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St. Stanislaus Church (Cleveland, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
St. Stanislaus Church was established in 1873 by Polish American
immigrants from Poland. They established a church and school for the growing Pol-Am or Polish American Community of Cleveland. The Alliance of Poles on Broadway Avenue was allied with the St. Stanislaus Parish Community. As St. Stanislaus Church grew they decided build a new church.
St. Stanislaus Church built in 1886, is an historic Roman Catholic church located at 3649 East 65th Street in the historic Slavic Village
neighborhood of Cleveland
, Ohio
. Operated by the Franciscan
Friar
s, it is also known as the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus. It is in European Gothic style with flying butteress. At the time of construction, it cost the parish $250,000 to build the church.
In 1894, Cleveland's Pol-Am community established Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish on Lansing Avenue, leading to a schism between Polish Catholics in Cleveland.
A tornado
on April 21, 1909 destroyed the twin spires at the front of the church. They were rebuilt within the year. On June 22, 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. Saint Stanislaus original height was 232-feet, but currently is 122-feet.
In 1962, St. Stanislaus built a new parish social center and gym complex across the street. In 1969, Cleveland Central Catholic was established at St. Stanislaus Parish. Cleveland Central Catholic and St. Stanislaus School have masses in the church. In 1969 Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (the future Pope John Paul II
) visited the parish.
In 2002, Fr. William Gulas O.F.M. was killed by Brother Daniel Montgomery O.F.M and to hide the crime, Montgomery set the parish rectory and offices on fire. Montgomery was sentenced to life in jail in 2005. Fr. Gulas was succeeded by Fr. Michael Surufka O.F.M. Fr. Surufka has formed the Fransican Development Corporation to help develop new residences in the neighborhood. In 2004, St. Stanislaus completed a $1.4 million dollar renovation of the church's interior. In 2006, it became a shrine church.
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
immigrants from Poland. They established a church and school for the growing Pol-Am or Polish American Community of Cleveland. The Alliance of Poles on Broadway Avenue was allied with the St. Stanislaus Parish Community. As St. Stanislaus Church grew they decided build a new church.
St. Stanislaus Church built in 1886, is an historic Roman Catholic church located at 3649 East 65th Street in the historic Slavic Village
Slavic Village
South Broadway is a neighborhood on the southeast side of Cleveland, Ohio. One of the city's oldest neighborhoods, much of the area has historically served as home to Cleveland's original Czech and Polish immigrants...
neighborhood of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Operated by the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
s, it is also known as the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus. It is in European Gothic style with flying butteress. At the time of construction, it cost the parish $250,000 to build the church.
In 1894, Cleveland's Pol-Am community established Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish on Lansing Avenue, leading to a schism between Polish Catholics in Cleveland.
A tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
on April 21, 1909 destroyed the twin spires at the front of the church. They were rebuilt within the year. On June 22, 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Saint Stanislaus original height was 232-feet, but currently is 122-feet.
In 1962, St. Stanislaus built a new parish social center and gym complex across the street. In 1969, Cleveland Central Catholic was established at St. Stanislaus Parish. Cleveland Central Catholic and St. Stanislaus School have masses in the church. In 1969 Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (the future Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
) visited the parish.
In 2002, Fr. William Gulas O.F.M. was killed by Brother Daniel Montgomery O.F.M and to hide the crime, Montgomery set the parish rectory and offices on fire. Montgomery was sentenced to life in jail in 2005. Fr. Gulas was succeeded by Fr. Michael Surufka O.F.M. Fr. Surufka has formed the Fransican Development Corporation to help develop new residences in the neighborhood. In 2004, St. Stanislaus completed a $1.4 million dollar renovation of the church's interior. In 2006, it became a shrine church.