The Shepherds of the Polish Flock And Their Beautiful Temples of Worship

The Detroit Free Press: Sunday, June 17, 1906
Part 4, Page 5 of the Newspaper
Part 1 of the Story






















Part 4, Page 8 of the Newspaper
Part 2 of the Story

East is East and West is West – Or Is It?, Part I

Editor’s Note: The following story and photos were contributed by Mike Sadaj and constitute what we hope to be a two- or three-part story. The WSDPAHS is truly grateful to Mike for this wonderful contribution to our e-Newsletter and for granting us permission to reprint his story and photographs. Both the story and photographs are © Copyright Mike Sadaj. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author: Mike Sadaj grew up in the Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in the 1950s and lived within walking distance of the parish, where he served Mass and grew to love his Religion teacher, Sr. Mary Fabian, CSSF, for instilling his love for our Lord in him. He graduated from high school in 1963, joined the U.S. Military, and is a proud veteran of the fighting in the Vietnam War. Mike graduated from Wayne State University (Detroit) with a B.S. in Business and spent the greater portion of his adult life in Texas in the oil & gas business as a computer technician and high tech photographer in many parts of the U.S. and world prior to his retirement from business. Mike now pursues his photographic and writing interests as they pertain to his Polish Roman Catholic heritage.East is East and West is West – Or Is It?

By Mike Sadaj

PolishCatMan@hotmail.com

http://detroit-soul.blogspot.com/

In 1890 Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936) wrote The Ballad of East and West and spoke to an idea that all Detroiters know, and that is:

OH, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet....

Detroit, like no other major metropolitan city, was divided east and west. You were either from the east side or the west side; it was as if a raging river, the “Woodward Avenue River,” ran through the city to divide it into two distinctive areas. Being an east sider, I rarely remember venturing to the west side except on those rare occasions when my father drove the Felician Sisters from our Polish Roman Catholic Parish, Our Lady Help of Christians (see photo, below), to McDevitt’s Religious Articles Store on the far west side.

The Catholic Church was the center of life in the Polish Catholic community while the other Polish-influenced institutions, places and activities rounded out our religious and social lives. The venerable Polish Roman Catholic Churches, SS. Albertus, Josaphat and Sweetest Heart of Mary (see photos below) respectively

were what we called “The Trinity on Canfield,” and we as Polish Catholics were very proud of these beautiful edifices. Other places that were integral to our Polish community were the schools associated with these beautiful churches.

We attended dances at the PNA Hall and the Dom Polski, where we might meet our future life mates. We said our goodbyes at places like Anthony Wysocki and Gilewski Funeral Homes that were always close to and associated with our parishes. There was the Polish Roman Catholic Union or PRCU Hall where we celebrated marrying our childhood sweethearts and toasted and remembered our lost loved ones. We buried our loved ones in places like Mt. Olivet and Mt. Elliott Cemeteries. We enjoyed movies at places like the White Star and Martha Washington Theatres and shopped at Kowalski’s for meat and the New Palace Bakery for pączki, rye bread and chruściki. On a rare occasion we might go out for dill pickle soup, pierogi, and/or gołąbki at the original Zosia’s on Chene St. And, of course, who could forget the Parish Friday Night Fish Fries during Lent? We referred to all of this collectively as the east side Polonia.

Well, it took me 64, almost 65 years to “ford” the “Woodward Avenue River” and discover to my absolute delight that there is another rich Polonia on the west side of Detroit, aptly named the west side Polonia. In trying to discover more about my Polish ethnic roots, I mapped out my plan to discover the richness of this wonderfully ethnic community of more of “my tribe,” the Polish Roman Catholics. I am fortunate that in my lifetime I have discovered that thing that Joseph Campbell refers to as my “bliss” and that thing is photography. I am determined to photograph all of those things in Detroit that are of historical significance to the Polish Catholic Community before they disappear into the dustbin of history. The Polish American Historic Site Association, or PAHSA (see photo, below), and Matt Baka, the President of that organization, have been very supportive in my effort to make a good start in the east side Polonia.

