About SS Cyril and Methodius · Hartford, Connecticut
SS. Cyril and Methodius Church (Polish: Parafia św. Cyryla i Metodego w Hartford) is a Roman Catholic parish in the historic Charter Oak neighborhood of Hartford, Connecticut, and one of New England's landmark Polish-American parishes. Founded on April 6, 1902 to serve Polish immigrants, it has remained the spiritual and cultural heart of Greater Hartford's Polonia for more than a century, weathering wars, depressions, floods, and suburban flight. Today the parish offers Mass in both English and Polish, a robust sacramental and faith-formation life, and a constellation of lay societies rooted in Polish Catholic tradition, all housed in a striking Romanesque brick church listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- Saints Cyril and Methodius (9th-century brothers, apostles to the Slavs)
- Rector
- Rev. Adam Hurbanczuk
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Hartford
Why belong here
SS. Cyril and Methodius is the longtime spiritual home of Hartford's Polonia and remains one of the few places in Greater Hartford where English- and Polish-speaking Catholics can worship side by side, with Masses, confession, and devotions in both languages. The parish supports a deep bench of lay societies — the Rosary Society, Sacred Heart Society, Ladies Guild, Third Order of St. Francis, Brother Albert Society, Golden Seniors, and a CCD religious-education program — making it easy to find community at any age. Add the historic Romanesque church (on the National Register), a weekly parish bulletin in English and Polish, and a pastor and staff who welcome newcomers, and it's a parish where both longtime Hartford Polish families and new arrivals can put down roots.
Mass times at SS Cyril and Methodius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- By appointment (call the rectory)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the Month — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, 6:00 PM (Polish), followed by Mass at 7:00 PM
About SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish
SS. Cyril and Methodius Church sits in Hartford's historic Charter Oak neighborhood and has been the cornerstone of Greater Hartford's Polish-American community — Polonia — since 1902. The parish was established by the Bishop of Hartford specifically to serve Polish immigrants and has shepherded the local Polish Catholic community through wars, economic depressions, floods, and the suburban migration of the later 20th century. Today the parish aims to serve both those living in the Greater Hartford area and those elsewhere who maintain a special tie to Hartford's Polonia.
- Founded April 6, 1902 by Bishop Michael Tierney of Hartford
- First Mass celebrated in the basement of St. Peter's Church
- Founding pastor: Rev. Stanislaus Lozowski
- Located at 55 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford, CT
A Brief History of the Parish
Polish Catholics began gathering in Hartford's Charter Oak area in 1889, drawn by industrial jobs. For their first years they worshipped at St. Peter Parish on Main Street; curate Fr. Stanislaus Lozowski was assigned to minister to them in January 1901. In 1902 Bishop Michael Tierney formally erected SS. Cyril and Methodius as a personal parish for Polish immigrants, with Fr. Lozowski as pastor. A modest clapboard church on Charter Oak Avenue — modeled after rural wooden Polish churches — was soon raised to seat 400 families. Within fourteen years the congregation had grown fifteenfold to roughly 6,000 souls, and a far larger brick church was begun in 1914 and completed in 1916 to a design by Boston architect Timothy G. O'Connell. The old wooden church served as a recruiting station for the Polish contingent of the U.S. Army during World War I, was later sold, remodeled into White Eagle Hall, and eventually demolished to make way for the Polish National Home (built 1930).
- 1889 — Polish immigrants begin settling Hartford's Charter Oak neighborhood
- 1901 — Fr. Stanislaus Lozowski assigned curate to Polish Catholics at St. Peter Parish
- April 6, 1902 — Parish formally established by Bishop Michael Tierney
- 1902 — First wooden church built on Charter Oak Avenue (400 families)
- 1904 — Parochial school opens on Governor Street, staffed by the Felician Sisters
- 1912 — Separate convent acquired on Charter Oak Place
- 1914 — Construction begins on present-day brick church by Timothy G. O'Connell
- 1916 — Cornerstone blessed July 9, 1916; church completed
- 1922 — New parochial school opens on Groton Street
- 1930 — Polish National Home built on site of original wooden church
- 1964 — New convent on Groton Street
- June 30, 1983 — Church listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #83001254)
The Church Building and Its Architecture
The present SS. Cyril and Methodius Church is a large two-story brick structure with limestone trim, in a distinctive Romanesque style designed by Boston architect Timothy G. O'Connell. The building has a basically rectangular plan of about 75 by 150 feet; its gabled roof terminates in a tall central tower crowned by an octagonal spire that gives the church considerable visibility in the neighborhood. The interior follows a basilica plan in Latin-cross form, richly embellished with gilt plaster, stenciling, religious figures, the Polish eagle, Polish saints, and Polish folk motifs such as heart-shaped designs — clearly proclaiming its identity as a Polish Catholic church. In 1983 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
- Architect: Timothy G. O'Connell of Boston
- Style: Romanesque; red brick with white limestone trim
- Central tower with octagonal spire
- Basilica-plan interior in Latin-cross form
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, June 30, 1983
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently served by Rev. Adam Hurbanczuk as pastor, a priest of Polish background who has led the parish since November 4, 2011. From November 2011 until 2023 he was assisted by Rev. Andrzej Pogorzelski as vicar. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Hartford (Vicariate of Hartford).
