus of Szczepanów, Saint Stanislaus and St. Wenceslas, Saint Wenceslaus, () is a Catholic cathedral situated on Wawel Hill in Kraków, Poland. Nearly 1000 years old, it ...

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, Poland. The

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

clad belfry holds four bells with the names of St. Adalbert,

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

, and the

Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

inscribed on them. The church became well known in the Milwaukee area for its beautiful

stained glass windows Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

Sources

*Borun, Thaddeus, We, the Milwaukee Poles (Milwaukee: Nowiny Publishing Co. 1946)

External links

The Polish Churches of Milwaukee
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Adalbert's Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Roman Catholic churches in Milwaukee Polish-American culture in Milwaukee Landmarks in Wisconsin Polish cathedral style architecture

Dedication

History

Architecture

See also

Sources

External links