-->Standing L to R: Larry, Celeste Grabowski, Paul Tylenda, Dave Grabowski Robert Duda, Jane Grabowski, Carl Goings, Mike Sadaj; Sitting L to R: Sarah Grabowski, Matthew Baka, Brian Baka

It seemed to me that in making my initial foray into the west side Polonia, I should start with what is arguably the oldest active Polish Roman Catholic Parish in Detroit, St. Francis d’Assisi; and, if not the oldest active Parish in Detroit, then certainly the oldest active parish in the west side Polonia. Making a determination of the oldest parish in Detroit or in the west side Polonia is determined by who you talk to and on what day of the week. Since I do not have deep roots in the west side Polonia, I was having a difficult time making contact with the proper person or authority to get permission to photograph the inside of St. Francis d’Assisi which, by the way, is at Wesson and Buchanan Streets. I reached out for some help and with the assistance of Laurie Gomulka of the West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society eventually gained permission and access, to my great delight.

I have literally photographed scores, if not hundreds, of Polish Roman Catholic and Polish National Catholic Churches around the country and the world. I knew that St. Francis d’Assisi (see photos, below)

was one of the oldest Polish Roman Catholic churches in Detroit. In my travels, I have seen first-hand the beauty of the oldest examples of these institutions, architectural masterpieces, and works of art and in some cases sculptural beauties. But I was not prepared for the beauty, elegance, strength and majesty of the inside of St. Francis d’Assisi. When I walked into the side entrance of the church with all of my equipment in my hands, it literally took my breath away! I had to sit down and look all around me in wonder at what I was seeing and was soon to be photographing. I had never done that before, and I hope these photos help to convey the beauty I experienced during the time I was honored to be able to photograph this church.

I will allow these photos to speak for themselves, now, except for the descriptions of what you are seeing. The lighting was exquisite in the way it provided a regal red tint to the entire inside of St. Francis d’Assisi almost, appropriately, like a high-red vestment symbolizing the representation of the Holy Spirit that feels so strong in this beautiful and regal Polish Roman Catholic Church. The lighting is a work of art in and of itself. (See photo, below).

The leaders and maintenance staff of the church, including Rev. Robert J. Wojciechowski, the Pastor, and Mr. Tom Rys, Maintenance Director, are to be commended for the perfect lighting (of the hundreds of light bulbs, not one was burned out) inside the church and for the fine manner in which they have maintained this venerable old Polish Roman Catholic Church. And, thanks to Charlotte, secretary, for making sure everything administrative runs on an even keel like a finely tuned Polish watch!

The present St. Francis d’Assisi Polish Roman Catholic Church was designed by Kastle and Hunger. The cornerstone was laid in 1903 and the building completed in 1905. It is constructed of Malvern brick with carved Bedford trim and designed in the Italian Renaissance style. The church has a seating capacity of 1,700 people.

The stained glass windows were produced by the Detroit Stained Glass Works (1861 – 1970). All the main floor windows depict scenes from the life of our Blessed Mother (see photo, below).

Our Polish Roman Catholic Churches are part of complexes and in most cases huge complexes that resemble cities. The churches themselves are the hub of the wheel with schools,

halls,

parish offices

(St. Francis d’Assisi Parish Center is pictured in photo, below),

rectories (photo, right, top, is of St. Francis d’Assisi rectory), convents (photo, below, is of St. Francis d’Assisi convent),

parish centers, chapels, funeral homes and parking lots emanating from that central hub like the spokes of the wheel. The religious staff that includes pastors, priests and nuns and secular staff including teachers, coordinators, administrators and maintenance staff act as the finely lubricated bearings to allow the wheel to roll forward carrying the people successfully through this world into the arms of our Lord to our eternal reward in heaven.

If anything, we Polish Roman Catholics embrace our faith as an important and integral part of our lives. This is the legacy we received from our parents and grandparents who came to this country as poor peasants in many cases and built these beautiful, wonderful houses of worship called Polish Roman Catholic Churches.

