St. Adalbert's Basilica
Encyclopedia
- The basilica of EsztergomEsztergomEsztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
is also called St. Adalbert's BasilicaEsztergom BasilicaThe Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed Into Heaven and St Adalbert is an ecclesiastic basilica in Esztergom, Hungary, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, and the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary...
.
Saint Adalbert's Basilica, (referred to in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
as Bazylika Swietego Wojciecha) is a historic church located in the East Side area of Buffalo
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...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is a prime example of the Polish Cathedral style
Polish Cathedral style
The Polish Cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England...
of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Saint Adalbert's was designated America's first basilica in 1907. While its status as a Basilica is disputed, many Poles of Buffalo hold it in high regard.
History
Built by Huber and Company in 1890-1891, it was built by PolishPoles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
immigrants. The building itself is brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
, its dimensions are 240 feet (73.2 m) long, 118 feet (36 m) wide, nave 70 feet (21.3 m) high, the two towers are 150 feet (45.7 m) high with a dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
40 feet (12.2 m) wide and soaring 125 feet (38.1 m) above the main nave. At that time it was the largest church in Western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and cost $63,000 without the furnishings. The 36 Stained glass windows of the Basilica were produced by Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co. is a famous German stained glass design and manufacturing company, based in Munich, Germany, that has been active throughout most of the world for over 150 years...
of Munich, Germany. The interior was decorated by Jozef Mazur
Jozef Mazur
Jozef C. Mazur was an Polish-American stained glass artist, painter and sculptor. His works can be found signed as Josef Mazur, Joseph Mazur, Joe Mazur, J. C. Mazur as well as a few others.-Life:...
.
Community
The St. Adalbert's Response to Love Center, run by Sister Mary Johnice, is located next to the Basilica and provides services for the poor of Buffalo, such as hot meals, a food pantry, toys and clothing for children, GEDGED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
classes, and basic career-related computer training.
Uncertain Future
The last mass was scheduled for November 25, 2007, but had been put on hold due to the parish having filed an appeal to the Vatican. In February 2008 the Vatican's highest Canonical Court upheld Bishop Edward Kmiec's decision to close the church. An appeal was made by the "Save St. Adalbert" committee, and the process was delayed. Again revisited, The Vatican Congregation for the Clergy has upheld the decision to merge St. Adalbert Parish into St. John Kanty Parish. The final regularly scheduled Mass at St. Adalbert’s is to be celebrated on Sept. 18, 2011, marking the end of the yearlong observance of the 125th anniversary of the parish.External links
- St. Adalbert's Facebook Page
- City of Buffalo Preservation Board Survey CBCA PN 03-010 (see page 5-76)
- Save St. Adalbert's Website
- Broadway Fillmore Alive (Neighborhood Website)
- Skyscraperpage building page
See also
- Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo 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...
- East Side, Buffalo, New YorkEast Side, Buffalo, New YorkThe Lower East Side was the Polish district of Buffalo, New York and now is predominantly African American. The Lower East Side is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the West, Genesee Street to the North, I-190 to the South, and the town of Cheektowaga to the East. It is the physically largest...
- Jozef MazurJozef MazurJozef C. Mazur was an Polish-American stained glass artist, painter and sculptor. His works can be found signed as Josef Mazur, Joseph Mazur, Joe Mazur, J. C. Mazur as well as a few others.-Life:...
- Polish Cathedral stylePolish Cathedral styleThe Polish Cathedral architectural style is a North American genre of Catholic church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic regions as well as in parts of New England...