POLISH AMERICAN
LITURGICAL CENTER
at Orchard Lake, Michigan

Parish History

The parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka opened in 1867. Bishop Foley put the Resurrection Fathers in charge of the growing parish in 1871. As the flow of Polish immigrants continued into the neighborhood, a larger church was needed. The cornerstone of the present church building was laid in 1877 and the church was dedicated in 1881.

By 1897, St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish was the largest parish in the United States with 8,000 families, totaling 40,000 people. There were twelve Masses each Sunday: six Masses in the upper church and another six Masses in the lower church. St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish is considered the mother church of the many Polish parishes founded by Fr. Vincent Barzynski, C.R., during his pastorate (1874-1899).

In the early 1950’s, the church was slated to be razed to make room for the Kennedy Expressway, but due to protests by the Polish community and the work of legislators like U.S. Representative Daniel Rostenkowski, the path of the expressway was altered and the church was saved.

Today, the parish continues to serve the spiritual needs of parishioners who come from a wide geographic area and include many different ethnic groups. The large number of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans has brought a new vitality to the parish. Masses are said in English, Spanish and Polish. The parish continues to operate an elementary school, as well as, a strong religious education program.

In 2007, Cardinal Francis George designated St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish as the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Chicago and, in 2008, he blessed the iconic Monstrance, Our Lady of the Sign-Ark of Mercy, which draws many people to 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration at this historic church.

In September, 2011, St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish began a project of essential repair and restoration of the church building. The vision is that the parish will continue to be a beacon of hope for the next generations of Catholics of Chicago.

Source: Parish Website.

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An historical account. Centenial St. Stanislaus Kostka Church (1867-1967), Chicago, IL, p. 33.48. CAP at Orchard Lake.

St. Stanislaus Kostka Church History. Polish Genealogical Society of America.

The Trail of Churches, Part 3 - St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. A Chicago Sojourn.

St. Stanislaus Kostka. A brief History of a landmark Chicago church.

Foot notes to Chicago History - St. Stanislaus Kostka

St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish/the Sanctuary of The Divine Mercy Chicago. Imprisonet im my Bones.

Pamiętnik Srebrnego Jubileuszu 1887-1912 Towarzystwa Najświętszego Imienia Maryi przy kościele Św. Stanisława Kostki w Chicago, IL. CAP at Orchard Lake.

Złoty Jubileusz 1867-1917 Najstarszej Polskiej Parafii Św. Stanisława Kostki w Chicago, IL. CAP at Orchard Lake.

Diamond Jubilee 1867-1942 St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Chicago, IL. CAP at Orchard Lake.

Parafia św. Stanisława Kostki w Chicago, WI. Historya Polska w Ameryce, X. W. Kruszka, T. VIII, s. 134-160. CAP at Orchard Lake.

St. Stanislaus College - Weber High School, 50th Anniversary Edition 1890-1940, pp.1-96. CAP at Orchard Lake.

The Senior Class of St. Stanislaus Kostka High School in Chicago presents The 1951 Crescendo, Volume Three. CAP at Orchard Lake.

Golden Jubilee of St. Stanislaus College- Weber High School 1890-1940, Chicago, IL, pp. 3-96. CAP at Orchard Lake. 

Kolegium sw. Stanislawa Kostki w Chicago, IL. 1906-1907. CAP at Orchard Lake.

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We Need Your Help with Historical Preservation

If you have any important documents or other materials related to this parish and would like to share them with us, please contact us at: info@liturgicalcenter.org

Remember these materials, for example, parish jubilee books, celebrations of priests’ anniversaries, church and/or parish photos, pamphlets, etc., may be valuable to the next generation and may become lost forever.  Your contributions of historical materials may enrich our Polish American Liturgical Center website and archives and they will become a living memorial to your loved ones and your parish history.

We ask you to make an effort to help preserve your parish history as a memorial to all the parishioners who have contributed to making it a magnificent place of worship.  May God reward your kindness!

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Jeśli masz interesujące materiały dotyczące historii tej parafii, które uzupełnią zbiory Centralnego Archiwum Polonii w Orchard Lake i chcesz je do nas przesłać lub tylko wypożyczyć, to prosimy o kontakt. Prosimy wymienić, jakiego typu są to materiały (zdjęcia kościoła lub innych obiektów parafialnych, opowiadania dotyczące dziejów parafii lub opis jej obecnej sytuacji). Pragniemy zinwentaryzować i zgromadzić jak najwięcej materiałów dotyczących historii polskich parafii w USA, aby zapewnić pamięć o nich dla przyszłych pokoleń. Jest to jedyny cel prowadzenia działu PARAFIE POLONIJNE na naszej stronie.

Zachęcamy do współpracy (info@liturgicalcenter.org).