Exactly 120 years ago, on December 28, 1901 Most Rev. Michael Tierney, the 6th Bishop of Hartford erected the parish of St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr in New Haven, Connecticut. His decision met the needs of Polish immigrants in the area organized in the Society of Saint Stanislaus. At the [...]]]>

Exactly 120 years ago, on December 28, 1901 Most Rev. Michael Tierney, the 6th Bishop of Hartford erected the parish of St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr in New Haven, Connecticut. His decision met the needs of Polish immigrants in the area organized in the Society of Saint Stanislaus. At the beginning the parish didn’t have their own place of worship.

Bishop Michael Tierney of Hartford and the beginnings

Two years later, bishop Tierney met in New York City three Vincentian missioners who have just came to Hoboken, NJ from Kraków, Poland. Those missioners were looking for new mission, ministry as their original plans to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin failed. Meeting Bishop of Hartford was a blessing for missioners. He invited them to New Haven where the young St. Stanislaus parish needed new pastor (the first pastor, Fr. Musial was assigned to develop another parish in Connecticut).

Exactly 118 years ago, on December 29, 1903 three Polish sons of St.Vincent de Paul, Fr. George Glogowski CM, Fr. Paul Waszko CM and Fr. Francis Trawniczek CM arrived to New Haven by train welcomed by Bishop Tierney himself at the Union Station. Immediately, the bishop passed the care of Polish parish of St. Stanislaus to Vincentian Fathers and Fr. George Glogowski CM was appointed the new pastor and his associates became parochial vicars. On New Year day of 1904 he took the office. At that moment, the Vincentian mission in Connecticut and New England begun.

Their first activity was a popular mission which was not only the great success but that was a realization there were much more Poles in the area than they first expected. It turned out the temporary place of worship located in the former grocery shop on Dwight Street site was too small. In a short while, the old Swedish church on St. John Street was acquired. Bishop Tierney blessed it on Memorial Day in 1905, under the patronage of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr.

The parish continued to grow very rapidly and by 1910 it was evident that they had outgrown both the church and the parish school. Father Antoni Mazurkiewicz CM, the fourth pastor looked for a property that would be more centrally located in the city of New Haven. He found an abandoned church on the corner of State and Eld Streets. This the place were the present St. Stanislaus, the Bishop and Martyr parish is located.

By 1911, the property was cleared and the foundation for the present church was laid. On Memorial Day (then called Decoration Day, last Monday of May) in 1912, Most Reverent John Joseph Nilan, the 7th Bishop of Hartford, blessed the cornerstone of the new church. Just a year later, on April 27, 1913, the first Mass was said in the new church. A solemn Mass of dedication was celebrated by Bishop Nilan on May 30, 1913.

Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford and his Pastoral Plan

108 years later, on July 28, 2021 Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford, the Saint 8th successor of Bishop Tierney, addressed a letter to Very Rev. Marek G. Sadowski CM, the Provincial Superior of the Vincentians in New England. In Archbishop’s letter we read:

“As we explained, the present Pastoral Plan for the Archdiocese calls for the parishes of Saint Joseph and Saint Michael the Archangel to remain independent and staffed by the Vincentian Fathers as long as it is possible for your Province to do so. We hope that both in Ansonia and Derby there will be even greater cooperation among all the clergy in these two municipalities to ensure the strength of the Church and the fraternal support of one another. [...]

Thank you again for the fine work also done by the Vincentian Fathers [...] at Saint Stanislaus Parish in New Haven. However, as we explained, the Archdiocese has to press ahead with Pastoral Planning to ensure vibrant parishes in the face of the two-fold challenge of dwindling numbers of clergy — both diocesan and religious — and shrinking numbers of practicing Catholics as well.

In New Haven the “municipal model” that we are implementing for the Archdiocese will be effective January 1, 2022. As of that date a new municipal parish will be erected which will include the parishes/churches of Saint Mary (and Saint Joseph), Saint Stanislaus, Saint Michael, Saint Martin de Porres, Our Lady of Guadalupe (Saint Francis and Saint Rose of Lima), and Saint Anthony, as well as the Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale.

Perhaps the Vincentians Fathers wish to continue ministering to the Polish community at Saint Stanislaus, not as Pastors but rather as parochial vicars of the municipal parish in concert and fraternity with the other priests assigned to that municipal parish. I realize that this represents a significant change in the long history of your ministry in New Haven, but it is one that I am confident will bring all the Catholic people in the community to a stronger and more vibrant parish life. [...]

I thank you most heartily for your ministry in the Archdiocese and the wider Church and pray that the transition I have described, while perhaps unanticipated and disappointing, will nonetheless encourage you to participate as a blessing to both the Church in New Haven and your religious community.”

Once planted charism lives on against all odds

In this situation instead of thinking of parish / mission anniversary celebrations we were fostered to prepare for moving out from the place we built, brought up and cared of for almost 120 years. We are witnessing the saddest situation the Vincentians of New England Province have been in all our history. We are talking about our roots, our beginnings.

