St. Joseph Parish, Gardner
Encyclopedia
St. Joseph Parish - designated for Polish immigrants
in Gardner, Massachusetts
, United States
.
In 1903, members of the Polish settlement in Gardner began to organize associations and interest groups.
The first such organization was the Polish National Alliance
was founded in 1903. A few years later the idea of creating a community of fraternal aid.
After many meetings and deliberations, the St. Joseph Society was founded on March 2, 1906.
Since September 11, 1906, paying its members of the Society five U.S. dollars a week for help to the sick or handicapped.
On May 5, 1907, a committee made up of Eugene Pliskowski, Stanley Hryniewicz, Roman Kulczyk, and Matthew Kodys, bought a parcel at 358 Pleasant St.
After obtaining permission from Thomas D. Beaven, bishop of Springfield, to establish the St. Joseph Parish and received the consent of the Polish priest, December 6, 1908 the Polish settlers in Gardner, welcomed Fr. Julius Rodziewicz, as the first pastor, who came to them.
December 6, 1908, St. Joseph Parish was canonically established, and Fr. Julius Rodziewicz celebrated his first Mass. in the Holy Rosary 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...
in Gardner, Massachusetts
Gardner, Massachusetts
Gardner, Massachusetts is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,228 as of the 2010 census. Gardner is home to Dunn State Park, Gardner Heritage State Park, Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mount Wachusett Community College.-History:Named in honor of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
- Founded December 6, 1908. 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 Diocese of WorcesterRoman Catholic Diocese of WorcesterThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. The geographic boundaries of the diocese are the same as those of Worcester County, Massachusetts, the geographically largest county of the...
.
History
The first Polish settler, who came to Gardner was Jan Kulczyk. April 2, 1892 landed in New York, and the next day he arrived to Gardner. Later other Polish immigrants arrived: Jan Kijek, Peter Piascik, Paul Cychol, Francis Wiski, and Roman Kulczyk.In 1903, members of the Polish settlement in Gardner began to organize associations and interest groups.
The first such organization was the Polish National Alliance
Polish National Alliance
The Polish National Alliance is the largest and one of the oldest Polish fraternal organizations in the United States, founded on 15 February 1880 in Philadelphia under the influence of Polish patriot Agaton Giller. Its first president was Juliusz Andrzejkowicz.The PNA founded a number of...
was founded in 1903. A few years later the idea of creating a community of fraternal aid.
After many meetings and deliberations, the St. Joseph Society was founded on March 2, 1906.
Since September 11, 1906, paying its members of the Society five U.S. dollars a week for help to the sick or handicapped.
On May 5, 1907, a committee made up of Eugene Pliskowski, Stanley Hryniewicz, Roman Kulczyk, and Matthew Kodys, bought a parcel at 358 Pleasant St.
After obtaining permission from Thomas D. Beaven, bishop of Springfield, to establish the St. Joseph Parish and received the consent of the Polish priest, December 6, 1908 the Polish settlers in Gardner, welcomed Fr. Julius Rodziewicz, as the first pastor, who came to them.
December 6, 1908, St. Joseph Parish was canonically established, and Fr. Julius Rodziewicz celebrated his first Mass. in the Holy Rosary Church.
Pastors
- Fr. Juliusz Rodziewicz (1908-1912)
- Fr. Andrzej Krzywda (1912-1913)
- Fr. John Mardyrosiewicz (1913-1914)
- Fr. Stanisław Chlapowski (1914-1950)
- Fr. Władysław Radzik (1950-1957)
- Fr. Henry Banach (1957-1959)
- Fr. Józef Niedzwiecki (1959-1978)
- Fr. Kazimierz Kurzawski (1978-1991)
- Fr. Karol Borowski (1991-1993)
- Fr. Franciszek Piechocki (1993-1994)
- Fr. Thomas Tokarz (1994- )