About St. Stanislaus. Catholic Community of Central Fall River · Fall River, Massachusetts
St. Stanislaus is a Roman Catholic parish in Fall River, Massachusetts, founded in 1898 by Polish immigrants in the city's South End neighborhood and now part of the Catholic Community of Central Fall River (3C), a collaborative that also includes St. Mary's Cathedral and Good Shepherd Parish. It sits within the Diocese of Fall River and is named for St. Stanislaus, the patron saint of Poland, carrying on more than 125 years of Polish-American Catholic tradition, including an annual Polish festival, a school that opened in 1906 as the first for Polish Catholic children in Massachusetts, and a faith community that today welcomes parishioners of many cultural backgrounds.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- St. Stanislaus (patron saint of Poland)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Thomas Washburn, O.F.M. (administrator of St. Stanislaus and rector of St. Mary's Cathedral as leader of the Catholic Community of Central Fall River, effective October 31, 2018; per diocesan coverage his assignment ran from late 2018 through 2023)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fall River
Why belong here
St. Stanislaus offers the rare chance to worship in a Polish-heritage Catholic parish that still proudly lives out its traditions more than 125 years after its founding — including an annual Polish festival and ongoing Polish-culture education in its parish school — while remaining a warmly multicultural community that today welcomes Filipino, French, Portuguese, and other families alongside its Polish roots. As part of the Catholic Community of Central Fall River, parishioners benefit from strong collaborative ministries such as the Pope Francis Outreach Center (food pantry, thrift shop, and soup-kitchen meals), live-streamed daily Mass, and Sunday Masses in Spanish and Portuguese. Daily and Sunday Mass, Tuesday confessions, Eucharistic adoration, and a deep connection between parish life and the parish school make it an active, intergenerational place to belong.
Mass times at St. Stanislaus. Catholic Community of Central Fall River
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
History of St. Stanislaus Parish
St. Stanislaus Parish was founded in 1898 for the Polish immigrants who had settled in Fall River's South End to work in the city's textile mills. Bishop Matthew Harkins established the new Polish-speaking parish under the patronage of St. Stanislaus, with Father Peter Guzik as its first pastor. A two-family dwelling on Rockland Street served as the first worship space; the cornerstone for a new church was laid on February 26, 1899, and the parish was placed in the newly created Diocese of Fall River in 1904. Through more than 125 years the parish has weathered fires (1951 and 1991), welcomed waves of new Catholic immigrants, and stayed rooted in its Polish heritage while opening to a multicultural congregation.
- 1898 — Parish founded by Polish immigrants; first baptism October 21, 1898
- Feb. 26, 1899 — Cornerstone of the first church laid
- 1904 — Placed in the newly created Diocese of Fall River
- 1906 — St. Stanislaus School opened (first for Polish Catholic children in Massachusetts)
- 1951 — Fire damaged the church; new organ and bells installed
- 1963 — Stained-glass windows installed by Trappist monks of St. Joseph's Abbey, Spencer
- April 1991 — Original church completely destroyed by fire
- November 1994 — New combined church-and-school building dedicated by Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap.
- 1998 — Parish centennial celebrated
- May 8, 2002 — Father Bruce M. Neylon named eighth pastor
- Oct. 31, 2018 — Parish joins Catholic Community of Central Fall River collaborative under Father Thomas Washburn, O.F.M.
- Nov. 3, 2024 — 125th anniversary Jubilee Mass
Polish Heritage & Parish Identity
St. Stanislaus is one of the Polish-American Roman Catholic parishes in New England and has been a guardian of Polish faith and culture in southeastern Massachusetts since 1898. The parish still hosts an annual Polish festival — complete with traditional foods like galumpki — and celebrates Dyngus Day, the Polish baptism commemoration marked by friendly water fights. Although Polish-heritage families today make up only a small share of the parish, parishioners of Filipino, French-Canadian, Portuguese, and other backgrounds have embraced the Polish customs as a defining part of community life.
- Patron saint: St. Stanislaus, patron of Poland
- Annual Polish festival
- Dyngus Day celebration
- Polish cultural and language instruction historically part of parish-school curriculum
Catholic Community of Central Fall River (3C)
On October 31, 2018, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., grouped St. Stanislaus with Good Shepherd Parish, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, and St. Mary's Cathedral into a new collaborative called the Catholic Community of Central Fall River (sometimes shortened to "3C"). Franciscan Father Thomas Washburn, O.F.M., was appointed rector of the Cathedral and administrator of Good Shepherd and St. Stanislaus, assisted by Father Juan Carlos Muñoz Montoya as parochial vicar and Father Brian Albino continuing as pastor of St. Anthony of Padua. The four parishes lie within roughly two miles of one another and now share ministries, live-streamed liturgies, and outreach programming.
- Collaborative website: www.3cfallriver.org
- Collaborative Facebook: facebook.com/3CFallRiver
- Rector and collaborative leader: Very Rev. Thomas Washburn, O.F.M.
