About St. Stanislaus Bishop And Martyr · Bradford, New York
St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr is a small Catholic worship site located on Whitehead Hill Road in Bradford, New York, just off Route 226 in the Finger Lakes region of Steuben County. Founded in 1923 by Father Joseph A. Balcerak to serve roughly twenty-five eastern European farm families, it is now one of three churches that make up the multi-site Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish (often called the 'ABC parishes'), alongside St. Catherine of Siena in Addison and St. Joseph the Carpenter in Campbell. The parish falls under the Diocese of Rochester and today is led by Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor, pastor and Dean of the South Deanery, together with Deacons Douglas Farwell and David Lafortune.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- St. Stanislaus of Kraków, Bishop and Martyr
- Rector
- Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr is a close-knit, rural parish with a heritage stretching back to the eastern European immigrants who founded it in 1923, and most of its furnishings remain memorials made by parishioners for loved ones. As one of three worship sites of Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish it offers two weekly Masses (Sunday morning and Friday evening), the sacraments on request, and a simple devotional rhythm suited to life in the Finger Lakes. Parishioners participate through a council chaired by Anna Baur and a finance committee that guides the church's ongoing life and care.
Mass times at St. Stanislaus Bishop And Martyr
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- As announced and upon request
St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr
St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr sits on 7646 Whitehead Hill Road in Bradford, New York 14815, phone (607) 359-2115. The parish email is [email protected] and the parish site is reached through simtparish.org. It is one of three churches — together with St. Catherine of Siena in Addison and St. Joseph the Carpenter in Campbell — that together form Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish, the 'ABC parishes' of the southern Steuben County area.
History
Saint Stanislaus began in 1923 as a chapel-mission of the Diocese of Rochester serving eastern European farm families, with Mass first celebrated in private homes. The present church was built in 1930, the original chapel burned in 1931 and was rebuilt by volunteers, and the interior was fully renovated in 1983 under Father Gerald O'Connor. Today the parish remains a small but enduring rural community whose furnishings are largely memorial gifts from parish families.
- 1923 — Reverend Joseph A. Balcerak begins ministering to immigrants; 25 families
- 1926 — Lot and house purchased to serve as chapel/rectory
- 1930 — Present church built
- 1931 — Original chapel destroyed by fire and rebuilt by parish volunteers
- 1982 — Reverend Gerald O'Connor arrives
- 1983 — Complete interior renovation (electrical, plumbing, walls)
- 2007 — Father Patrick Connor begins as pastor of the combined ABC parishes
Pastor Succession
The published parish history lists a clear succession of priests who have served St. Stanislaus, beginning with Father Joseph A. Balcerak and the early resident administrators through to the present pastor.
- Reverend Joseph A. Balcerak (founder, 1923)
- Reverend Method Szymanski (first resident administrator)
- Reverend Stanislaus H. Bialaszewski (29 years, 1965)
- Reverend Henry F. Adamski (stained-glass and hall improvements)
- Three priests in rapid succession
- Reverend Gerald O'Connor, 1982–2007 (died 2009)
- Reverend Andrew Kalafsky, assisting from 1991 (died 2007)
- Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor, 2007–present
Architecture, Stained Glass & Furnishings
The church is a small rural building whose interior was completely rebuilt in 1983 with new electrical, plumbing, and walls, followed by new HVAC and accessibility ramps. Its visual focus is its stained glass — the Agony in the Garden, the Pietà, and several saints (with St. Stanislaus himself over the main entrance) — and the two altar windows showing the Jesse Tree and the Sacramental Tree of Life.
- Stained glass: Agony in the Garden, Pietà, saints including St. Stanislaus (over main entrance)
- Altar windows: Jesse Tree and Sacramental Tree of Life
- Furnishings largely memorials made by parishioners for family members
- Handicap ramps to church and downstairs hall
Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish
St. Stanislaus is one of three worship sites that together form Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish, a single multi-site Catholic community in southern Steuben County led by one pastor and shared clergy. The other two sites are St. Catherine of Siena at 51 Maple Street, Addison, and St. Joseph the Carpenter at 8508 Main Street, Campbell. The parish falls under the Diocese of Rochester, and the pastor also serves as Dean of the South Deanery.
- St. Catherine of Siena, 51 Maple Street, Addison, NY 14801
- St. Joseph the Carpenter, 8508 Main Street, Campbell, NY 14821
- St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr, 7646 Whitehead Hill Road, Bradford, NY 14815
- Pastor: Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor (also Dean of the South Deanery)
Clergy
The Ss. Isidore & Maria Torribia Parish team is led by Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor, pastor and Dean of the South Deanery, and is assisted by two named deacons who serve the three worship sites.
- Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor — Pastor and Dean of the South Deanery
- Deacon Douglas Farwell
- Deacon David LaFortune
Parish Council & Finance
Day-to-day community life at St. Stanislaus is guided by a small Parish Council and a Finance Committee, whose members are listed on the parish website.
- Parish Council: Anna Baur (Chairperson), Roger Paruluski, Joseph Machuga, Bill Owens
- Finance Committee: Mark Houck, Don Lando, Roger Paruluski
Patron of the Parish
The parish is named for St. Stanislaus of Kraków (c. 1030–1079), the Bishop of Kraków who was martyred on April 11, 1079, by King Boleslaus II for defending the liberty of the Church and the dignity of the poor. He is one of the patron saints of Poland, and his feast day is observed on April 11 in the Roman calendar.
- Bishop of Kraków; martyred at Mass on April 11, 1079
- Canonized in 1253 by Pope Innocent IV
- Feast day: April 11
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Joseph A. Balcerak1923–
Missionary who began celebrating Mass in private homes and purchased the chapel/rectory lot in 1926.
- Reverend Method Szymanski
First resident administrator of the parish.
- Reverend Stanislaus H. Bialaszewskic. 1936–1965
Served the parish for 29 years; left in 1965 for ministry at the Veterans Administration in Bath, NY.
- Reverend Henry F. Adamski
Acquired the stained glass windows (Agony in the Garden, Pietà, and saints, including one of St. Stanislaus over the main entrance) and improved the basement hall and kitchen.
- Three priests in rapid succession
Served briefly between Father Adamski and Father O'Connor.
- Reverend Gerald O'Connor1982–2007
Led the 1983 interior renovation, raised Mass attendance to its highest ever (three weekend Masses May–October). Died November 20, 2009, in Himrod, NY, at age 69.
- Reverend Andrew Kalafsky1991–2007
Retired priest assisting the 'ABC' parishes from 1991; died April 13, 2007, after 64 years as a priest.
- Very Rev. Patrick L. Connor2007–present
Assigned in June 2007 as pastor of the ABC parishes; current pastor and Dean of the South Deanery.