Assimilation, abandonment and ghosts...

St. Stanislaus Polish Roman Catholic Church was/is located at Dubois Street and Medbury Avenue in the Polish enclave on the east side of Detroit. The year 1898 marked the commencement of the founding of the parish. Bishop Foley founded the parish and appointed Rev. F.G. Zella to its rectorship. As of 1910 the parish built a parochial school attached to the parish that could readily accommodate one thousand pupils. As of that date the enrollment was eight-hundred and fifteen children under the tutelage of the Felician Sisters from the Motherhouse at St. Aubin and Canfield Sts. (Fremont St. at that time.)

Rev. F.G. Zella was identified with the church from its inception until the date of the 1910 survey and beyond. He received his early education in the Detroit College (Later to become the University of Detroit.) and his theological and philosophical training at St Francis' Seminary in Milwaukee. He was ordained by Bishop Foley in 1893. In his parochial work he is assisted by Rev. N.W. Zbranice.

There was much hustle and bustle around this church and school from its inception until its sad closing in 1989. I had many friends that attended this school. I attended the high school graduation ceremony on June 21, 1961 which was a big event for me in many ways in my young life that has continued to have repercussion in my life to this very day.

Now, all that is left is memories and ghosts of those persons that past this way into life and on into eternity. I was casually perusing ebay when I came across these pews up for auction from St. Stanislaus Polish Roman Catholic Church. They’ve been relegated to the dustbin of history or more correctly to someone’s garage to be sold on ebay.

It is sad to see the Polish Community become dismantled right before my eyes. I look at the churches in Europe and so many of them have lasted for hundreds of years and in fact are still active parishes. I lived in Texas for many years and toured the Missions of San Antonio where they are all over four-hundred years old and are still active parishes with vibrant ethnic communities. Why can’t we do this in Polish Detroit, too? I think the answer is assimilation and abandonment of the “old neighborhoods”, the curse of continuity, history and culture!