About Oratory of Saint Stanislaus · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
St. Stanislaus Oratory is a historic Polish Catholic church in Milwaukee's Mitchell Street District, founded in 1866 by immigrant Polish families on Milwaukee's south side. Since 2008 it has been an Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite), while also offering the Ordinary Rite in English on Saturday evenings. The twin-spired cream-city brick church, completed in 1873 and designed by Leonard Schmidtner (Leonard Kowalski), has undergone extensive interior and exterior restoration in recent years and draws hundreds of families weekly to its traditional liturgy.
- Established
- 1866
- Patron
- Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr (Stanislaus of Szczepanów)
- Rector
- Rev. Canon Benoît Jayr (Rector)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee (Metropolitan Archdiocese)
Why belong here
St. Stanislaus Oratory is one of Milwaukee's 'Polish Cathedrals,' a landmark twin-spired church whose traditional Latin liturgy and rich choral music draw hundreds of families each week. As an Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, it offers the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite celebrated with restored sanctuary, antique vestments, Gregorian chant and a magnificent pipe organ. Pastors and staff provide the full sacramental life of a parish — daily Mass, confessions, devotions, weddings, and the 4:00 PM Saturday English Mass — in a community that has been continuously serving Milwaukee's south side since 1866.
Mass times at Oratory of Saint Stanislaus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confession times published in the weekly bulletin — please consult the parish bulletin or contact the oratory office (see Contact section for phone/email).
Adoration times
- Adoration/Eucharistic devotions are announced in the parish bulletin — please consult the St. Stanislaus Oratory bulletin for the current schedule.
About St. Stanislaus Oratory
St. Stanislaus Oratory is the south-side Milwaukee home of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. Under Rector Rev. Canon Benoît Jayr, with assisting priests Canon Erwan Josseaume, Fr. Cliff Ermatinger and Fr. Ronald Kotecki (Saturday English Mass), plus clerical oblate Abbé George Baird, the Oratory celebrates the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (the 1962 Latin Rite) on Sundays and weekdays, and offers the Ordinary Rite in English each Saturday evening. The office is staffed by Secretary Mrs. Jo Ann Neumann; the sacred music program is led by Director of Sacred Music Mr. Fabian Qamar, Associate Director Mr. Ryan Boren, and English Mass Organist Mr. Mark Schuh.
- Parish Administrator & Rector: Rev. Canon Benoît Jayr
- Vicar / Chaplain of Sheboygan apostolate: Rev. Canon Erwan Josseaume
- Assisting Priests: Fr. Cliff Ermatinger; Fr. Ronald Kotecki (Saturday English parish Mass)
- Clerical Oblate: Abbé George Baird
- Secretary: Mrs. Jo Ann Neumann
- Director of Sacred Music: Mr. Fabian Qamar
- Associate Director of Sacred Music: Mr. Ryan Boren
- English Mass Organist: Mr. Mark Schuh
History of the Parish
St. Stanislaus was founded in 1866 by thirty Polish Catholic immigrant families on Milwaukee's south side, making it the third Polish Roman Catholic parish in the United States and the first based in an urban area. The present twin-spired cream-city brick church was completed in 1873, with a school added in 1889. In May 2007 Archbishop Timothy Dolan entrusted the church to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Latin Mass community; in 2008 the parish was erected as an Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, with Canon Olivier Meney named rector. In 2022 the parish marked its 150th anniversary.
- 1866: Thirty Polish families purchase a former Lutheran brick church and dedicate it to St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr.
- 1873: Twin-spired cream-city brick church completed; first Polish parochial school in America founded, with Sister Tyta as first teacher (also the first Polish nun in America).
- 1889: Permanent school constructed.
- 1966: Original copper domes replaced with 23-carat gold leaf.
- 2007: Becomes home of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Latin Mass community under Archbishop Dolan.
- 2008: Erected as an Oratory of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest; Canon Olivier Meney appointed rector.
- 2022: 150th anniversary of the parish celebrated.
Polish Catholic Origins
St. Stanislaus is one of Milwaukee's historic 'Polish Cathedrals,' built by Polish Catholic pioneers who settled the south side in the 1860s. The parish became a hub of Polish-American Catholic life for generations, founding the first Polish parochial school in the United States. The 1866 founding came as a sudden wave of Polish immigration transformed Milwaukee, and the church's twin spires still stand as the visible sign of that original immigrant community's devotion.
- First urban Polish Roman Catholic parish in the United States (1866)
- First Polish parochial school in America (1873)
- First Polish nun in America — Sister Tyta — taught at the school
Restoration to Former Glory
Since 2008 the Institute has led a sustained program to restore the historic church to its original splendor. The free-standing altar was removed and the High Altar reconstructed, the sanctuary returned to its original configuration, and a new marble communion rail installed so communicants could kneel. In 2016 the entire interior was repainted to its original designs, revealing marble long hidden by 1960s paint. The 2019 exterior project removed the deteriorated aluminum tower domes and rebuilt them in copper, fully cleaned and tuckpointed the brickwork, repaired the roof, and installed new wooden exterior doors based on the original designs.