In our history we won and lost many times. Times change and we are changing with them, as the old Roman proverb says. Erie, Bow, Whitestone, Utica, Wethersfield, West Hartford, Stamford, Concord, Pelham, Naugatuck. But this time is different. This time we are almost speechless… This lost hurts…

The first Polish Vincentians in Connecticut built this place, developed, redecorated and cared for. The church and school at State Street and the rectory, religious community house at Eld Street are our origins. More then 120 confreres started their American Vincentian journey in New Haven. Almost every missioner coming in to the Polish mission in the USA first came to New Haven. It was a peaceful shelter and harbor for the Confreres, missionaries expelled from China missions after 1947 revolution. The house at Eld Street was our Mother House as we usually call the first location of the Congregation in any Province. (As Our Lady of the Barrens, Perryville, MO is for Western Province and St. Vincent Seminary in Germantown, Philadelphia, PA is for Eastern Province). From this place the Vincentians were able to expand their mission across Connecticut, New York State, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Maine and more.

Farewell

Now, we would like to give thanks to all the people of New Haven, those who joined us for prayer and worship in St. Stanislaus church and those who came for confession here or in other purposes and occasions. Thank you very, very much. You will be in our thoughts and prayers always.

At Christmas of 1903 Fr. George Glogowski CM brought the charism of Saint Vincent de Paul, our Founder, to this land. He and his companions planted this charism in. After 118 years we witness and experience how much this charism grew up and spread all around. It would not be possible without engagement, loyalty, openness and continuous support from your, our parishioners, the people of New haven and Connecticut. Thank you very much for your presence. We will never forget you. We will always miss you.

Today we are leaving this place. But we believe the charism of Saint Vincent de Paul, the legacy of all the fifteen Vincentian pastors and of St. Stanislaus parish and their associates will live on.

We are leaving New Haven, but as you know, we are not leaving you. It’s only ten miles westward to Derby or Ansonia were you can find us. Always, you are welcomed at St. Michael’s in Derby or St. Joseph’s in Ansonia. we are waiting for you there.

We are leaving New Haven, but our mission continues. The charism which brought us here 118 years ago impels us to continue preaching the Good News to the people of Connecticut and New England.

May Almighty God bless you all.

Post Scriptum
The current pastor of St. Stanislaus parish, Fr. Tadeusz Maciejewski CM, and Fr. Stanley Miekinia CM have left the parish grounds on December 28, 2021. According to Archbishop’s Blair decision, Fr. Sebastian Kos assigned as new parish administrator starting on January 1, 2022.

Read more news and info at:  NEW HAVEN CATHOLIC – Home

Archbishop’s address:

To the Catholic Faithful of New Haven,

 “To those who love God all things work together unto good” (Romans 8:28). These words of St. Paul have given strength and encouragement to the Church through the centuries. Today we are confronted with [...]]]>

Read more news and info at:  NEW HAVEN CATHOLIC – Home

Archbishop’s address:

To the Catholic Faithful of New Haven,

 
“To those who love God all things work together unto good” (Romans 8:28). These words of St. Paul have given strength and encouragement to the Church through the centuries. Today we are confronted with a number of challenges, as are many other religious bodies, posed in particular by the diminishing practice of the Faith and of church attendance by any number of Catholics, which is matched by the ever diminishing numbers of priests to serve our parishes, many of which were established in the heyday of Catholic practice and housing expansion in Connecticut. This was evident before the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and will require close monitoring post-COVID.
 
It is with this in mind that in recent years the Archdiocese of Hartford has embarked on a process of Pastoral Planning. The goal is to take an honest look at the situations and structures of the Catholic population of the Archdiocese in order to begin making changes that will assist in re-organizing the local Church not just for today but also into the future. Sometimes this has involved difficult choices – reconfiguration, mergers, closings – but these changes have already led to rejuvenation in a number of our parishes, cities, and towns.
 
While the churches in the city of New Haven experienced some alteration during the first wave of Pastoral Planning in 2017, the plan now is to initiate an even more substantial change to support its Catholic population. Instead of simply closing or merging weakening or failing parishes, the goal is to bring the priests, churches, ministries, and resources of the city together, uniting them in the hopes of creating a stronger, more vibrant Catholic community and culture. Thus the Archdiocese will now be implementing a new, united “municipal model” for the city of New Haven. The several parishes in New Haven will be brought together into a single new entity, still keeping a number of existing church buildings and serving thousands of diverse parishioners.
 
To begin this process, effective December 1, 2021, St. Mary Parish will have a new Pastor appointed who eventually will serve as what Church law calls a priest “moderator” (CIC 517.1), a “first among equals” collaborating with some of the current Pastors and other soon to be named clergy, as together they take up the various pastoral ministries of New Haven. All will be united together in their efforts to minister in a comprehensive way. The Vincentian and Dominican Fathers who have served New Haven were offered the opportunity to participate in this new configuration but for various reasons they declined. The Dominicans in particular were presented with several options which would have provided a house for them in the Archdiocese and even in the City of New Haven. However they determined that these alternatives were not feasible for them at this time. I am happy to say, however, that some of these Religious will remain in ministry in the Archdiocese.
 
