Saint Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church (

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 ...

: ''Kościół Świętego Stanisława Kostki'') is a historic

church of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church located in Northeast Illinois, Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. The Vatican erected it as a diocese in 1843 and e ...

that is located at 1351 West Evergreen Avenue in the Pulaski Park neighborhood of

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 ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is designated as the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy of the Archdiocese. The Church is the "mother church" of all

churches in the

Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. The Vatican erected it as a diocese in 1843 and elevated it to an ar ...

and is open 24 hours, 7 days per week, and hosts Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at all times except during the celebration of

Holy Mass The Mass is the central liturgical service of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, in which bread and wine are consecrated and become the body and blood of Christ. As defined by the Church at the Council of Trent, in the Mass "the same Christ ...

. It is a prime example of the Polish Cathedral style of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. With the Basilica of St. Hyacinth, St. Mary of the Angels Church, St. John Cantius, and St. Hedwig Church it is one of many monumental Polish churches visible from the

Kennedy Expressway The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a nearly freeway in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Portions of the freeway carry I-190, I-90 and I-94. The freeway runs in a southeast–northwest direction between the central city neighborhood of the ...

that runs through

History

Saint Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church was founded in 1867 as the first Polish parish in

. Because the

Resurrectionist Order The Resurrectionists, officially named the Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (; abbreviated CR), is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men. It was founded in 1836 by three men: Bogdan Ja� ...

has administered the parish since 1869 and later founded many other Polish parishes in the City, Saint Stanislaus Kostka is often denominated the "mother church" of Chicago's Polish community. Antoni Smagorzewski-Schermann, the first permanent Polish resident of Chicago, was one of the prominent founders of the Church and was named its first president.Rodziny, Polish Genealogical Society Newsletter, Fall 1986, p. 29. Smagorzewski-Schermann also donated some of his land for the site of the Church. The original church edifice survived the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

but was demolished to construct the present church. The famous Irish

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 ...

ecclesiastical architect

Patrick Charles Keely Patrick Charles Keely (August 9, 1816 — August 11, 1896) was an Irish-American architect based in Brooklyn, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island. He was a prolific designer of nearly 600 churches and hundreds of other institutional buildin ...

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

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

, built the present church that is located on the southeast corner of Noble and Evergreen Streets from 1871 to 1881. At the end of the 19th century, it was one of the largest parishes not only in the City but in the whole nation, with more than 35,000 parishioners in 1908. Along with

Holy Trinity Polish Mission Holy Trinity Church () is a historic Catholic Church, Catholic church of the Archdiocese of Chicago located at 1118 North Noble Street. It is a prime example of the so-called Polish cathedral style of churches, in both its opulence and grand sc ...

, Saint Stanislaus Kostka was the center of Chicago's

Polish Downtown Polish Downtown was Chicago's oldest and most prominent Polish settlement. Polish Downtown was the political, cultural and social capital of Poles in Chicago and of other Polish Americans throughout North America. Centered on Polonia Triangle ...

, which once caused its formerly to be nicknamed ''"Kostkaville"''. Much of this was due to the Church's first pastor, Reverend Vincent Michael Barzynski, who was described as "one of the greatest organizers of Polish immigrants in Chicago and America". Barzynski was responsible, in various ways, for founding 23 Polish parishes in Chicago, 6 elementary schools, 2 high schools, one college, orphanages, newspapers, Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital, and the national headquarters of the

Polish Roman Catholic Union of America The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA) (in Polish: ''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 ...

. As a cultural node for Chicago's Polish Community, the church has hosted governmental officials from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and the

, including

President Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only Democrat to serve as president during the Progressive Era when Republicans dominated the pres ...

and

Małgorzata Gosiewska Małgorzata Maria Gosiewska (; born 22 July 1966) served as the Deputy Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland 2019–2023. She was elected to the Sejm on 25 September 2005, getting 4,251 votes in 19 Warsaw district as a candidate from the ...

. The Church lost one of its 2 belfries that were "so reminiscent of

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 ...

Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...

from a lightning strike in 1970". The Church was to be demolished to construct the

, yet intense effort of Chicago Polonia in the late 1950s resulted in shifting the planned

right of way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...

east thus rendering demolition unnecessary. The Church remained predominately Polish through most of the 20th century, but since the 1970s, it has gained a significant number of Latino parishioners. Masses are celebrated in English,

, and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

Architecture

The church was completed in 1881 and designed by

Patrick Keely Patrick Charles Keely (August 9, 1816 — August 11, 1896) was an Irish-American architect based in Brooklyn, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island. He was a prolific designer of nearly 600 churches and hundreds of other institutional buildin ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, also architect of Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral. The building's

Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of ...

style recalls the glory days of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

in the 16th century. It is constructed of yellow brick with limestone accents with interior measurements of in length and in width, allowing seating for 1500. The painting above the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

by Tadeusz Żukotyński depicts Our Lady placing the infant Jesus in the arms of St. Stanislaus Kostka. Żukotyński, who came to Chicago in 1888, was considered one of Europe's foremost painters of religious subjects. Other artistic treasures in the church include the Stained glass windows by F.X. Zettler of the Royal Bavarian Institute in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

and the chandeliers in the nave by the studios of

Louis Comfort Tiffany Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is associated with the art nouveauLander, David"The Buyable ...

. The southern

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Ital ...

was destroyed by lightning in 1964, and the northern

was rebuilt with a more simplified profile in 2002. In addition to the church, the two-block physical plant of the Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish complex contained a large performance hall, a

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

and

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, p ...

, a

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

nasium and a two-year commercial school for girls, staffed 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 ...

. In 1906, a fire destroyed the school and convent, as well as an

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

that was under construction. Two years later, the school had been rebuilt with 54 classrooms and three meeting halls, making it the largest elementary school in all of the United States when it opened in 1908. The complex also includes a modernist-style 1959 school building designed by Belli & Belli of Chicago. St. Stanislaus Kostka is the future home of the planned

Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

of The Divine Mercy. The sanctuary will have an adoration

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

and outdoor prayer garden enclosed by a surrounding wall of

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

to help define the space as sacred. Within the enclosure, there will be no liturgies or vocal prayers, either by individuals or groups. The space is strictly meant for private meditation and contemplation. Various religious iconography will be found in the Sanctuary of The Divine Mercy. At the heart of the chapel will be the Iconic

Monstrance A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory), is a vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, High Church Lutheran and Anglican churches for the display on an altar of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharisti ...

Our Lady of the Sign The icon of ''Our Lady of the Sign'' (; ; ) or ''Platytera'' () is the term for a particular type of icon of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), facing the viewer directly, depicted either full length or half, with her hands raised in the ''orans'' posi ...

which will be the focus of 24-hour Eucharistic adoration. The new sanctuary is designed by McCrery Architects of

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

In September 2011, the parish began a fundraising campaign to complete needed repairs. The work will correct structural deficiencies, repair pews, restore decorative paintings and glass, install flooring and upgrade electrical and sound systems and will be completed in phases. The total budget is expected to cost $4.4 million.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church, Chicago 1867 establishments in Illinois 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States Roman Catholic churches in Chicago Polish-American Roman Catholic parishes in the United States Patrick Keely buildings Polish-American culture in Chicago Polish cathedral style architecture Religious organizations established in 1867 Resurrectionist Congregation Roman Catholic churches completed in 1881

History

Architecture

See also

References

Further reading

External links