- High Altar reconstructed, free-standing altar removed, new marble communion rail installed
- 2016: Full interior repaint in original colors; restored marble
- 2019: Copper-clad tower domes (lifespan up to 100 years)
- Brickwork cleaned and tuckpointed; roof repaired
- New wooden exterior doors reconstructed to original designs
- Gardens, sidewalks, and stairways restored
Stained-Glass Windows
All of the original stained-glass windows had been removed in past decades, leaving the church without its original windows. In 2014 a miraculous find of original glass fragments gave artists the templates they needed. Based on these surviving pieces, new windows were designed and installed across the entire church between 2015 and 2021.
- 2014: Original glass fragments recovered
- 2015–2021: New stained-glass windows designed from the originals and installed throughout the church
Sacred Music & Organ
The choir loft is adorned with a medallion of St. Cecilia, patroness of musicians. From this loft the choir sings Gregorian chant and other ancient Masses for the parish's Extraordinary Form liturgy. The organ received a full restoration in 2011–12 (cleaning and regulation of pipes, rebuilt action, bellows and control system, and installation of a console moved from the minor seminary), and the loft itself was redesigned in 2017–18 with new cabinetry, furniture and stairs.
- 2011–12: Organ restoration — pipes cleaned and regulated; action, bellows and control system rebuilt; new console installed
- 2017–18: Choir loft redesigned with new cabinetry, furniture and stairs
- Gregorian chant and ancient Mass settings sung at High Mass
Sacristies and Relics
In 2013–14 the priests' sacristy was restored, uncovering delicate inlaid wood floors and refinishing all the cabinetry. The 1960s chapel was converted into a sacristy for altar servers and into storage for altar furnishings. The Oratory also serves as custodian of a large relic collection, which is housed in this sacristy.
- 2013–14: Priests' sacristy restored (inlaid wood floors uncovered, cabinetry refinished)
- 1960s chapel reconfigured as a server sacristy with a reserve tabernacle
- Custodian of a large relic collection housed in the sacristy
Sacraments & Devotions
The Oratory celebrates the full liturgical life of a Catholic parish in the Extraordinary Form (1962 Latin Rite), with daily Mass, Sunday Solemn High Mass, the Saturday English-language Ordinary Rite vigil Mass at 4:00 PM, and confessions and Eucharistic devotions published in the weekly bulletin. Weddings, baptisms and other sacraments are arranged through the parish office.
- Holy Mass — Extraordinary Form (Latin) and Ordinary Form (English Saturday 4:00 PM)
- Confession — see bulletin
- Eucharistic Adoration — see bulletin
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Baptism / First Communion / Confirmation — contact the parish office
- Care of a large relic collection
Sacred Liturgical Calendar & Antiques
Along with the restored sanctuary and High Altar, the Institute has recovered beautiful antique vestments and returned them to use for the Extraordinary Form celebrations, preserving the traditional rites and vestments of the Roman liturgy at St. Stanislaus.
- Recovered antique vestments returned to liturgical use
- Gregorian chant and traditional sacred music at High Mass
Music & Liturgy Program
The Oratory's sacred music is led by Director of Sacred Music Mr. Fabian Qamar, Associate Director Mr. Ryan Boren, and English Mass Organist Mr. Mark Schuh. The choir sings Gregorian chant and other ancient Masses from the redesigned choir loft, accompanied by the fully restored pipe organ installed with a console relocated from the minor seminary.
- Director of Sacred Music: Mr. Fabian Qamar
- Associate Director of Sacred Music: Mr. Ryan Boren
- English Mass Organist: Mr. Mark Schuh
- Gregorian chant and ancient Mass settings
- Organ console relocated from the minor seminary
Apostolates & Outreach
Through the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, the Oratory extends its ministry beyond Milwaukee. Rev. Canon Erwan Josseaume serves as Vicar and Chaplain of the Sheboygan apostolate, bringing the traditional Latin Mass to Catholics in the Sheboygan area. The Oratory also publishes bulletins and announcements regularly and live-streams several Masses each week for the homebound and wider faithful.
- Sheboygan apostolate — chaplained from St. Stanislaus Oratory
- Live-streamed Sunday Low Mass (8:00 AM) and Sunday Solemn Mass (10:00 AM)
- Live-streamed weekday 12:00 PM Low Masses (Mon–Thu)
- Weekly parish bulletin (for confession, adoration and devotions)
Contact & Visit
St. Stanislaus Oratory sits at 524 W. Historic Mitchell Street on Milwaukee's south side. Visitors are encouraged to call or email the office for current confession, adoration and event times, and to arrange sacraments such as weddings and baptisms.
- Address: 524 W. Historic Mitchell Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204
- Phone: (414) 226-5490 — Emergency: (414) 335-3124
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.institute-christ-king.org/milwaukee-home
- Live-stream link via the official site
Visiting the Mitchell Street District
The Oratory stands in the historic Mitchell Street District on Milwaukee's south side, the heart of the city's original Polish-American settlement. Parking, transit and accessibility details are not published on the official site; visitors should contact the parish office in advance.
- Located in the Historic Mitchell Street District, south-side Milwaukee
- Contact the parish office for parking, transit, and accessibility information
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Canon Olivier Meney2008 (founding rector of the Oratory)
Appointed by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest when St. Stanislaus was erected as an Oratory in 2008.