- Church of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr (Buffalo, New York)
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St. Stanislaus - Bishop & Martyr Church 
Location Buffalo, New York Country 
United StatesDenomination Roman Catholic Website Stanislaus Church in Buffalo History Founded June 3, 1873 Founder(s) Jan Pitass Dedicated 1886 Architecture Status Parish church Functional status "Active" Architect(s) T.O.Sullivan Style Romanesque Completed 1882 Specifications Length 192 feet (58.5 m) Width 104 feet (31.7 m) Materials Jammerthal flint stone with lockport limestone trim Administration Parish Theresa Gonciarz Clergy Bishop(s) Edward M. Grosz St. Stanislaus - Bishop & Martyr Church is located at 123 Townsend Street, Buffalo, New York on the city's east side. The Church is the oldest Polish church in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and holds the title of "Mother Church of Polonia" for western New York.
Contents
History
The parish was established on Jun. 8, 1873 by Rev. Jan Pitass and the Society of Saint Stanislaus. In 1904, the church's parish was among the largest in the U.S. with close to 20,000 parishioners and nearly two-thousand children were enrolled in the school. In 1908, the church steeples and bells were installed. [1] The church features a 1893 Johnson & Son pipe organ in the chior loft.[2]
During the winter of 2000, a storm with severe winds resulted in the removal of the cross and cupola on the left tower of St. Stanislaus. Restoration of the cupola was completed in July 2003 at a cost of $300,000. Of that cost, only one third was covered by insurance. As a result of this restoration, the left and right cupola are no longer matching in color.[3]
In November of 2003 Bishop Edward M. Grosz was named only the 6th pastor of the historic parish. Because of dwindling attendance and parish population, the church was redesignated "a shrine to St. Stanislaus and all Polish martyrs" and a Polish cultural center on October 11, 2009. The Bishop also "linked" the parish with St. John Kanty's church.[4]
Gallery
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Front outside View
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Plaque affixed to the right of the front entrance
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Plaque affixed to the left of the front entrance
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Statues of Christian saints
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View of inside (from the second floor)
See also
- Buffalo, New York
- East Side, Buffalo
- Polish Cathedral style
- St. Adalbert's Basilica
- Jozef Mazur
References
- ^ "St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr R.C. Church". St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr R.C. Church. http://ststanislauschurch.com/index103.htm.
- ^ Waymark. "St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Church - Buffalo, NY". http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM369G_St_Stanislaus_Bishop_Martyr_Church__Buffalo_NY. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
- ^ Hayden, Joe. "Buffalo's Faith Elevators". www.faithelevators.us. http://www.faithelevators.us/faith.html?steeples.html. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
- ^ "Buffalo News article". Buffalonews.com. http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/824942.html.
External links
- Stanislaus Church in Buffalo
- Image montage of the church
- PGSNYS history of the church
- City of Buffalo Preservation Board Survey
Coordinates: 42°53′17″N 78°50′26″W / 42.88806°N 78.84056°W
Categories:- Roman Catholic churches in New York
- Visitor attractions in Buffalo, New York
- Religious organizations established in 1873
- Religious buildings completed in 1882
- 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings
- Polish Cathedral style architecture
- Churches in Buffalo, New York
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