St. Stanislaus

Persecutions and hardships in Poland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries pushed many people to seek better conditions.  Thriving industry and urban growth drew them to Youngstown, Ohio.  By 1902, 80 families from Poland had gathered in Youngstown.  Out of gratitude they desired to give God honor and worship in their native tongue.  On the 14th of June 1902, Bishop Ignatius Frederick Horstmann of the Diocese of Cleveland, which covered all of northern Ohio at that time, appointed Rev. Charles Ruszkowski as administrator of the first Polish parish in Youngstown. Services were held in the auditorium under St. Columba Church.

 

Parishioners contributed sacrificial offerings and soon there was enough to purchase land on South Avenue.  A church and school building followed.  Within 5 years of the establishment of St. Stanislaus, there were enough Polish families to organize another parish, St. Casimir, in the Brier Hill neighborhood of Youngstown. 

 

In 1909, the Franciscan Sisters of Blessed Kunegunda were invited to take over the school and instruct the children in secular knowledge and the holy faith.  School enrollment doubled. The number of parishioners increased yearly so that by 1923, the church and school buildings couldn’t hold everyone.  A new site on Williamson Avenue was purchased, and the building was completed in 1925. 

 

The 1929 crash of the stock market and ensuing national Depression meant unemployment and sometimes idle hands among young people.  St. Stan’s pastor during that time, Fr. Dominic Mielcarek, interested parish youth in sports, an interest that would endure for generation. 

 

The 1940s brought another World War, and parishioners of St. Stan’s responded. On the home front, women continually gathered garments to repair and ship to Poland. On the battlefront, St. Stanislaus parishioners made the supreme sacrifice.  After the War, parishioners continued to honor and uphold their connections to Poland.  They kept culture alive through music and dance.  And they faithfully hosted and resettled persons displaced by the War.  Fr. John Grabowski, assistant pastor from 1930, and then pastor from 1938-1960, organized the Polish Relief Committee and was the Diocesan Director of Displaced Persons.  He led the parish out of its significant debt left over from the Great Depression.  He added parish missions, holy hours, novenas, and Forty Hours to parish spiritual life.

 

Other pastors following Fr. Grabowski continued to attend to the needs of refugees and immigrants.  Msgr. Thadeus Heruday, pastor from 1964-1980, was also Diocesan Resettlement Director. 

 

After World War II, the parish flourished with new organizations: the Catholic War Veterans and its Ladies’ Auxiliary, the Infant Jesus of Prague Guild, the Young Ladies’ Sodality, and Our Lady of Fatima Society.

 

In 1966, St. Stanislaus led the diocesan-wide celebration of 100 years of Christianity in Poland, which was held at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown.  Our Lady of Czestochowa featured prominently in that observance and her image graced much of local Polish devotional life.

The Franciscan Sisters continued to serve the parish.  In addition to their duties in the school, they did mission work in other local parishes of Polish heritage.  They led Polish classes on Saturdays for years.  Sr. Clarent Marie taught the Polish language at Youngstown University and established a local unit of the Polish Historical Society.  They helped pastors and parishioners continue to honor their heritage.  They established a Learning Center to accommodate students with learning difficulties.  Their efforts to instill a love of service to the community were a source of pride for the parish.

 

Sanctuaries across the diocese had been undergoing renovation since the late 1960s.  Pastor Fr. Edward Neroda oversaw the sanctuary changes at St. Stanislaus in 1982.  Bishop James Malone celebrated the renovate space with the people gathered.

 

As the late 1970s challenged the Mahoning Valley economically, the 1980s brought demographic changes.  St. Stanislaus School continued to provide innovative programming but struggled through the 1980s and closed in 1986. At the same time, worship and prayer remained central to the parish and music continued to remain vibrant.  A new organ was bought in 1986. Youth continued to serve the community and learn the faith.  The tradition of sports was honored and the Polish heritage upheld. 

 

As the parish marked its centennial in 2002, they dedicated a new shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa on the west lawn of the grounds.  In addition to spiritual matters, practical matters continued to be attended to.  A new bathroom and a lift allowed access to people who couldn’t climb stairs. The faithful pierogi volunteers kept the hungry community fed.  The weekly grocery list in 2005 included: 300 pounds of potatoes, 20 pounds of sauerkraut, 20 pounds of cottage cheese,, 24 pounds of onions, 40 pounds of butter, and 9 dozen eggs.

 

In 2012, members of St. Stanislaus, St. Casimir, and St. Columba processed the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa from St. Stan’s to the cathedral, where it is enshrined as a symbol of the protector of Poland. 

 

By the mid-2010s, changes all over the diocese brought changes to St. Stanislaus. Regionalization plans meant that some parishes would merge and some would close.  St. Stanislaus had its last regular Sunday Mass on June 28, 2020, and was formally closed at the end of 2021.  It leaves behind a legacy of honor to the faith, to Polish traditions and people and to the Youngstown area.  May its 120 years of faithful witness to the Gospel long remain in the hearts of its people and in the community memory.