- Pastor: Rev. Adam Hurbanczuk (November 4, 2011 – Present)
- Vicar (former): Rev. Andrzej Pogorzelski (November 4, 2011 – 2023)
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Hartford
Sacraments
SS. Cyril and Methodius celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptisms and marriages are scheduled by appointment; the parish strongly encourages couples to contact the pastor at least six months before a wedding. Children typically make their First Communion in third grade through the Saturday CCD program. Adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church are welcomed through the RCIA process, beginning with a meeting with the pastor. The parish also accompanies the sick and homebound through the Anointing of the Sick and visits to hospitals and convalescent homes.
- Baptism — by appointment (English or Polish)
- First Communion — typically in 3rd grade via the CCD program
- Confirmation
- Eucharist / Holy Communion
- Penance (Confession) — Saturdays 3:00–4:00 PM or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the rectory
- Matrimony — arrange at least 6 months in advance
- Holy Orders — contact the pastor or Archdiocesan Vocation Director
- RCIA — adults wishing to enter the Church meet with the pastor
Parish Ministries and Lay Societies
The parish maintains a wide range of lay ministries and devotional societies, many of them inherited from the Polish Catholic tradition. Together they form the social and spiritual backbone of the parish community, serving everyone from school-age children to seniors.
- Ladies Guild (Towarzystwo "Ladies Guild") — service, faith, fellowship, and friendship among parish women
- Rosary Society (Towarzystwo Różańca Świętego)
- Sacred Heart Society
- Third Order of St. Francis
- Brother Albert Society (Towarzystwo "Brata Alberta")
- Golden Seniors
- Sacred Music ministry
- CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) — Saturday religious-education and sacramental-preparation program
Faith Formation: CCD
The parish's CCD program provides religious education and sacramental preparation for parish children on Saturdays during the school year. Children typically make their First Communion in the third grade. Parents are encouraged to register their children through the parish.
- Saturday classes during the school year
- First Communion preparation in 3rd grade
- Contact the rectory to enroll
Parish Bulletin (Biuletyn Parafialny)
A bilingual parish bulletin is published weekly in both English and Polish and posted to the parish website. Each issue carries the Mass schedule, an updated parish calendar, prayers, and announcements from the pastor and parish societies.
- Weekly bulletin in English and Polish
- Posted on the parish website under News / Bulletin
- Archive of past issues available on the parish site
Contact and Visiting the Parish
Parishioners and visitors can reach the rectory by phone, email, or in person during office hours. The rectory and the church building itself have separate addresses; visitors using a GPS to find the church should use 63 Popieluszko Court.
- Rectory: 55 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
- GPS address for church building: 63 Popieluszko Court, Hartford, CT 06109
- Phone: (860) 522-9157
- Email: office@sscyrilmethodiushartford.org
- Website: https://sscyrilmethodiushartford.org/
- Rectory Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (closed on state, federal, and religious holidays)
Online Giving and Parish Support
The parish website offers online giving for parishioners who wish to support SS. Cyril and Methodius financially.
- Online giving available through the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Stanislaus Lozowski1902 – c.1990
Founding pastor; assigned curate to Polish immigrants at St. Peter Parish in January 1901; appointed founding pastor on April 6, 1902.
- Rev. William Przybylo1990–2008
- Rev. Adam C. Subocz2008 – October 2011
- Rev. Adam HurbanczukNovember 4, 2011 – Present
Current pastor.