- Parochial vicar: Rev. Juan Carlos Muñoz Montoya
- Partner parishes: St. Mary's Cathedral, Good Shepherd Parish, (historically) St. Anthony of Padua and the former St. Bernadette and St. Anne's parishes
Pope Francis Outreach Center
In October 2020 the Catholic Community of Central Fall River opened the Pope Francis Outreach Center to serve neighbors in need across the city. Located at Good Shepherd Parish, 1598 South Main Street, the center combines a food pantry, a thrift shop, and a soup-kitchen-style "Grab & Go" meal program, with proceeds from the thrift shop funding the other outreach efforts. Volunteers from St. Mary's Cathedral, Good Shepherd, and St. Stanislaus staff the center under director Leanne Nelson, building on the "Grab & Go" meal program launched in spring 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Food pantry — Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Thrift shop — Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- "Grab & Go" meals — Wednesdays and Fridays beginning at 4:00 PM
- Operated jointly by St. Stanislaus, St. Mary's Cathedral, and Good Shepherd parishes
St. Stanislaus School (1906–2025)
St. Stanislaus School opened in January 1906 as an eight-room wooden building with 88 pupils, founded by Father Peter Basinski and staffed by the Felician Sisters (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice), who lived on the school's second floor. It was the first school for Polish Catholic children in Massachusetts and has remained a defining ministry of the parish for nearly 120 years. The school building was replaced with a new structure dedicated by Bishop James L. Connolly on May 6, 1967, and after the 1991 fire destroyed the church, the school auditorium served as a temporary worship space until the present combined church-and-school building was dedicated in November 1994. In early 2025 the Diocese of Fall River announced the school's closure.
- Founded January 28, 1906 by Father Peter Basinski
- First school for Polish Catholic children in Massachusetts
- Staffed for decades by the Felician Sisters
- New school building dedicated May 6, 1967 by Bishop James L. Connolly
- School auditorium used as a worship space after the April 1991 fire
- Combined church-and-school building dedicated November 1994 by Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap.
- Closure announced by the Diocese of Fall River in early 2025
Sacraments & Devotions
St. Stanislaus offers the regular sacraments and devotions of a Roman Catholic parish, with a particular weekly devotion to Eucharistic adoration alongside Reconciliation on Tuesday evenings. Weddings, baptisms, and the anointing of the sick are arranged through the parish office.
- Baptism — by arrangement with the parish office
- Marriage — by arrangement with the parish office
- Confession / Reconciliation — Tuesdays 6:00–7:00 PM
- Eucharistic Adoration — Tuesdays 6:00–7:00 PM
- Anointing of the Sick — by arrangement with the parish office
Clergy & Staff
The parish has been served by a succession of pastors since 1898, with the current administration led from the Catholic Community of Central Fall River collaborative. A permanent deacon assists with ministry, and the parish school has long been led by Felician Sisters and, more recently, by lay principals.
- Very Rev. Thomas Washburn, O.F.M. — administrator of St. Stanislaus, rector of St. Mary's Cathedral, and collaborative leader (effective Oct. 31, 2018)
- Rev. Juan Carlos Muñoz Montoya — parochial vicar of the collaborative
- Rev. Bruce M. Neylon — named eighth pastor of St. Stanislaus, May 8, 2002
- Deacon Franciszek W. Mis — permanent deacon
Visit, Contact & Location
St. Stanislaus is located at 36 Rockland Street in Fall River's South End, within the Diocese of Fall River. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and the parish shares a website and Facebook page with the Catholic Community of Central Fall River collaborative. The church shares a building with the parish school, with parking available on the parish/school lot.
- Address: 36 Rockland Street, Fall River, MA 02724
- Parish phone: (508) 672-0423
- Collaborative phone: (508) 673-2833
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.3cfallriver.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/3CFallRiver
- Diocese: Diocese of Fall River
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Peter Guzik1898 – April 1902
First pastor; celebrated the parish's first baptism on October 21, 1898 in a two-family dwelling on Rockland Street.
- Rev. Joseph Ziemba, C.R.April 1902 – June 1902
Interim pastor from the Congregation of the Resurrection.
- Rev. Peter BasinskiJune 1902 – later
Established St. Stanislaus School in 1906 staffed by the Felician Sisters; later returned to his native Poland.
- Rev. Lawrence Maleckiearly 20th century
Recalled by his order to serve as pastor in Quidnick, Rhode Island.
- Rev. John Nowickiuntil 1918
Succeeded Father Malecki and served until 1918.
- Rev. Hugo Emanuel Dylla1918 – September 10, 1966
Long-tenured pastor; oversaw 1951 fire repairs, 1963 stained-glass windows, 1964 steeple, and groundbreaking for the new school building; died in office in 1966.
- Rev. Robert KaszynskiSeptember 15, 1966 –
Named pastor two days after Father Dylla's death; Bishop James L. Connolly dedicated the new school under his leadership in 1967.
- Rev. Bruce M. NeylonMay 8, 2002 –
Named eighth pastor; returning to his childhood neighborhood.
- Very Rev. Thomas Washburn, O.F.M.October 31, 2018 – 2023
Appointed by Bishop da Cunha to lead the new Catholic Community of Central Fall River collaborative; Franciscan priest and former New Bedford native.