It seems appropriate that since we have talked about St. Francis d’Assisi Polish Roman Catholic Church, we remember his prayer:

“Prayer of St. Francis”

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in
pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

A Note From the Author: The next installment, Part II, will take us deeper into the west side Polonia, traveling from Jos. Campau, Caniff and Davison Avenue in the east side Polonia to Junction, Michigan Avenue and Lonyo Street in the west side Polonia. And, we’re going to sample those pączki from the New Palace Bakery on the east side and the Proctor (Lombardia Bakery, now) Bakery on the west side. Then how about lunch on the east side at Zosia’s, or for you newcomers, Polish Village Café on Yemans Street in Hamtramck or Krakus Restaurant on Jos. Campau in Detroit with dinner on the west side at either Starlite Restaurant on Michigan Ave. in Detroit or Sabinas Restaurant on Oakwood Boulevard in Melvindale. See you in the next installment of the West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society e-Newsletter. Do zobaczenia!

The Poletown Struggle for Survival against "the powers that be".

On one side you had General Motors, political leaders of Detroit and Hamtramck including Mayor Coleman A. Young and the City Council of Detroit and the City of Hamtramck with the exception being City Council member Kenneth Cockrel, the Archdiocese of Detroit including Cardinal John F. Deardon with the whole power of the Catholic Church behind him and sorted and various business interests and people of fear that saw their tax base eroding.

On the other side you had the Poletown neighborhood with Immaculate Conception Polish Roman Catholic Church "the beacon of resistance" fighting against the destruction of this community. The church’s spiritual leader The Reverend Joseph Karasiewicz a lifelong resident of the Poletown neighborhood with roots in St. Hyacinth Polish Roman Catholic Church his childhood parish and a graduate of St. Mary’s Polish Seminary with Fr. Joe’s flock following him in his struggle for their survival.

It was money, power and business interests against people and faith the typical David and Goliath scenario. What the Bible teaches us is to not lose faith in the face of massive odds and opposition. What else can an institution of faith do but to lead us on with faith and hope? These are wonderful qualities and often times in life all we have left is faith and hope but what the Bible doesn’t tell us is that Goliath wins over David much more than David wins over Goliath. But, we have to strive for that 1 in 1,000 chance to defeat Goliath in our titanic struggle with the forces of opposition in our world.

So, Fr. Joe and his parishioners meet all the powers mentioned above on the plains of their Sokho, Immaculate Conception Polish Roman Catholic Church in Poletown in a battle for their very existence. Unfortunately, there was no Biblical prophecy driving the force of this resistance. Awesome and overwhelming forces crushed the people and the church right where they stood after a valiant struggle by some with Fr. Joseph Karasiewicz pouring his heart and soul into the struggle for the survival of his parish and parishioners even against the orders of the Detroit Archdiocese under the auspices of Cardinal John F. Deardon that was shocked at the disobedience of one of his priests.

At the expense of being a cynic we know what the outcome was even before it was an outcome but there is much in history books, newspapers and the internet describing the demise and fall of this kind struggle. Besides, it is too sad to discuss at any length, now. But, what I want to share with you are some photos of Immaculate Conception Polish Roman Catholic Church that might elicit some beautiful and tender memories of something so good and intransient in our collective and individual memories.

Click on the thumbnails and a larger image will come up so you can look at the detail in the photos of the inside, outside and the Memorial to Polish Christianity of Immaculate Conception Polish Roman Catholic Church.

St. Albert's Roman Catholic Church.

St. Albert's Roman Catholic Church serving a Polish and Slavic Community, on St. Aubin Ave. and Fremont St. White brick church with plain glass windows and tall steeple topped with a cross. This was the precursor to St. Albertus Polish Roman Catholic Church. Ca. 1880

"Dom Polski: Dance Hall Days of Detroit's Polonia" deleted from the DY Forum.

