Mass. church raising funds to repair building
ADAMS, Mass. — The condition of a church that’s been a beacon for decades to the many Polish people settling in this community has its congregation concerned.
Water leakage and roof deterioration — victims of “long years of Berkshire wind, rain and snow” — have taken their toll on the St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, according the website set up to try to preserve the “gem.”
The church “is not only a spiritual center but also a historical monument to a strong community of Polish immigrants who emerged from this church,” said St. Stan’s member Eugene Michalenko, who is also president of the Adams Historical Society. The neighborhood that grew around the church became the Polish side of town, replacing the Irish and Germans who originally lived there, he said. A second commercial district was formed and three Polish Halls were established as social centers.
Parishioners, citing that history and the architectural beauty and other spiritual aspects, are hoping to save the yellow-brick, twin-steepled landmark in the Gothic style and are raising funds toward that goal.
In the words of a church member: “It’s a big, big project. We’re all just giving our all to do this.”
The church membership has a proud moment and good example of its recent past to rely on.
A bishop’s order to close the church in 2008 was aggressively disputed by the congregation. According to a Times Union story, church members kept a vigil against the decision, occupying the building 24/7 for 1,150 consecutive days. Their rally reached the highest level of the Vatican courts and resulted in an unprecedented victory for St. Stan’s.
Now, the church Preservation Committee developed a fourphase plan that totals $5.1 million to address the repairs and restoration, according to the preservation website. The Diocese of Springfield approved the $1.3 million in fundraising for Phase One, with a Nov. 13 deadline. More than $301,000 has been raised so far.
To learn more, see www.sskpreservation.org.
Michalenko said the church and its neighborhood are steeped in history. Some examples he gives:
• One street was first called George Street, but in 1943, during World War II, every house on the street had one to four young men in service. All of them were children of Polish immigrants except one. They renamed the street Victory Street to recognize the patriotic war effort.
• During the war, Adams’ population was 12,600, of whom 1,802 people were in service. Of those, 59 made the supreme sacrifice; 32 of them were of Polish ancestry.
• When the church was remodeled from 1952 to 1955, it commissioned a stained glass Rose Window in the choir with a Polish 20th-century historical theme. It includes a scene with the Bolshevik trio of Trotsky, Lenin and Stalin. This has to be the only place in the world where those men appear in stained glass in a house of worship, Michalenko said.