About Saint Adalbert · South Bend, Indiana
St. Adalbert Parish, long nicknamed the 'Cathedral of the West Side,' is a Roman Catholic parish in South Bend, Indiana, in the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend. Founded in 1910 by Polish immigrants in the Krakówo neighborhood near the Studebaker and Oliver factories, it is the largest and last of South Bend's four historic Polish parishes and today ministers to a congregation that is roughly 90% Latino. Since 2003 it has been entrusted to the pastoral care of the Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.), and its current pastor is Rev. Ryan Pietrocarlo, C.S.C. St. Adalbert is paired with neighboring St. Casimir under the joint banner 'Saints Casimir and Adalbert Parish,' and Masses are celebrated in English, Spanish, and bilingually each week.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- St. Adalbert of Prague (Bishop and Martyr)
- Rector
- Rev. Ryan Pietrocarlo, C.S.C.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend (Province of Indianapolis)
Why belong here
St. Adalbert is one of the most historically significant Catholic parishes in northern Indiana — an immigrant church that has remained faithful to first- and second-generation newcomers for more than a century, from its Polish founders to today's largely Latino families. Worshippers can pray in English, Spanish, or bilingually at any of several daily and Sunday Masses, including a vibrant 9:30 am Mass in Spanish and a 1:30 pm Spanish Mass on Sundays. The parish is paired with St. Casimir under the Congregation of Holy Cross, runs an active PK-8 Catholic school, offers RCIA, Quinceañera preparation, Guadalupanas, St. Vincent de Paul, charismatic prayer groups, a youth group, and a Harvest House seniors' ministry, and sits inside a National Register-listed Polish Cathedral Style complex whose ongoing restoration is preserving a piece of South Bend's heritage.
Mass times at Saint Adalbert
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:30 am at St. Casimir
- By appointment: call 574-288-5708
Adoration times
- Saturday 8:30 am at St. Casimir
- Thursday 7:30 am – 9:00 pm at Felician Chapel and St. Adalbert
Our Parish
St. Adalbert Parish is one of the oldest and most historically significant Catholic communities in northern Indiana. Founded in 1910 by Polish immigrants in South Bend's West Side 'Krakówo' neighborhood and today serving a predominantly Latino congregation, the parish is part of the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend and has been under the pastoral care of the Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.) since 2003. It is now formally paired with neighboring St. Casimir as 'Saints Casimir and Adalbert Parish.'
- Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend
- Bishop Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades
- Pastoral care: Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests
- Joint operation with St. Casimir Catholic Church, 1302 Dunham St, South Bend, IN 46619
History
St. Adalbert traces its origins to 1905, when Polish working-class families from St. Hedwig Parish organized the St. Adalbert Society to build a fourth Polish church on South Bend's West Side, closer to the Singer, Oliver, and Studebaker factories. Bishop Herman Joseph Alerding appointed Rev. John Kubacki as founding pastor in 1910. The parish was canonically erected on July 4, 1910, the cornerstone was laid on September 4, 1910 by the Most Rev. Paul Rhode, and the first Mass was celebrated outdoors on October 16, 1910, drawing an estimated 10,000 people. The present Gothic church, designed by Worthmann & Steinbach, was dedicated in 1926; Bishop John Francis Noll called it 'the most beautiful and most costly church in the diocese of Fort Wayne.'
- Founded: July 4, 1910
- Founding pastor: Rev. John Kubacki (1910–1920)
- Cornerstone laid September 4, 1910 by Most Rev. Paul Rhode
- Present church built 1923–1926, designed by Worthmann & Steinbach of Chicago
- Centennial celebrated November 7, 2010 with a multilingual Mass by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades
The St. Adalbert Church Complex
The St. Adalbert Church Complex is the largest and best-preserved Polish religious complex in Indiana and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its four buildings — School (1909–11), Rectory (1914–15), Church (1923–26), and Felician Convent (1963) — span Renaissance Revival to Mid-Century Modern architecture and together form an open-air museum of immigrant Midwestern religious design. St. Adalbert's church, with steeples over 100 feet tall, is the tallest in South Bend and an exemplary representative of the Polish Cathedral style.
- St. Adalbert School (1909–11)
- Parish Rectory (1914–15)
- St. Adalbert Church (1923–26) — Gothic Revival, Worthmann & Steinbach
- Felician Convent (1963)
- WWI monument (1919) and WWII monument (1951)
- 1940 Labor Mural by John Mallin
Restoration Project
A complete interior-and-exterior restoration of the church is currently underway. The project is featured on the parish's Restoration page and a story by David Frederick, Director of the Restoration, walks through the work being done to preserve the historic worship space for future generations.
- Interior and exterior scope
- Directed by David Frederick
- Featured in parish storytelling and Today's Catholic coverage
Devotions & Other Services
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, the parish maintains a traditional Sunday Rosary, an annual Quinceañera ministry, and the seasonal celebrations brought by its Mexican-heritage families, including the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Día de los Muertos, and Las Posadas from December 16 to 24.
