The Parish That Moved An Expressway

The History of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish
- The Beginnings
  
  Until 1867 immigrants from Poland to Chicago could only attend Mass in the German parishes of St. Michael’s and St. Joseph’s. Thanks to the efforts and generosity of thirty Polish families who formed a society under the patronage of St. Stanislaus Kostka, the seeds were planted for the first Polish Parish in Chicago. The Society of St. Stanislaus Kostka purchased four lots of land at $1,700.00 on what was once farm land where wild ducks were hunted and rabbits trapped. The four lots were located at Noble and Potomac Streets, near Plank Road which would later be renamed Milwaukee Avenue.
  
  The priests of the Congregation of the Resurrection were sent from Rome to minister to the rapidly growing Polish community in Chicago. While Bishop Foley gave St. Stanislaus Kostka canonical status as a parish in 1867, he only officially placed the new parish under the care of the Resurrectionists in 1871.
  
  The first church, a wooden structure, 40 by 50 feet, was built in 1869. The ground floor was built to be the school and meeting hall. The second floor was the church and had seating for a thousand people. The church’s bell tower was 85 feet high and from it the priests watched the famous Chicago fire in 1871.
  
  On September 18, 1874, Fr. Vincent Barzyński was appointed pastor by Bishop Foley. Fr. Barzyński became the greatest and most noted worker in the Polish community. He was pastor until 1899. During his pastorate, St. Stanislaus Kostka became the largest parish in the United States. From 1874 to 1897, the parish grew from 400 families to 8,000 families with a membership numbered at 40,000. There were twelve Masses each Sunday: six Masses in the upper church and another six Masses in the lower church.
  
  The parish is considered the mother church of the many Polish parishes founded by Fr. Vincent Barzyński, C.R. during his pastorate. To accommodate the growing number of parishioners the corner stone of a new church was laid on July 1, 1877. In addition, a new school was built along with a convent to accommodate the growing student body. The parish buildings were valued at half a million dollars. In 1892, the twin towers of the new church were completed at a cost of $99,850.00. The south tower was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire in 1964.
  
  The current church was completed in 1881 and designed by Patrick Keely of Brooklyn, NY, who was also the architect of Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral. The building's Renaissance Revival style recalls the glory days of the Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth in the 16th century. It is constructed of yellow brick with limestone accents with interior measurements of 200 ft (61 m) in length and 80 ft (24 m) in width, allowing seating for 1,500 people. Other artistic treasures in the church include the stained glass windows and the chandeliers. The stained glass windows, depicting the Fifteen Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, were designed and created by Professor Franz Zettler of the Royal Bavarian Institute of Art in Munich, Germany. They were imported and installed in 1903. The Tiffany styled chandeliers, designed in St. Louis, Missouri, were installed in 1908.
  
  St. Stanislaus Kostka School was founded February 2, 1874, as the parish school of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. With 150 students, the school opened its doors as the first school organized through The Congregation of the Resurrection under the direction of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
  
  St. Stanislaus Kostka, by the late 19th century, had 3,000 students enrolled in the parish school under the care of 45 School Sisters of Notre Dame, 7 lay teachers, and 5 priests. The Parish had 51 Societies with a membership of 12,000 and a choir of 300 members. From 1870 until 1917, 50,451 children received the sacrament of Baptism at St. Stanislaus Kostka. In 1892 alone there were 2,260 baptisms, 372 weddings, and 1,029 funerals. By 1908 student enrollment in the school had increased by 4,500.
- 20th Century
  
  At least twenty other parishes were formed from St. Stanislaus Kostka, which led to a significant decrease in parish membership. Also in the middle of the 1920’s many parishioners were joining the westward movement to the outskirts of the city and even to the suburbs. It was an era of prosperity and change, the frenzied years before the onset of the Great Depression. Immigration was at a standstill and there was no one to replace those who moved out of the parish and neighborhood. Nonetheless, St. Stanislaus Kostka remained a very large parish.
  
  On December 22, 1906, a fire destroyed the school, convent, as well as an auditorium that was under construction. Until a new convent could be built, the Sisters resided in the old St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital.  Two years later, construction on the convent, auditorium and school was complete. The school had been rebuilt with 54 classrooms and 3 meeting halls, making it the largest elementary school in all of the United States when it opened in 1908. There was a record enrollment of 4,000 children making it the largest grammar school in the United States, with a staff of 76 sisters.
  