The reason I am posting these deleted posts from the, "Dom Polski: Dance Hall Days of Detroit's Polonia" thread of the DY Forum was to follow the lead of one of the participants of the DY Forum with Member User Name of Townonenorth that said,

"While it's all well and good to complain, this is not really what this little piece of Polish history should be about. I intend to erase my posts on this subject, as it has no bearing on the topic. I suggest that you do the same. As these are HOF threads I'd hate to have them ruined."

I agreed with the sentiment and the reasoning for why we should both remove our posts but I thought what had to say in response to an earlier post by DY Forum with Member Username: Isle_of_fun that said,

"Lowell & Mortalman Chene st. growing up in that area was really great. does anyone remember Felician Academy connected to St. Albertus in the later years or Chene street summer day camp ? here are some web sites that are of great interest.

http://creativegene.blogspot.c om/2006/10/update-on-chene-str eet-project.html

http://www.umich.edu/news/?Rel eases/2004/Dec04/library/index

Also as of 2004 or 05 the people removed from the Immaculate Conception area because of eminent domain stuff won their lawsuit
best to you all"

I considered what I said to be important enough for me to move it from the DY Forum to the blog, DETROIT'SOUL,

Post 1 Deleted from DY

Let me say this about that. What we are talking about here is the difference between commercially collected data to be used for books, academic purposes and institutions, individuals or organizations versus information that will be made readily available to the average person that has no more agenda than to seek the knowledge for their own enjoyment whatever that is. My much larger fear is that there are people in the background or in the above mentioned audiences that are trying to figure out how to corral the internet and make it a pay-for-view venue thereby allowing only those people that have financial resources to access the information. It’s the same principle at work that is the forces that come in and gentrify neighborhoods and push out the people that made the neighborhoods what they had become. In the end it’s all about business and money. It’s not that I have anything against business or money it’s just that people that are in pursuit of those two items seem to never have a happy medium. Then we end of with greed and growth taking over and it never ends.

A real life example is the difference between what and how Marian Krzyzowski goes about collecting and disseminating his information concerning the so called Chene Street Project, and make no mistakes just his attitude when he made his presentation where he took no questions (Above it all and who are you to question me at all!) this is his information, leads one to believe that he is dealing with collective knowledge in a commercial manner i.e. future book and interactive website versus Lowell Boileau and the DY Forum and other parts of the website. Lowell does own it because he pays for it but if you follow the simple rules of courtesy you can be a part of the Forum and the information gathered, and there is a lot of it, is available to not only other Forumers but anyone that wants to come to the site and pursue or do research. And, he meaning, Lowell, makes the information he gathers in an egalitarian manner for all to enjoy. I may have been awkward in the way I presented my thoughts but I think you get the spirit of what I am saying. These are my opinions and concerns.

"Post 2 Deleted from DY

"Let me say this about that, again. What is happening with this information that Marian Krzyzowsk, and, by the way Townonenorth is exactly correct because I remember when the request went out for information many years ago, also, and there never was any mention of a book, commercial endeavor or academic spin on this so called Chene Project. I was led to believe that this was some kind of genealogical project that would be made available to anyone through one of the Polish Cultural organizations. I didn’t trust it then and I certainly don’t trust it, now.

I have run into some of the best and most enlightened researchers on the DetroitYes Forum that give of their time and effort freely with no thought of any kind of compensation other than what satisfaction they get out of making a contribution to something that is like a family, DY! We don’t always get along and we certainly don’t see eye –to-eye on things but together we make up a tapestry of community called DY which I am proud to be a small part of. And, what I really like and love the best out of this experience is the free exchange of knowledge and ideas.

When I first wrote my concerns about the way this Chene Project was going I had some fear of swimming against the current but I’m so glad I said what I said. But, let me take it a step further to really tap into what is really going on with me concerning the knowledge of this Chene Street Project is being handled makes me very sad. I am sad because I am of Polish heritage and I am proud of my heritage that’s why I talk about it. The sadness comes from the Chene Street Project being a metaphor for one more time that the Polish people are not united in their pursuits. We in the “old” country visited much heartache and pain because of our own selfish pursuits going back to the Polish Sejm back in the 16th Century with the principle of liberum (Latin for “I free forbid”) and one person could veto what is in the best interest of the whole of the population and it was always for selfish interests. This in the end led to Poland being divided up amongst the other European powers and Poland ceasing to exist for so many decades or really centuries.

