Polish cathedral style

Last updated
Holy Trinity Church, Chicago, Illinois Holy Trinity Polish Mission facade 090321.jpg
Holy Trinity Church, Chicago, Illinois
The altar, side altars, and nave of St. Casimir Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 13, 2016, following Cleveland Mass Mob XX St Casimir Church Cleveland, Ohio. Interior.jpg
The altar, side altars, and nave of St. Casimir Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 13, 2016, following Cleveland Mass Mob XX

The Polish cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England. [1] These monumentally grand churches are not necessarily cathedrals, defined as seats of bishops or of their dioceses.

Contents

Polish cathedral churches generally have large amounts of ornamentation in the exterior and interior, comparable only to the more famous Churrigueresque or Spanish Baroque style. [2] The decorations used reflect the tastes of the Polish immigrants to these regions in both the symbols and statuary of saints prominently displayed throughout. Additionally there is a heavy proclivity towards ornamentation drawn from the Renaissance and Baroque periods as well as modeling designs after famous churches in Poland. [3] The claim of different 'architectural styles' of Europe ascribed to these churches is misleading, as most of them are already labeled by art historians as examples of Eclecticism and Historicism, characterized by the various architectural revivals found in styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These churches exhibit a mixture of architectural traits from numerous past eras characteristic of Europe and the Americas.

A unique synthesis

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin St Stanislaus Catholic Church.jpg
St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The main and side altars of the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus Cleveland, Ohio The main and side altars of the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus.JPG
The main and side altars of the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus Cleveland, Ohio

Skerrett says Polish churches surpassed other immigrants' churches in size. Their style promoted the immigrants' vision of Polish identity. [4]

Kantowicz writes in The Archdiocese of Chicago: A Journey of Faith: "The preference of the Polish League for Renaissance and Baroque forms seems more clear cut. The glory days of the Polish Commonwealth came in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when it formed the largest state in Europe… The architectural style of Chicago's Polish churches in Chicago reflect this, particularly the magnificent edifices of Worthmann and Steinbach built along Milwaukee Avenue on the Northwest Side, reflected the renaissance glory of Polish Catholicism".

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on Polish Hill in Pittsburgh IHMPittsburgh.jpg
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on Polish Hill in Pittsburgh

Peter Williams in his book Houses of God: Region, Religion, and Architecture in the United States on p. 179 writes,"[I]n Detroit and Chicago especially, a distinctive genre of church building emerged among Polish communities, the "Polish cathedral." Where most Catholic churches were built in grander or humbler variations and Gothic and Romanesque themes popular across the country, the ambitious prelates in the Great Lakes Polonias often chose to make monumental statements in the Renaissance style of their mother country. The scale of these structures was often enormous, both in the great size of these parishes and the episcopal ambitions of their clerical leaders... Still visible from the freeways, many of these "cathedrals" such as St. Stanislaus Kostka in Chicago now serve African-American or Latino constituencies while others have been closed by their archbishops as no longer economically viable.

St. John Cantius Roman Catholic Church, Chicago, Illinois Stjohncantius.JPG
St. John Cantius Roman Catholic Church, Chicago, Illinois

The churches are major tourist attractions in Chicago, with tours devoted exclusively to them. [5] [6] In May 1980 the Chicago Architecture Foundation's ArchiCenter held an exhibit on these treasures titled Chicago's Polish Churches.

These ornate temples were largely built by the working poor in these regions in the era spanning the period from the end of the American Civil War until the end of World War II. [7] [8]

Criticism

Many of Chicago's Protestant elites criticized these stylistically grand churches as "ostentatious" in comparison with the "plainer" style in vogue for Protestant houses of worship. [9] Catholic hierarchs such as John Lancaster Spalding, the first Bishop of Peoria, responded by comparing the churches that the immigrants financed to the pyramids of Egypt that were built by slaves. [9]