  In 1914, educational opportunities expanded and St. Stanislaus Commercial High School opened under the direction of Sister M. Evarildis, SSND. In 1940, following 26 years of continued academic success St. Stanislaus Commercial High School converted from a two year to a four-year curriculum and was placed under the guidance of Sister M. Pacifica.
  
  Fr. Drzewiecki came to the parish in 1929 as pastor and faced the challenge of the Great Depression. The financial crash came in October 1929, and soon thereafter people found themselves not only unemployed, but in dire circumstances and actual poverty. Fr. Drzewiecki extended more than minimal aid. With the help of a dedicated group of men who then comprised the parochial chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Fr. Drzewiecki was able to tide them over the roughest years of the depression. The people generally helped each other. The parish remained the center of the social, educational, religious, and spiritual life of the neighborhood.
  
  On December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States entered World War II. For the parish it was a repetition of the same things that occurred during the years of World War I. Most of the young men went into the service, and the fears and anxieties for their well-being were allayed only through prayer and the many devotions and services that took place in the parish church. It was during this time that many people left the parish vicinity to work in war production.
  
  In the 1950s, plans for the Northwest (now Kennedy) Expressway were made. As envisioned, the expressway would cut through the parish property. This would necessitate the demolition of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church as well as several of the parish buildings.   However, due to protests by the Polish community and the work of legislators like U.S. Representative Daniel Rostenkowski and Alderman Bernard Prusinski, the path of the expressway was altered and the church was saved. We are the parish that moved an expressway.
  
  The route of the expressway was extended eastward, and the removal of the parish buildings was kept to a minimum: the heating plant was razed and 12 classrooms were demolished.
  
  By 1958 the need to expand school facilities became evident and a new high school for girls and convent were constructed.The complex also includes a modernist-style 1959 school building designed by Belli & Belli of Chicago.  This facility is the present day St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy. With reconstruction work on the grade school and the construction of a high school the future looked promising, but the new expressway had forced the movement of many parishioners from the neighborhood.
  
  After 63 years of providing the West Town community with quality Catholic education, St. Stanislaus High School closed its doors in 1977. This action allowed the parish to expand its grammar school program and we can see those results today. The 2008-2009 school year saw another turning point in the history of St. Stanislaus Kostka School. Sr. Susan Curtin, SSND, retired and, for the first time in our 134 year history, St. Stan’s was no longer blessed with the physical presence of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. However, the SSND spirit of educating and inspiring our youth lives on today and is evident in the tireless efforts of our amazing staff of teachers and principal.
  
  In 2020, the school officially changed its name to St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy with the motto of “Faith, Virtue, Valor – Expressway to Excellence.” This change of name brings with it the fact that we go beyond just reading and writing. At St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy, we educate the whole person: body, mind, soul, spirit. Today, St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy is a vibrant, active school that serves a diverse student body from Pre-School through Eighth grade. We are an integral part of the West Town / Wicker Park communities and the surrounding area. Many of St. Stan’s graduates now have children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren in attendance.
Vocations
- From the foundation of the parish in 1867 to the celebration of the parish’s 100th jubilee in 1967, a significant number of vocations to the priesthood and religious life were born from St. Stanislaus Kostka. The parish had nurtured the lives of young men and women to serve the Church in Chicago and throughout the world. Sixty-four men from St. Stanislaus Kostka became priests and nearly 310 women from St. Stanislaus Kostka became religious sisters joining various congregations and religious orders. Among these Josephine Dudzik has a unique place in the history of Chicago.
  
  In 1881, at the age of 21, Josephine Dudzik left Poland and arrived in the United States where she took residence with her family in the neighborhood surrounding St. Stanislaus Kostka. Under the spiritual direction of Fr. Vincent Barzyński, she began a journey that would eventually lead to the founding of the Franciscan Sisters of Blessed Kunegunda, presently known as the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago. Josephine took the religious name, Mary Theresa, and for her heroic virtue and tireless labor among the poor, the sick, and the orphaned, the Church has given her the title Venerable. Her cause for beatification is still underway. On the third Saturday of every month at the 5 p.m. Mass we pray for the beatification of Venerable Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik.
  
  On another note, a sacristan at St. Stanislaus Kostka, Resurrectionist Brother Casimir Zeglen, inspired by the assassination of Chicago mayor, Carter Harrison, in 1883, invented the bullet proof vest at St. Stanislaus Kostka in 1896.
  