- Rosary: Sundays 9:00 am at St. Casimir
- Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)
- Las Posadas (Dec 16–24)
- March for Life participation through the youth group
Parish Ministries
St. Adalbert's ministries are organized into commissions that span formation, liturgy, and outreach. The parish supports roughly 1,000 families — about 90% Hispanic — through a network of English- and Spanish-language groups, an active St. Vincent de Paul conference, and a bilingual youth ministry that sends members to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
- Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and Children (RICA / RCIA)
- Quinceañera preparation
- Christ Renews His Parish (Spanish retreat)
- Ministerio de la Familia
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Guadalupanas
- Grupo de Oración (charismatic prayer)
- Grupo de Matrimonios (marriage & family)
- Felician Sisters Auxiliary
- Harvest House Senior Group (100+ members)
- Bilingual Youth Group (led by a deacon)
- Young Adult Team (ages 18–35)
- Religious Education (Saturday & Sunday, ~270 children), with SPRED track for special needs
- Adult and parents' Bible studies, charismatic prayer group, Disciples in Mission retreat group
- Children's altar servers and choirs (English and Spanish)
St. Adalbert Catholic School
St. Adalbert Catholic School serves preschool through 8th grade on the parish campus and is sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross. Faith is woven into every part of the day: community prayer several times daily, weekly Mass, sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in 2nd grade and Confirmation in 8th grade, a Saints study in 4th grade that culminates in the All Schools Mass celebrated with the Bishop at the University of Notre Dame, and an 8th-grade retreat and graduation Mass.
- Preschool through Grade 8
- School phone: 574-288-6645
- Website: https://stadalbertschool.org/
- Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross
- Daily community prayer, weekly Mass
- Sacramental prep for Reconciliation, First Communion (grade 2) and Confirmation (grade 8)
- All Schools Mass with the Bishop at Notre Dame
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children in public schools attend Saturday and Sunday religious-education classes (roughly 170 on Saturday and 100 on Sunday, including an SPRED track for students with special needs), and parents often participate in on-site adult Bible study while their children are in class. Older teens form a Confirmation cohort of about 100 who lead service projects across the parish.
- Saturday and Sunday Religious Education
- SPRED (special religious development) program
- Post-First Communion continuing formation
- Parent and adult Bible studies during class times
- Confirmation cohort (~100 teens)
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for the sacraments of initiation, marriage, and anointing, and welcomes adults and children through the RICA process. First Communion is typically received in 2nd grade and Confirmation in 8th grade, while marriage preparation is offered in English and Spanish.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion (2nd grade)
- Confirmation (8th grade)
- Matrimony (marriage preparation, English & Spanish)
- Quinceañera
- Anointing of the Sick (on request)
- Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and Children (RICA)
Outreach & Charity
St. Adalbert carries on the strong outreach tradition that has marked it since its founding. The parish operates a St. Vincent de Paul conference for emergency aid to neighbors in need, partners with the Felician Sisters and their auxiliary for service to the Polish and broader community, and sends youth and confirmation candidates into local service projects — including an annual March for Life trip to Washington, D.C.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Felician Sisters Auxiliary
- Confirmation service projects
- March for Life participation
- University of Notre Dame volunteer partnerships
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by a Congregation of Holy Cross pastor and supported by deacons, parish staff, and lay ministry leaders. The current pastor, Rev. Ryan Pietrocarlo, C.S.C., was appointed in 2020 and oversees the Saints Casimir and Adalbert Parish community together with parish staff and commissions.
- Pastor: Rev. Ryan Pietrocarlo, C.S.C. (2020–present)
- Pastors (C.S.C.): Rev. David Porterfield (2003–04), Rev. Christopher W. Cox (2004–10), Rev. Peter J. Pacini (2010–16), Rev. Paul Ybarra (2016–20)
- Parish office contact: Alvaro Bautista
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Parish phone: 574-288-5708
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Kubacki1910–1920
Founding pastor, appointed by Bishop Alerding; laid cornerstone Sept 4, 1910; celebrated first Mass Oct 16, 1910.
- Rev. [surname, c. 1920–1944]
- Rev. [name, 1944–1964]1944–1964
Wikipedia lists a pastor serving this term (name partially obscured in search excerpt).
- Rev. Eugene Kazmierczak (administrator)1964
Brief administrator.
- Rev. John Moskal1964–1972
- Rev. Eugene Kazmierczak1972–1992
Returned for a long second tenure; led the parish's interior restoration.
- Rev. Leonard F. Chrobot1992–1995
Native-son pastor.
- Rev. Daryl Rybicki1995–2002
- Msgr. J. William Lester (administrator)2002–2003
Sent by Bishop D'Arcy during the St. Stephen merger.
- Rev. David J. Porterfield, C.S.C. (administrator)2003–2004
First Congregation of Holy Cross administrator after St. Stephen merged in May 2003.
- Rev. Christopher W. Cox, C.S.C.2004–2010
First appointed C.S.C. pastor of both St. Adalbert and St. Casimir parishes.
- Rev. Peter J. Pacini, C.S.C.2010–2016
Celebrated the parish's centennial on Nov 7, 2010.
- Rev. Paul Ybarra, C.S.C.2016–2020
- Rev. Ryan Pietrocarlo, C.S.C.2020–present
Current pastor.