The need for identity was evident in the unique architecture of the Polish cathedral style. It was often associated with the religious order of the Congregation of the Resurrection, in addition to the architectural styles of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. [10] [11] Both in scale and scope, these edifices were attempts to contradict the marginal status of Polish immigrants in society. As a stateless people whose culture was systematically attacked in its homeland during the years of partition, they also had a low economic rank in the industrial centers to which they had immigrated at the turn of the century. [12] The construction of these churches greatly influenced the development of neighborhoods that surrounded them. World views that the Polish immigrants from the Old World retained, and their creative assimilation into the New World, shaped the landscape of the rapidly growing industrial regions to which they immigrated. [13]

List of churches built in the Polish cathedral style

Churches in the Polish cathedral style in the City of Chicago, Illinois
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Church of St. Adalbert Lower West Side Neoclassical
2. Church of St. Barbara Bridgeport Renaissance
3. Covenant Presbyterian Church of Chicago (formerly All Saints Polish National Catholic Cathedral) Bucktown Gothic
4. Church of St. Hedwig Bucktown Renaissance Revival
5. Church of the Holy Innocents West Town Romanesque with Byzantine flourishes
6. Church of the Holy Trinity West Town Renaissance
7. Basilica of St. Hyacinth Avondale Renaissance
8. Church of the Immaculate Conception South Chicago Renaissance
9. Church of Our Lady of Tepeyac (formerly Church of St. Casimir) Lower West Side Baroque
10. Church of St. John Cantius West Town Baroque
11. Church of St. John of God (closed in 1992; demolished 2011) Back of the Yards Baroque
12. Church of St. Joseph (Shrine) Back of the Yards Baroque
13. Church of St. Josaphat Lincoln Park Romanesque
14. Church of St. Mary of the Angels Bucktown Neoclassical
15. Church of St. Mary of Perpetual Help Bridgeport Romanesque-Byzantine
16. Church of St. Michael the Archangel South Chicago Gothic
17. Salem Baptist Church of Chicago (formerly Church of St. Salomea) West Pullman Gothic
18. Church of St. Stanislaus Kostka West Town Renaissance
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in the suburbs of the City of Chicago
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Church of St. Andrew Calumet City Renaissance
2. Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Lemont Renaissance
3. Church of St. Mary of Częstochowa Cicero Gothic
Outside Chicago
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Detroit, Michigan
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Wyandotte Renaissance
2. Church of St. Florian Hamtramck Gothic
3. Church of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr (closed in 1989)East Side Romanesque
4. The Polish-American Historical Site Association (formerly Church of St. Albertus)East Side, Canfield Avenue Gothic Revival
5. Church of the Sweetest Heart of Mary East Side, Canfield Avenue Gothic Revival
6. Church of St. Francis of AssisiSouthwest Side Italian Renaissance
7. Church of St. HyacinthEast Side Byzantine Romanesque
8. Church of St. HedwigSouthwest Side
9. Church of St. Casimir (demolished in 1967; the twin of the Church of St. Mary of Perpetual Help in Chicago, Illinois)Southwest Side Romanesque Byzantine
10. Church of St. John Cantius (closed in 2009)Delray Romanesque
11. Church of St. JosaphatEast Side, Canfield Avenue Romanesque and Gothic Revival
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Grand Rapids, Michigan
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Basilica of St. Adalbert Grand Rapids Romanesque with Byzantine influence
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Bay City, Michigan
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Church of St. Stanislaus KostkaSouth side Gothic Revival
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Cleveland, Ohio
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus Slavic Village Gothic architecture
2. Church of St. Casimir St. Clair-Superior Romanesque
3. Church of St. John Cantius Tremont Baroque and Art Deco
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Church of St. Stanislaus South Side Renaissance
2. Church of St. Adalbert South Side Romanesque Revival
3. Basilica of St. Josaphat South Side Baroque
4. Church of St. Casimir Riverwest Baroque
5. Church of St. Vincent de Paul South Side Romanesque
6. Church of St. Hedwig South Side Romanesque, Gothic
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Church of St. Stanislaus Kostka Strip District Romanesque
2. Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Polish Hill Baroque
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Church of St. John Cantius Bridesburg Gothic
2. Church of St. Adalbert Port Richmond Gothic
3. Church of St. Laurentius Fishtown Gothic
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Winona, Minnesota
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Basilica of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Downtown Romanesque
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Western Massachusetts
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Basilica of St. Stanislaus Chicopee Center (Cabotville) Baroque Revival
2. St. Stanislaus Kostka Church Adams Gothic Revival
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Buffalo, New York
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Church of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr East Side Romanesque Revival
2. Basilica of St. Adalbert East Side Romanesque Revival
3. Church of the Corpus Christi East Side Romanesque Revival
4. Church of the Assumption of St. Mary Black Rock Gothic
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Syracuse, New York
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Westside Gothic Revival
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Baltimore, Maryland
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1.Church of the Holy Rosary Upper Fells Point Romanesque
2.Church of St. Casimir Canton Romanesque
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Connecticut
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. Church of St. Stanislaus Upper State Street Historic District, New Haven Baroque
2. Sacred Heart Parish New Britain Gothic Revival
Churches in the Polish cathedral style in Delaware
ChurchLocationDominant architectural theme
1. St. Hedwig's Roman Catholic Church Wilmington, Delaware Gothic Revival