Bringing this full circle to why this is significant to Detroit and DY it is because of this lack of unanimity amongst us Poles that we are watching our heritage crumble before our eyes. We ran away from the problems of Detroit, we assimilated and brought ourselves up by our bootstraps, doing better, making more money, getting more initials behind our names and abandoned the City of Detroit to the destruction that exists today. So, when we see scrappers climb up on the roof of St. Albertus to steal the copper roof we have no one to blame but ourselves because we use to have strong communities where these things could never happen because there we always eyes watching and people walking and there aren’t anymore!"

A Presentation of the Detroit Institute of Arts at Historic St. Albertus.

Art in the Age of Cathedrals

A Presentation of the Detroit Institute of Arts at Historic
St. Albertus

Sunday, November 2, 2008 at 12:30 P.M.

Travel backward to the medieval period to explore the architecture of cathedrals, Gothic chapels, and the objects found in them. The presentation will be given by Becky Hein of the Detroit Institute of Arts at Historic St. Albertus Church.

St. Albertus Church still stands proudly at the corner of St. Aubin and Canfield as an icon of Detroit's Polonia. Historic St. Albertus Church was built in 1884 in a Gothic Revival style. The church seats 2,500 and contains over a hundred religious paintings and statues. The building's historic and architectural significance has been recognized. The church was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site and placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. The buildings that make up the St. Albertus Historic District are maintained by the Polish American Historic Site Assoc., a non-profit group.

There is no charge for attending this event however we gratefully accept donations which are used to maintain and restore the buildings that make up the St. Albertus Historic District. Call 313.527.9321 or 313.285.9398 for more information about St. Albertus Church.

St. Albertus Church is located at 4231 St. Aubin at the intersection of St. Aubin and Canfield, just east of WSU’s medical campus in Detroit. A parking lot is located just north of the church.

St. Hyacinth Polish Roman Catholic Church another of the magnificent "palaces of prayer" in the Eastside Detroit Polonia.

This posting is dedicated to my Polish Catholic brother-in-Christ, Tom S. whose childhood parish is St. Hyacinth.

St. Hyacinth Polish Roman Catholic Church an of the magnificent "houses of prayer" in the Eastside Detroit Polonia.

St. Hyacinth Polish Roman Catholic Church another of the marvelous awe inspiring "Palaces of Prayer on the Eastside Detroit Polonia.

St. Albertus Polish Roman Catholic Church's "foot print" 1884...

This map of the entire St. Albertus Complex dates from sometime after February 14, 1884. As you can see Canfield St. use to be called Fremont St. This is the kind of stuff that makes things difficult to track down because the street names changed all through the years and the numbering systems changed at different times, also. This is a Sanborn Map that was used by property and casualty insurance companies that insured the various properties. So, things relevant to property insurance needs are delineated i.e. lighting, heating, fuel, etc. If you know what you’re looking for it can always be found if it exists. Notice that the old church is still standing on what is the site of what is the current rectory, today. The new church is under construction which tells us that this snapshot is from the time of Fr. Dominic Kolasinski's pastorate in early 1884 after the contract for construction was signed on the above mentioned February 1884 date. The 1st St. Albertus School on the NW corner of Fremont (Canfield) St. and St. Aubin listed on this Sanborn Map is long gone and the one that is currently right behind and west of the current church was not even a thought, yet. Notice that on these original blueprints the wrong name was listed inside the section of the new and old churches and the school. It is referred to as "Church of St. Albert" in both the old and new churches and as "School of St. Albert Parish" in the school on the blueprint when in fact the name is St. Albertus. But, there was some mix up concerning the official name of the church that we will explore in later postings.

Lively Americans: The U.S. Poles

Life Magazine April 25, 1955 A time when the Polish Community of Hamtramck was buzzing with activity, excitement and enthusiasm.