Holy Cross Parish, New Britain
Encyclopedia
Holy Cross Parish is a Roman Catholic parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...

 located in New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254....

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Founded on April 8, 1927, it is in the Archdiocese of Hartford
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford is a particular church of the Latin Rite in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 700,000 Catholics, more than 500 priests, 216 parishes and almost 300 deacons. This is roughly one-half the population of...

 and is one of dozens of Polish-American Roman Catholic parishes in New England
Polish-American Roman Catholic parishes in New England
- Resources :# Dolores A. Liptak, "The Bishops of Hartford and the New Immigrants ", U.S. Catholic Historian, Vol. 1, No. 2 , pp. 37-53.# The Official Catholic Directory in USA# # # # # # # # # # # # # #...

.

History

Membership in New Britain's original Polish national parish
National parish
National parishes are Catholic parishes that serve particular ethnic communities. They are distinguished from the other type of parish, the territorial parish, which serve a geographic area of a diocese. National parishes have existed in Rome for centuries to meet the spiritual needs of the...

, Sacred Heart, had risen to about 9000 when a movement for a second parish was sponsored by the Holy Trinity Society, founded on April 8, 1927. On November 3, 1927, Bishop John Joseph Nilan
John Joseph Nilan
John Joseph Nilan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hartford from 1910 until his death in 1934.-Biography:...

 authorized Fr. Stephen Bartowski to organize what became Holy Cross Parish. The first Mass was offered on November 13 at a local hall. Fr. Bartkowski broke ground for a new church on Farmington Ave. on December 29, 1927. A year later, Fr. Bartkowski offered the first Mass in the new wooden church, which was dedicated on July 11, 1927 by Auxiliary Bishop Maurice F. McAuliffe. So many Poles soon crossed over from Sacred Heart that Bishop John Joseph Nilan
John Joseph Nilan
John Joseph Nilan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hartford from 1910 until his death in 1934.-Biography:...

 recognized Holy Cross Parish as a national
National parish
National parishes are Catholic parishes that serve particular ethnic communities. They are distinguished from the other type of parish, the territorial parish, which serve a geographic area of a diocese. National parishes have existed in Rome for centuries to meet the spiritual needs of the...

 instead of a territorial parish, as originally planned.

The 1936 neo-Gothic church was designed by architect Anthony J. DePace
Anthony J. DePace
Anthony J. DePace was an American architect who designed numerous Roman Catholic churches in throughout the Northeastern United States area during the mid to late 20th century.-Early life and education:...

 of New York.

Pipe organ

The church includes a Casavant Frères
Casavant Frères
Casavant Frères is a prominent Canadian company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building fine pipe organs since 1879. As of 2008, they have produced over 3800 organs.- Company history :...

 Pipe Organ (Opus 3650, 1988), situated at the back of the gallery under a large west-end rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...

. The placement on the central axis allows an organ of modest proportions to fill a large building. Considerable tonal variety is available on the three manual
divisions and pedal and includes appropriate divisional choruses that are
balanced individually and are structured to work together in the ensemble of the
instrument as a whole. The Trompette-en-Chamade is effective not only as the
crowning glory for the ensemble but also in solo and dialogue roles. While this
instrument speaks with a decidedly French accent, it has proven extremely
effective in presenting the music of Bach and his contemporaries and in
accompanying the singing of the congregation and choirs of the parish.

External links

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