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of Saint Hyacinth</span> Church in Chicago, USA

The Basilica of Saint Hyacinth is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, located at 3636 West Wolfram Street in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary</span> Private high school seminary school in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood. Located in downtown Chicago at 103 East Chestnut Street, adjacent to Loyola University Chicago's Water Tower campus, it closed on 22 June 2007, and became the Archbishop Quigley Center, the pastoral center and headquarters of the archdiocese after renovations ending 19 November 2008. Between 1961 and 1990, the seminary was split into two campuses: Quigley South and Quigley North, with Quigley North housed at the original building. The south campus was closed in 1990, with all seminary operations returning to the original building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary of the Angels (Chicago)</span> Church in Illinois, United States

Saint Mary of the Angels is a historic church of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Adalbert's in Chicago</span> Church in Chicago, USA

St. Adalbert Church is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. The church is located on 17th Street between Paulina Street and Ashland Avenue in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. St. Adalbert has served generations of Polish immigrants and their American-born children; at its peak, parish membership numbered 4,000 families with more than 2,000 children enrolled in the school. Today, the church is an anchor for the Mexican immigrants that have made the Pilsen area their home.

SS. Cyril and Methodius in Lemont - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, located in Lemont, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (Pittsburgh)</span> Parish church in Pennsylvania, United States

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Pittsburgh, referred to in Polish as Kościół Matki Boskiej, is a historic church of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Located on Polish Hill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral' style of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. The church was designated a historic landmark by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation in 1970.

St. Barbara's in Chicago - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois, at 2859 South Throop St.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Stanislaus Kostka Church (Chicago)</span> Church in Illinois, United States

Saint Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church is a historic Polish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago that is located at 1351 West Evergreen Avenue in the Pulaski Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is designated as the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy of the Archdiocese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Hedwig's Church (Chicago)</span> Church in Illinois, United States

St. Hedwig's Church is a historic parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois. Constructed in the grand Polish Cathedral style, it is one of the many monumental Polish churches visible from the Kennedy Expressway. The church is located at 2226 North Hoyne Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Immaculate Conception (Chicago)</span> Church in Chicago, Illinois, US

The Church of the Immaculate Conception, referred to in Polish as Kościół Niepokalanego Poczęcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny, is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at 2944 East 88th Street in Chicago, Illinois. It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with St. Michael's, it is one of the two monumental Polish churches dominating the South Chicago skyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Innocents Church (Chicago)</span> Church in Illinois, USA

Holy Innocents Church,, is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at 743 North Armour Street in the East Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is a prime example of the so-called "Polish Cathedral style" of churches in both its opulence and grand scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church (Chicago)</span> Church in Chicago, United States

Holy Trinity Church is a historic church of the Roman Catholic 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 scale. Along with such monumental religious edifices as St. Mary of the Angels, St. Hedwig's or St. John Cantius, it is one of the many Polish churches that dominate over the Kennedy Expressway in the Pulaski Park neighborhood of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church (Chicago)</span> Church in Illinois, USA

St. Michael is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. The current church is located at E. 83rd Street and S. South Shore Drive in South Chicago, a neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church (Chicago)</span> Church in Illinois, United States