  Today, we continue to have vocations to the priesthood and religious life nurtured here at St. Stanislaus Kostka. Due to being open all day and all night, hours prayed before the Blessed Sacrament in the iconic monstrance and access to the sacred space of our church has proven to be food for the soul of those walking the path of discernment.
Our Pastor
- Father Anthony Buś, C.R. arrived at our parish on September 1, 1990 and remains our shepherd to this day. He has overseen significant church restoration projects, the construction of a radio station housed within the church basement and where his daily radio show Winds of Change is broadcast, written a religious bestselling book A Mother’s Plea – Lifting the Veil in Sanctuary, and the establishment of perpetual adoration within our church. Additionally, he invited the Spanish-language radio station Radio Maria to broadcast from the 4th floor of our school, which they continue to do to this day. With the desire to meet the pastoral needs of the parishioners, the sacraments are celebrated in English, Polish, and Spanish.
  
  In the mid 1990’s significant gentrification began in the neighborhood. Property taxes skyrocketed and people were priced out of the neighborhood. Tenement buildings were sold and gutted for restoration, forcing many parishioners to relocate, especially the new immigration of Latin Americans. Since the 1990’s the neighborhood has seen many changes along with the significant restoration of age-old homes and apartment/condominium buildings.
  
  In 1999, Fr. Anthony consecrated the parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka to the Blessed Virgin Mary – that she be Mother and Queen of the parish. It is imperative that the doors of St. Stanislaus Kostka remain open that her call to sanctuary be realized for the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing of others.
The 21st Century
- the year of mercy
  
  In 2007, Cardinal Francis George designated St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish as The Sanctuary of The Divine Mercy in Chicago. Artist Stefan Niedorezo, in consultation with Fr. Anthony, began work on a design for a large monstrance. Work was completed in May 2008, with the unveiling of the monstrance on May 31, 2008. The iconic monstrance, Our Lady of the Sign, Ark of Mercy was carved and sculpted from linden wood in the parish's rectory’s by the Polish master artist, Stefan Niedorezo. The monstrance is an artistic rendition of images that appear in the Book of Revelation.
  
  The iconic monstrance, Our Lady of the Sign, Ark of Mercy, blessed by Cardinal George in 2008, draws people from Chicago and from around the world, for 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration in this historic church. Moreover, except for a brief period during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, our doors have remained open day and night for individual prayer and Adoration since 2008. An article on the inspiration and creation of the monstrance can be found here. The monstrance is hailed as the world’s largest.
  
  The image of The Divine Mercy located in the church comes from Vilnius, Lithuania and is a replica of the original image displayed for veneration in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius. This was a gift to St. Stanislaus Kostka by Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, Rector Emeritus of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy and Vice Postulator Emeritus for St. Faustina’s Cause of Canonization.
- september 2011
  
  In September of 2011, St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish began a project of essential repair and restoration of the church building. The interior walls and barrel-vaulted ceiling were reconstructed, the pews reconfigured, interior was painted, and the images depicting the life of St. Stanislaus Kostka were restored. Deprato Rigalli Studios, Inc., the original interior design company when the church was built, oversaw this project.
  
  During the restoration in 2011 the original pews were rebuilt, maintaining the original ends, but redesigning the interior benches. The open backs with no book holders adds to the spaciousness and beauty of the nave - void of clutter. The stationary kneelers serve to preserve sacred silence during the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries.
  
  The Altar of Sacrifice and the Ambo were redesigned during the restoration that began in 2011. The Altar of Sacrifice was taken from the high altar of what was the lower church and rebuilt to match the Altar of Repose. The Ambo was secured from a church that had closed and refurbished to combine with the sacred furnishings of the sanctuary. This was the joint work of the artisans Stefan Niedorezo, Tomasz and Malgorzata Sawczuk.
- Side Altar Restoration
  ALTARS OF
  OUR LADY OF CZĘSTOCHOWA AND OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
  
  In 2013, the Altar of Our Lady of Częstochowa was restored by Tomasz and Małgorzata Sawczuk. A special Mass was held on August 17th at 5:00 p.m. to bless the restored altar followed by an organ concert by 12-year-old organ prodigy Adam Chlebek.
  
