Holy Trinity Parish, Lowell
Encyclopedia
Holy Trinity Parish - designated for Polish immigrants
in Lowell, Massachusetts
, United States
.
With help of Fr. John Chmielinski, pastor of the Polish-American parish in South Boston, promised aid, a fund was started, and in 1903 land was purchased on High St. and in the spring of 1904, construction works have started. The architect was T. Edward Sheehan from Boston
. In June 1904 the Archbishop Stanislaw Williams commissioned Fr. Alexander Ogonowskiego to live in Lowell and the canonical mission to organize and establish a Polish-American church. There were about 80 Polish families at that time.
On August 19, 1904, Bishop Allen of Mobile diocese, made the consecration of the new church.
In 1907 completed the construction of schools and it was placed under the patronage of the youth saint, St. Stanislaus Kostka. It was the first Polish parochial school in the Archdiocese of Boston. In 1910, nuns from the Congregation of the Felician Sisters
of Buffalo, New York
, began work at the school.
In 1927 five acres of land was purchased for their own cemetery, across from St. Patrick cemetery.
After World War II
were erected a beautiful marble Passion
(Crucifixion scene) and the altar, the place where every year is celebrated Mass. during the celebrations Memorial Day. At the base of the altar lie the remains of parishioners, who paid the supreme sacrifice for the country.
Today the parish continues to be a beacon of hope and light. In 2004 the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston attempted to close Holy Trinity Parish after closing its parish school. The parish reluctantly appealed to the Vatican and was granted to stay open. The parish continues to be open and is a fully active and traditional Catholic parish. It is open to all ethnic groups although the Polish community holds a special place. It has an active Holy Name Society, choir, Our Lady Solidarity, and strong Religious Education program. All are welcome.
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...
in Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
- Founded in 1904. It is one of the Polish-American Roman Catholic parishes in New EnglandPolish-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# # # # # # # # # # # # # #...
in the Archdiocese of BostonRoman Catholic Archdiocese of BostonThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
.
History
Holy Trinity Parish of Lowell, Massachusetts started around 1893.With help of Fr. John Chmielinski, pastor of the Polish-American parish in South Boston, promised aid, a fund was started, and in 1903 land was purchased on High St. and in the spring of 1904, construction works have started. The architect was T. Edward Sheehan from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. In June 1904 the Archbishop Stanislaw Williams commissioned Fr. Alexander Ogonowskiego to live in Lowell and the canonical mission to organize and establish a Polish-American church. There were about 80 Polish families at that time.
On August 19, 1904, Bishop Allen of Mobile diocese, made the consecration of the new church.
In 1907 completed the construction of schools and it was placed under the patronage of the youth saint, St. Stanislaus Kostka. It was the first Polish parochial school in the Archdiocese of Boston. In 1910, nuns from the Congregation of the Felician Sisters
Felician Sisters
The Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice, or Felician Sisters, are one branch of the Third Order of St. Francis. The active-contemplative order was founded in Warsaw, Poland, in 1855, by Sophia Truszkowska, and named for a shrine of St. Felix, a 16th century Franciscan saint especially devoted to...
of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, began work at the school.
In 1927 five acres of land was purchased for their own cemetery, across from St. Patrick cemetery.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
were erected a beautiful marble Passion
Passion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
(Crucifixion scene) and the altar, the place where every year is celebrated Mass. during the celebrations Memorial Day. At the base of the altar lie the remains of parishioners, who paid the supreme sacrifice for the country.
Today the parish continues to be a beacon of hope and light. In 2004 the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston attempted to close Holy Trinity Parish after closing its parish school. The parish reluctantly appealed to the Vatican and was granted to stay open. The parish continues to be open and is a fully active and traditional Catholic parish. It is open to all ethnic groups although the Polish community holds a special place. It has an active Holy Name Society, choir, Our Lady Solidarity, and strong Religious Education program. All are welcome.
Pastors
- Fr. Stanislaw Aleksander Ogonowski (1904–1955)
- Fr. Edward Naguszewski (1955–1976)
- Fr. John Abucewicz (1976]-1995)
- Fr. Jon C. Martin (1995–1997)
- Fr. Stanislaw Kempa (1997-)
Parish organizations
- Holy Name Society (pol.Polish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
Towarzystwo Najświętszego Imienia) - Our Lady of Czestochowa SodalitySodality (Catholic Church)A sodality, also known as a "union of prayer" or "confraternity", is an older designation for a lay ecclesial movement or organization in the Roman Catholic Church....
(pol.Polish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
Sodalicja Matki Bożej Częstochowskiej) - Knights of ColumbusKnights of ColumbusThe Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....