St. Mary of Perpetual Help - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John Cantius Church (Chicago)</span> Latin Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois US

Saint John Cantius Church is a historic Latin Catholic church of the Archdiocese of Chicago known for its architecture, liturgical practices, and affiliation with the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church (Chicago)</span> Church in Chicago, United States

St. Joseph's is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois at 4821 South Hermitage Avenue. Founded in 1887 with the current church building dating to 1914, Saint Joseph's is a prime example of the Polish Cathedral style of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with St. John of God and Holy Cross, it is one of three monumental religious edifices that dominates the skyline of the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The parish survived archdiocesan budget cuts in 1990, and, in 2021, was merged with several local churches into a single parish. Today, St. Joseph serves a multicultural community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church (Chicago)</span> Church in Chicago, United States

St. Josaphat is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at 2311 North Southport Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Cross Church (Chicago)</span> Church in Illinois, United States

Holy Cross Church (Chicago), referred to in Lithuanian as Šv. Kryžiaus Bažnyčia, is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located on West 46th Street in Chicago, Illinois. Built by Lithuanian immigrants, it bears a striking resemblance to many of Chicago's so-called "Polish Cathedrals" by virtue of the common heritage Poles and Lithuanians shared during the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and reflected in their architectural tastes. Holy Cross merged with the nearby Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on 45th and Ashland to make one parish, Holy Cross - Immaculate Heart of Mary. In 2021, the parish was further united with two nearby churches.

St. Ladislaus - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polish Downtown (Chicago)</span>

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 at the intersection of Division, Ashland and Milwaukee Avenue, the headquarters for almost every major Polish organization in the United States was clustered within its vicinity, beginning with the Polish National Alliance to the Polish Daily News.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Williams, Peter W., "Houses of God: Region, Religion, and Architecture in the United States" pp. 157, 179–180 University of Illinois Press; Reprint edition (2000)
  2. ↑ "Polish churches along the Kennedy Expressway" by Lilien, Marya, pp. 18–29, Spring 1980
  3. ↑ The Archdiocese of Chicago: A Journey of Faith by Kantowicz, Edward pp. 27–29, Booklink, Ireland 2006
  4. ↑ SKERRETT, Ellen. "Parish and Neighborhood in Polonia". Sacred Space. Catholicism, Chicago Style. p. 153. In terms of sheer size and monumentality, Polish Catholic churches on the Near Northwest Side surpassed the parish churches constructed by most German, Bohemian and Irish congregations. The architectural style promoted by the Resurrectionists used Renaissance and Baroque forms molded to distinctively promote their vision of Polish history and identity.
  5. ↑ Polish Spires and Steeples Tour" Archived 2009-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Chicago Special Interest: "Polish cathedral"
  7. ↑ Chicago's Polish Downtown Victoria Granacki in association with the Polish Museum of America pp. 7–11, 14–16, 18–23 Arcadia Publishing 2004
  8. ↑ Williams, Peter W., "Houses of God: Region, Religion, and Architecture in the United States" p. 178 University of Illinois Press; Reprint edition (2000)
  9. 1 2 Catholicism, Chicago Style by Skerrett, Ellen; Kantowicz, Edward R.; and Avella, Steven M., p. 147, Loyola University Press, 1993
  10. ↑ Ethnic Chicago: A Mulicultural Portrait edited by Melvin G. Holli and Peter a'A Jones, pp. 178–9, 595–6, William B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, 1995
  11. ↑ Swiderski, Klara and Robert, "Basilica of St. Hyacinth: Inside Religion", pp. 3–8, Ex Libris Galeria Polskiej Ksiazki, 2005
  12. ↑ Piatkowska Danuta Polskie Kościoły w Nowym Jorku (The Polish Churches of New York [in Polish]), pp. 19–27, 559–61, Wydawnictwa Swietego Krzyza, 2002
  13. ↑ Catholicism, Chicago Style by Skerrett, Ellen; Kantowicz, Edward R.; and Avella, Steven M., pp. 139–40, 146–50, 152–62, Loyola University Press, 1993
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.