  In 2014, the Spanish-speaking community raised funds to restore the Altar of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The restoration work was completed for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- Patrons of Our Lady
  A new Initiative
  
  In 2015, Patrons of Our Lady began supporting the parish as anonymous donors who, above and beyond their weekly offering to the parish, contributed over the course of a year $1,000. At first, this yearly contribution was inspired to fundraise $100,000 to help the parish keep its doors open 24-7 due to the high cost of security and utilities. During the first year of the Patrons initiative, the contribution amounted to $126,000. The membership in the Patrons of Our Lady program continues today and the support of the Patrons is instrumental in keeping the church doors open all day and all night.
  
  You can learn more about becoming a Patron of Our Lady by clicking here.
- Church Windows
  restoration
  
  Over the course of two years - 2015 and 2016 - the exterior wooden church windows on the south and north side of the church were restored by a group of parishioners. This restoration process involved everything from fabricating rotted pieces of wood on the windows to scraping and painting the windows. The donation of this work saved the parish over $200,000.
- Driveway
  easy access to the church parking lot
  
  In 2015, a driveway was created leading from the school parking lot into the parish parking lot, giving easy access into our church parking lot.
- Church Front Doors
  jubilee year of mercy
  
  The front doors to the entrance of the church are the work of Krzysztof Kalata. They were the gift of Jan & Kinga Czupta and family and other donors. They were replaced over the years 2015-2016. The first set of front doors (there are 3 sets of 2 doors) were installed right before the beginning of the Jubilee year of Mercy in November of 2015. The remaining sets of doors were installed in 2016. St. Stanislaus Kostka was chosen as a place of pilgrimage and indulgence during the Jubilee Year which began December 8th, 2015. The Church therefore officially recognized our doors as Holy Doors or Doors of Pardon during the Year of Mercy.
- Divine Mercy Tryptic
  november 2015
  
  The Divine Mercy tryptic, on the east side of the parish grounds, is seen by hundreds of thousands of travelers that pass north and south along the Kennedy expressway. It was installed on November 2015, before the start of the Liturgical Year of Mercy, which began in December 2015.
- Sacristy
  remodelled
  
  The sacristy was painted in 2014. In 2015, the linoleum floors were replaced with hardwood floors. The stairwell leading from the sacristy to the lower church was rebuilt.
- Church Sign
  identifying the parish
  
  In September 2015, for the first time in years, a sign was installed in front of the church to name and identify the parish, and the Mass and devotions schedule.
- Donation Kiosk
  In March 2016, due to the generous donation of a parishioner, an electronic donation kiosk was installed in the vestibule of the church to facilitate electronic donations in the church.
- Outdoor Cross
  feast of christ the king - november 20, 2016
  
  The Feast of Christ the King was celebrated on November 20, 2016. On this date, Fr. Anthony blessed a 28-foot cross that rises high on the lawn between the parish school and church. It is the largest outdoor cross in the Chicagoland area and is a visual reminder to the hope in victory that is ours, if we humbly set our eyes on Jesus.
  
  Additional information about the artist and the installation can be found here.
St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish 150th Jubilee Year

2017
- Ad orientem celebration of mass
  
  On December 3, 2017, the first Sunday of Advent, Fr. Anthony wrote a letter to the parish to inform them he would be celebrating Holy Mass, Ad Orientem, and the significance behind this style of worship. The parishioners wholeheartedly welcomed this change, and in his desire to continue to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries according to the ancient tradition of the Catholic Church, shared this good news with the parish.
- high altar restoration
  
  The baroque styled high altar, The Altar of Repose because it holds the tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament is reposed, was installed in 1904. Restoration of our high altar began in 2016 and finished on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, the day before our celebration of the Triduum began on Thursday, April 13, 2017. The beautiful restoration returned our high altar to its original state of beauty and elegance. The work was begun by Malgorzata Sawczuk and completed by the artisans Jacob and Rose Niedorezo. Above the altar are images of saints deeply ingrained in Polish history – from left to right: St. Hedwig, St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr, St. Casimir, St. John Cantius, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Andrew Bobola, Blessed Czeslaw, St. Hyacinth, and Blessed Bronislawa.
- 150th anniversary
  
  On April 23, 2017 at 2:00 PM Cardinal Blase Cupich, celebrated the 150th anniversary Jubilee Mass at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. The mass was concelebrated with Bishop Robert Kurtz, C.R., and the Provincial Superior of the Congregation of the Resurrection, Fr. Eugene Szarek, C.R., in addition to Fr. Anthony Buś, C.R., Pastor, and numerous other priests as the concelebrants. Fr. Anthony welcomed everyone with a brief history of the parish and those who played a role in its founding.
  Representatives from the Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta and the Polish Uhlans Regiment were also present. Over 2,000 people attended the Mass and many religious, political, and business dignitaries were in attendance. The bulletin from this Mass can be found here.
Social Media

reaching out to evangelize
- The feast of pentecost
  
  On June 4, 2017, the Feast of Pentecost, St. Stanislaus Kostka Church created its first link to social media by developing a Facebook page that allowed people to encounter Jesus Christ, His Divine Mercy, and our Catholic faith via the shared devotions and celebrations of our active city parish.
  
