St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish, Chicopee

St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish
St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish
	Basilica of St. Stanislaus
	Coordinates: 42°08′52.2″N72°35′42.5″W / 42.147833°N 72.595139°W
Location	570 Front Street; Chicopee, Massachusetts
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	Parish website
History
Founded	1891
Founder(s)	Polish immigrants
Dedication	St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's
Administration
Division	Region 7
Province	Boston
Diocese	Springfield in Massachusetts
Parish	Conventual Franciscans
Clergy
Archbishop	Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley
Bishop(s)	Most Rev. William Draper Byrne
Rector	Fr. Brad Milunski OFM Conv
Vicar(s)	Fr. Paul Miskiewicz OFM Conv ; Fr. Mieczyslaw Wilk OFM Conv
Pastor(s)	Fr. Brad Milunski OFM Conv
Deacon(s)	Rev. Mr. Joseph Peters; Rev. Mr. Michael Pray

Last updated December 16, 2022

St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish - designated for Polish immigrants in Chicopee, Massachusetts, United States. Founded 1891, it is one of the Polish-American Roman Catholic parishes in New England in the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts.

History

In 1890 Bishop Patrick O'Reilly appointed Fr. Franciszek Chalupka spiritual adviser to the group responsible for organizing new parishes and entrusted him with organizing a new St. Stanislaus Parish in Chicopee, Massachusetts for Polish immigrants.

In 1902 the Franciscans of the Province of St. Anthony of Padua,^[1] took over the parish.

On July 7, 1991 during the parish's centennial celebrations, Pope John Paul II raised the status of the church to a "minor basilica".

Church

The first, wooden, church of St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr was in the place where now stands a parochial St. Stanislaus School. First Christmas Eve Mass was celebrated by Fr. Franciszek Chalupka in 1891 in an unfinished church. The church was the first church in the St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish, and the first Polish-American church in the western part of Massachusetts.

Second church

To accommodate the growing number of parishioners, the large brown stone second church in the Baroque Revival Style cathedral-like style was built in 1908 on Front St. It can accommodate about 800 parishioners in the main and two side naves. In 1920 a pipe organ was installed.

The basilica has stained glass windows, between which walls are decorated with Stations of the Cross. Carved and painted figures are placed in small niches. The architect for this church was Reiley and Steinback of New York.

Lower church

The style of the lower church is more contemporary. A large collection of relics in reliquaries is displayed in specially built cabinets near the sacristy.

School

St. Stanislaus School, Chicopee (Grade PK -8)

Related Research Articles

Chicopee is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 55,560, making it the second-largest city in Western Massachusetts after Springfield. Chicopee is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The communities of Chicopee Center (Cabotville), Chicopee Falls, Willimansett, Fairview, Aldenville, Burnett Road, Smith Highlands and Westover are located within the city.

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The Basilica of St. Stanislaus is a Roman Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Stanislaus of Szczepanów located in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The church is under the circumscription of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts and serves St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish. The church was completed in 1908 to the designs of Robert J. Reiley and Gustave E. Steinback of the firm Reiley and Steinback. The basilica was decreed on June 25, 1991.

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References

↑ Province of St. Anthony of Padua in USA

Bibliography

The 150th Anniversary of Polish-American Pastoral Ministry. Webster, Massachusetts: St. Joseph Basilica. September 11, 2005.

Jendrysik, Stephen R. (2005). The Polish Community of Chicopee (MA). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-3892-2.

A short parish history the 1966 Jubilee Book. St. Stanislaus B&M Parish - Chicopee MA: the internet Polish Genealogical Source.

The Official Catholic Directory in USA
Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Springfield" . Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company.

External links

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[1] Province of St. Anthony of Padua in USA

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