The St. Mary’s Church campus was chosen to be the center of the new plan after extensive study because it is perfectly situated to be the geographical and spiritual focal point of a municipal model for New Haven. With its centralized location and functional rectory space, so much of what needs to be done to serve the Faithful can be most effectively coordinated from the St. Mary’s facilities. The church also houses the tomb of Blessed Michael McGivney, a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford on a path to canonization, God willing. We earnestly seek his intercession as we embark on this new plan to revitalize the Faith in our Archdiocese.
 
As noted earlier, there was a time when New Haven, like many cities, was teeming with immigrant Catholics. In the 1930’s New Haven was home to over 70,000 Catholics. Today that number is approximately 10,000.  While St. Aedan, St. Anthony, St. Francis, St. Rose, St. Michael, St. Stanislaus, St. Bernadette, St. Martin de Porres, St. Joseph, and St. Mary’s Churches all remain open in various pastoral configurations, a substantial number, including Sacred Heart, St. Brendan, St. Boniface, St. Casimir, St. Donato, St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, St. Louis, St. Patrick, and St. Peter Churches, all once proud churches of New Haven, have closed out of necessity. Likewise, 20 parochial schools have closed as well.
 
With regard to the Catholic presence in the city of New Haven, there is no doubt that besides the configuration of parishes, account must also be taken of institutions like the Knights of Columbus with their international headquarters, Yale University with the Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center, Albertus Magnus College, All Saints Catholic Academy located on Ferry Street, and the privately run St. Martin de Porres Academy.
 
All of this requires a diversity of pastoral care for ministry to Spanish-speakers and various Hispanic/Latino cultures, as well as Black Catholics; ministry to traditional ethnic groups, including the strong Polish and Italian communities; ministry to the young adult and university students; assistance to the Knights of Columbus; and service to the people of the broader Archdiocese of Hartford. This is what the municipal model in New Haven must supply, and it will require a collection of motivated and very capable diocesan priests to provide this array of ministries.
 
Change is not easy and transitions are challenging, but I am confident that just as linkages and mergers elsewhere in the Archdiocese have been successful, they can also be successful in New Haven. I ask you to join me in praying for a return to participation in the life of our parishes by our many non-practicing Catholics and for a great increase in priestly ordinations for our Archdiocese, and please know of my appreciation and prayers for all of you.
 
           
                                                                        Sincerely yours in Christ,
                                                                        Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair
                                                                        Archbishop of Hartford

On April 6, 2013 in age of 83, 55 years of priesthood,  Lt. Colonel Father George Dabrowski, [...]]]> “The length of our days is seventy years —
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90,10)

On April 6, 2013 in age of 83, 55 years of priesthood,  Lt. Colonel Father George Dabrowski, C.M.,  passed at St. Catherine’s Infirmary, Germantown, Philadephia, PA. He was a long time US Air Force chaplain, pastor and teacher and professor at St. John Kanty Prep, Erie, PA, among others. In recent years he was a resident of St. Catherine’s Infrirmary.
Condolences can be added as commentaries to this post.

Will Lie in State
Thursday, April 11, 2013 fro 10:00 A.M.
St. Stanislaus B&M Church
9 Eld Street, New Haven, CT

The Funeral Mass
Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 11:00 A.M.
St. Stanislaus B&M Church, New Haven, CT

Burial
All Saints Cemetery, North Haven, CT.

DEATH NOTICE

Additional memorial services will be held at st. Vincent’s Seminary in Philadelphia on Thursday, April 11:
Mass at St. Catherine’s Chapel, 11:30 A.M.
Evening Prayer and Remembrance at St Vincent Seminary chapel, 4:30 P.M.

The Reverend George J. Dabrowski, CM, died on April 6, 2013. He was born in Hamden, CT, on July 29, 1930. He was the son of the late Joseph Dabrowski and Sophia Piascik Dabrowski. He entered the Congregation of the Mission in the Vice-Province of Poland in the USA and was ordained a priest on May 31, 1958. For the next 6 years Father Dabrowski served as a parish priest at St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Parish in New Haven, CT and as a teacher at St. John Kanty Prep School in Erie, PA.

From 1964 to 1989 Father Dabrowski served as a chaplain in the US Air Force, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. From 1990 to 1992 he served at the Provincial House in West Hartford, CT, as archivist and superior. For the next three years he worked in parishes in Lisbon Falls, ME, and Concord, NH. In 1995 he returned to Connecticut to assume the duties of archivist and superior at De Paul Provincial House in Manchester. After serious surgery, he retired to St. Joseph’s Residence in Enfield in 2003. Later, he was transferred to St. Catherine’s Infirmary in Germantown, Philadelphia, PA. which is run by the Vincentian Fathers. There he died in peace in his room, on April 6

The New England Province is extremely grateful to the Confreres of the Eastern Province and the staff of St. Catherine’s Infirmary in Philadelphia for taking care of Fr. George during his time of sickness and his last illness.