  Today we have nearly 55,000 followers from 46 countries - some of whom live in faraway places where Christians are persecuted - yet gather to watch our livestream Masses and respond to our daily postings. We have the largest following of any parish within the Archdiocese of Chicago.
  
  We began livestreaming Holy Day Masses and devotions shortly after our page went live. But, when our church was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, we realized that we had a platform that would allow us to continue to share the sacredness of the sacrament, despite people not being able to be physically present.
  
  We have had viewership of up to 25,000 people watching the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass being celebrated here at St. Stanislaus Kostka. Our Masses on Sunday were viewed by an average of 11,000 people and our daily devotional livestreams were viewed by an average of 2,600 people.
  
  Our followers are from all walks of life and many different faiths, including ministers of those other faiths. The consistent feedback we receive is that St. Stanislaus Kostka has a deep and reverential love of our Catholic faith that is evident with every Mass celebrated, devotion prayed, or posting shared.
- from our followers
  
  "Divine Mercy is a special devotion, my life changed at the Divine Mercy Mass at St. Stan's in 2008."
  
  "I'm a Protestant chaplain, but I so enjoy watching your services and livestreams and your spirituality and closeness to God is evident."
  
  "I have watched from West Bend, Wisconsin. I have been blessed to have celebrated Mass at St. Stanislaus a couple of times during last year but now I can watch every Sunday."
  
  "Watching overseas from United Arab Emirates. I love watching Mass at St. Stan's."
- Venerable Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik
  a statue carved in her likeness
  
  Opposite the iconic monstrance, alongside the northern wall of the nave is the statue of the Venerable Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik. The statue was carved and sculpted by the parish artisan Stefan Niedorezo. Financed and donated in the memory of Alta Ake, the statue was blessed by Blasé Cardinal Cupich during the 150th Jubilee Mass on The Divine Mercy Sunday, April 21, 2017.
- Eucharistic Healing Masses
  twice a month
  
  In September 2017, we began the Mass of Eucharistic Healing, which we observe now every first Saturday and first Sunday evening of the month. Every Mass celebrated is a healing Mass if we open ourselves to the graces that flow from the Eucharist, but Fr. Anthony Buś wants people to come to a specific Mass with their specific intentions. With this in mind we began a tradition of offering the Healing Mass every First Saturday in and First Sunday of each month.
- Wheelchair Accessibility
  access to the church
  
  At the time we began the Healing Masses, an anonymous donor came to us with the desire to make St. Stanislaus Kostka accessible to those who are unable to use the stairs for entry to the church. A ramp and wheelchair lift were installed as a gift to those who would otherwise find it difficult to access the church; namely, the aged, infirmed, and handicapped.
- Sanctuary Lamp
  god's eternal presence
  
  Perusing the oldest pictures of St. Stanislaus Kostka, we noted that such a sanctuary lamp once hovered over the gate leading to the Holy of Holies. Wojtek Karwowski searched the internet and found an old dilapidated vigil lamp that once adorned Sacred Heart Church in Pennsylvania. The church closed in 2015 and the lamp was placed in the possession of descendants of the family who donated the lamp to Sacred Heart Church in 1928. The vigil lamp had been imported from Poland. Wojtek and his then fiancé, Karla Juarez, made a trip to Pennsylvania, purchased the vigil lamp from the Golden Family and brought it to St. Stanislaus Kostka.
  
  They placed the lamp in the care of Tyrone Powyszynski, another lifelong parishioner of St. Stanislaus Kostka. Tyrone, generously used his gifts and went to work on the lamp in his workshop here in the rectory, refurbishing the lamp and together, he and Wojtek installed it in time for the Christmas 2017 Midnight Mass. This gift of Wojtek and Karla is given in gratitude to God for blessing they’ve received. Just as the Magi were guided to Bethlehem by the light of the star, so too the flame of the lamp marks the place where Christ is born anew to us every time we celebrate the Sacred Mysteries.
- New Heating System
  energy efficiency
  
  Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor in addition to donations from so many others, we were able to raise enough funds to replace our entire heating system at the church in 2018. This project allowed us to upgrade every aspect of the church and rectory heating infrastructure, which had not been done in many decades.
  
