Saint Stanislaus Kostka

History of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish

St. Stanislaus Kostka was founded on June 14, 1902, by Bishop Ignatius Frederick Horstmann of the Diocese of Cleveland for the 80 Polish families who had gathered in Youngstown's South Side. The first Mass was celebrated in the auditorium beneath St. Columba Church. A church and school were built on South Avenue, and in 1909 the Franciscan Sisters of Blessed Kunegunda took over the school, doubling enrollment. The present church on Williamson Avenue was completed and dedicated on March 22, 1925. The parish survived two world wars — hosting refugees and shipping garments to Poland — and the collapse of the Mahoning Valley steel economy, celebrating its centennial in 2002 with the dedication of an outdoor shrine to Our Lady of Częstochowa. Diocesan regionalization led to the last regular Sunday Mass on June 28, 2020 and formal closure at the end of 2021.

Pastorate and Clergy

Fourteen pastors served St. Stanislaus Kostka over its 119-year history. The succession begins with Rev. Charles (Karol) Ruszkowski, appointed by Bishop Horstmann to found the parish in 1902, and ends with Rev. Edward J. Neroda, who served as the last pastor from 1980 until the parish's closure in 2021. Notable pastors include Fr. Dominic A. Mielcarek (1929–1938), who began the parish's youth-sports tradition during the Depression; Fr. John A. Grabowski (1938–1960), who organized the Polish Relief Committee and served as Diocesan Director of Displaced Persons; and Msgr. Thaddeus A. Heruday (1964–1980), who also served as Diocesan Resettlement Director.

• Rev. Charles (Karol) Ruszkowski (1902–1903) — founding administrator
• Rev. Ignacy Piotrowski (1903) — first resident pastor
• Rev. L. Kuzius (1903–1905) — completed the first church
• Rev. Thomas Wilk (1905–1912)
• Rev. Adalbert Migdalski (1912–1914)
• Rev. C. Tyzynski (1914–1915)
• Rev. Francis Szydzik (1915–1917)
• Rev. John T. Kasinski (1918–1922)
• Rev. John M. Zeglen (1922–1929)
• Rev. Dominic A. Mielcarek (1929–1938) — founded the youth sports tradition
• Rev. John A. Grabowski (1938–1960) — organized Polish Relief; Diocesan Director of Displaced Persons
• Rev. Louis Kazmirski (1960–1964)
• Msgr. Thaddeus A. Heruday (1964–1980) — also Diocesan Resettlement Director
• Rev. Edward J. Neroda (1980–closure) — oversaw 1982 renovation and 2002 centennial shrine; last pastor

Patron Saint: St. Stanislaus Kostka

The parish is named for Stanisław Kostka, S.J. (1550–1568), a Polish novice of the Society of Jesus who died in Rome at the age of 17. He was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1605 and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII on December 31, 1726. His feast day is November 13 (with a commemoration on August 15, the anniversary of his death, and another on September 18 in Poland). He is the patron of Jesuit novices, students, Poland, and the broken, and is depicted in art with a lily, the Jesuit habit, and the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Our Lady of Częstochowa Shrine

In 2002, the parish marked its centennial by dedicating an outdoor shrine to Our Lady of Częstochowa on the west lawn of the grounds. The Black Madonna of Częstochowa has long been venerated by Polish Catholics as a protector of Poland and her people, and her image featured prominently in local devotional life. In 2012, members of St. Stanislaus, St. Casimir, and St. Columba processed the parish's mosaic icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa from St. Stan's to St. Columba Cathedral, where it is now enshrined in a dedicated shrine — with the Śląsk Song and Dance Ensemble of Poland performing at the dedication on October 30, 2012.

St. Stan's Pierogi Ministry

The parish's most famous community ministry was its pierogi operation, which became a beloved fixture of life at St. Stanislaus. Faithful volunteers kept the wider community fed with homemade pierogi, and a typical weekly grocery list in 2005 included 300 pounds of potatoes, 20 pounds of sauerkraut, 20 pounds of cottage cheese, 24 pounds of onions, 40 pounds of butter, and 9 dozen eggs. The ministry had its own dedicated Facebook presence at 'St. Stan's Pierogi'.

Parish School and the Franciscan Sisters

In 1909 the Franciscan Sisters of Blessed Kunegunda were invited to take over the parish school, instructing children in secular knowledge and the holy faith; enrollment doubled. The sisters also did mission work in other local parishes of Polish heritage, led Saturday Polish-language classes for years, taught Polish at Youngstown University, helped found a local unit of the Polish Historical Society, and established a Learning Center for students with learning difficulties. The school provided innovative programming through the 1970s but struggled amid demographic change and the collapse of the Mahoning Valley steel economy and closed in 1986.

Worship, Music, and Devotions

Worship and prayer remained central to parish life throughout its history. Polish-language and English Masses were celebrated, with a Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass forming the backbone of the weekly schedule; holy days and weekday Masses were also offered. Fr. John A. Grabowski enriched parish spiritual life with parish missions, holy hours, novenas, and Forty Hours devotions. Music was a particular point of pride — a new organ was purchased in 1986 — and the parish choir was noted for remaining vibrant through the difficult 1980s and beyond.

• Saturday Vigil Mass
• Sunday Mass
• Holy Day Mass
• Weekday Mass
• Parish missions
• Holy hours
• Novenas
• Forty Hours devotion
• Parish choir and organ music

Community Life and Refugee Outreach

St. Stanislaus was repeatedly a parish of refuge. During World War II, the women of the parish continually gathered and repaired garments to ship to Poland, and Fr. Grabowski organized the Polish Relief Committee and served as Diocesan Director of Displaced Persons, helping to resettle war refugees. After the war the parish kept culture alive through music and dance. Msgr. Thaddeus A. Heruday (pastor 1964–1980) continued this tradition as Diocesan Resettlement Director. A strong youth-sports tradition, begun by Fr. Mielcarek during the Great Depression, endured for generations.

Contact and Location

The parish was located at 430 Williamson Avenue on Youngstown's South Side (ZIP 44507), in the Diocese of Youngstown. The parish phone number was (330) 747-8503, with fax (330) 747-6334. The parish email was [email protected]. The official website was www.ststansyoungstown.org. (Note: the parish celebrated its last regular Sunday Mass on June 28, 2020 and was formally closed at the end of 2021; parishioners are encouraged to contact St. Columba Cathedral, the mother church that received many of St. Stanislaus's heritage items.)

• Address: 430 Williamson Ave., Youngstown, Ohio 44507
• Phone: (330) 747-8503
• Fax: (330) 747-6334
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.ststansyoungstown.org
• Diocese: Diocese of Youngstown