  We now have state-of-the-art steam boilers, which includes new components such as circulation pumps, vacuum pumps, feed tank, zone valves, thermostats, controls, gas burners, and piping along with insulation in the steam tunnels that run underneath the rectory and church.
  
  Lastly, this upgrade will be more energy efficient and lower our annual heating costs, helping us to reduce operating expenses by running the parish as efficiently as possible.
The Triumph of the Risen Lord

sanctuary mural
- The mural above the sanctuary is named "The Triumph of the Risen Lord". Commisioned in 1895, the mural is the work of Count Tadeusz Żukotyński. Żukotyński, who came to Chicago in 1888, was considered one of Europe's foremost painters of religious art.
  
  An anonymous donor provided funds to allow the parish to restore the mural that adorns the apse of the sanctuary. Work was done by Parma Conservation Ltd. It began on February 5, 2019, and was completed on April 12, 2019, in time for Holy Week celebrations. Decades and decades of grime and smoke served to darken the mural over time. However, as the layers of old varnish were removed, the image was born anew. It depicts Saints from the Old Testament and the New Testament, all enveloped in the Beatific Vision.
St. Stanislaus Kostka Mural

above the high altar
- The mural of St. Stanislaus Kostka in the sanctuary is the work of Count Tadeusz Żukotyński. The restoration of the mural was begun on January 13, 2020 and unveiled on January 29, 2020. Restoration work was done by Parma Conservation Ltd. The image shows a vision St. Stanislaus had when he was ill as a novice in Rome, Italy. The Blessed Mother appeared to him with the Infant Jesus in her arms. In his vision, the Divine Child embraces the holy youth, and the Blessed Mother told him he should become a priest and enter the Society of Jesus.
Memorial to World War I Soldiers

restoraton of the
- Sunday, August 16, 2020 was the celebration of the centennial anniversary of the 1920 victory of Poland over Soviet Russia at the Battle of Warsaw – also known as the Miracle of the Vistula – “Cud nad Wisla”, and celebrations of the Polish Armed Forces Day “Swieto Wojska Polskiego”.
  
  On this day, we unveiled and the restored historic plaque honoring the names of eight hundred and forty-two Polish-American soldiers. These soldiers, from our parish, fought in the First World War.
  
  We also unveiled a commemorative plaque which honors the soldiers of Poland and the United States of America who fought in the First World War and the Polish-Soviet War. In addition, two newly installed seals of the U.S. Department of the Army and of the Polish Land forces and all were blessed by Fr. Anthony.
  The World War I memorial is a monument to the courage and heroism of those who have preceded us in life and challenges to us to follow their example in defense of all that is right and just. The afternoon’s program was hosted by Fr. Anthony and presented by Beata Wolska.
  
  Major funding assistance was provided from the Institute of National Remembrance Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago. Consul Piotr Semeniuk, of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, was instrumental in assisting the Parish with this project and Dr. Andrzej Dajnowski’s firm - Conservation of Sculpture and Objects Studio - performed the restoration work on the plaque.
Our Parish Today
- Over one hundred years ago, our parish had 40,000 parishioners. Today, from this parish in the heart of Chicago, we minister to four times that number. Over 160,000 people a week encounter Jesus Christ, His Divine Mercy, and our Catholic faith via our Facebook page, Winds of Change Radio program, and Radio Maria Chicago. The Holy Mass is celebrated every evening and five times on Sunday in three languages (English, Spanish, and Polish). Over 21 hours of Confession are available each month. Twice a month, on average, people suffering serious ailments or the debilitating state of old age, gather for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
  
  Reaching out to the hungry, over 21,000 meals a year are served in the Providence “Soup” Kitchen, a ministry of the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence. Additionally, our school provides an excellent Catholic education from pre-Kindergarten to the eighth grade and we are witnessing an increase in the number of young people who avail themselves for religious education and sacramental preparation.
  
  St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, guided by Divine Providence, is the parish that moved an expressway, and will continue to move the obstacles that seek to shout God into silence. In the sacred space of this sanctuary, we continue to serve the spiritual needs of parishioners who come from a wide geographic area and includes many different ethnic groups. Our vision is that we will continue to be a beacon of hope for the next generation of Catholics in Chicagoland.