About St. Stanislaus · Cleveland, Ohio
The Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr (Polish: Kościół św. Stanisława Biskupa i Męczennika) is the historic mother parish of Polish Roman Catholics in Cleveland, Ohio, established in 1873 to serve Polish immigrants working the Newburgh Rolling Mills. Located at the corner of Forman Avenue and East 65th Street in the Slavic Village neighborhood (formerly known as Warszawa), the parish was rededicated as a diocesan shrine on 8 May 2004 after a $1.4 million interior restoration. The parish is administered by the Diocese of Cleveland and is renowned for its Polish heritage, an extensive collection of saints' relics, a memorial shrine to Pope St. John Paul II (who visited as Cardinal Karol Wojtyła in 1969), and its Gothic Polish-Cathedral-style brick church designed by William H. Dunn.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów (Bishop and Martyr, patron of Poland)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Eric S. Orzech
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Stanislaus offers a rare combination of historic Catholic grandeur, living Polish heritage, and bilingual (English and Polish) parish life in Cleveland's Slavic Village. Visitors are drawn to its soaring Gothic brick interior, its renowned collection of saints' relics (including a relic of the True Cross), and the only-in-the-world memorial shrine to Pope St. John Paul II — featuring his mitre and a first-class relic. The parish sustains daily and weekly Mass in both English and Polish, an active Healing Prayer Ministry, devotions such as the Tuesday St. Anthony Novena, weekly outreach through the Ozanam Center, and a co-located K-8 elementary school with a 100% eighth-grade graduation rate. For anyone seeking a Catholic home rooted in centuries-old Polish devotion and immigrant faith, St. Stanislaus is the spiritual heart of Cleveland's Polish community.
Mass times at St. Stanislaus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM
- First Saturdays of each month: 8:30 AM
Parish Identity and Heritage
St. Stanislaus was established in 1873 to serve the Polish Roman Catholics of Cleveland — a community that had grown rapidly after Amasa Stone recruited workers from Poland for the Newburgh Rolling Mill. Today it is recognized as the mother church of Cleveland's Polish population and is the historic and spiritual heart of the Slavic Village neighborhood (formerly called Warszawa). The parish is administered by the Diocese of Cleveland and is dedicated to St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów, Bishop and Martyr and patron of Poland. Its mission statement reads: 'We, the members of St. Stanislaus Church, are the people of God, empowered by the sacraments to become a servant community. In the midst of our second century of service, we celebrate our Polish heritage and the prayerful devotion of our people.'
- Founded 1873 by Cleveland's Bishop to serve Polish Catholics
- Mother church of Cleveland's Polish population
- Located in Slavic Village (formerly Warszawa)
- Diocese of Cleveland
Architecture and Building
The present church is a Gothic, Polish-Cathedral-style cruciform structure designed by Cleveland architect William H. Dunn. Built between 1886 and 1891 of locally made warm red brick with dressed stone, it measures 200 feet long by 85 feet wide, with a 30-foot-wide nave and ceilings 67 feet high. The original twin towers reached 232 feet before being destroyed by a tornado on 21 April 1909; the rebuilt spires stand at 122 feet. The interior features nearly two dozen stained glass windows, frescoed walls, plaster engravings, forty rows of hand-rubbed red oak pews, a wood-carved pulpit, and multiple altars including a high altar with a relic-filled reredos, a Franciscan altar, and an altar of the Passion. The church is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (added 22 June 1976, NRHP #76001404) and is part of the Warszawa Neighborhood District historic area (NRHP #80002980); the church and school buildings together are a Cleveland Designated Landmark.
- Architect: William H. Dunn
- Style: Gothic / Polish Cathedral
- Built 1886–1891
- Original spires 232 ft; rebuilt 122 ft after 1909 tornado
- Materials: warm red brick and dressed stone
- NRHP listed 1976
Relics and Sacred Art
St. Stanislaus is famous for one of the most extensive collections of saints' relics in the Cleveland area. The relic of the True Cross stands next to the Pietà near the entrance to the church. The six niches in the reredos of the high altar contain relics of Ss. Bonaventure, Clare, the True Cross, Francis, Gemma, John Vianney, Pope Pius X, and Stanislaus. The Franciscan altar centrally displays combined relics of Ss. Francis, Anthony, and Clare. A reliquary brought up from the lower church beneath the ecce homo statue on the altar of the Passion contains relics of Ss. George, Gerard, James, Ignatius of Loyola, Julian, Ivan, Joseph of Leonessa, Lawrence, Louis, Nicasius, Sebastian, Theodosius, and Thérèse of Lisieux. The shrine's collections were featured in connection with the Cleveland Museum of Art's 'Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe' exhibition (October 2010 – January 2011).
- Relic of the True Cross
- Relics of Polish and Franciscan saints
- Featured by Cleveland Museum of Art 'Treasures of Heaven' exhibit (2010–2011)
Pope St. John Paul II Shrine
In 1969 Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope St. John Paul II, visited St. Stanislaus and presented relics of St. Stanislaus as a gift from Poland in thanks for Cleveland's consistent support of the Polish people. A memorial shrine in his honor was added to the church in the east transept after his beatification; it includes one of his mitres and a first-class relic. In April 2007 parishioners traveled to Kraków and commissioned a tempera icon of St. Stanislaus and John Paul II from Polish iconographer Mado Anna Kucharska. When Pope John Paul II was beatified on 1 May 2011, Kucharska painted a golden halo onto the icon — making St. Stanislaus the first church in the world with such a haloed image. A Healing Prayer Ministry meets near these relics on the first two Sundays of the month following the 11:30 AM Mass.
- Cardinal Wojtyła visited 1969
- Mitre and first-class relic on display
- Icon by Mado Anna Kucharska (2007/2011)
- First church to add a halo to a John Paul II image after his beatification
Devotions and Prayer
Beyond the Sunday and weekday Mass schedule, St. Stanislaus sustains several recurring devotions rooted in its Polish and Franciscan heritage. The St. Anthony Novena is prayed on Tuesdays after the 7:00 PM Mass. The Healing Prayer Ministry gathers on the first two Sundays of each month after the 11:30 AM Mass near the relics of Pope St. John Paul II to pray for parishioners and friends. The parish also marks the feast of Corpus Christi with a bilingual Mass and procession.
- St. Anthony Novena — Tuesdays after 7:00 PM Mass
- Healing Prayer Ministry — first two Sundays after 11:30 Mass
- Corpus Christi Bilingual Mass with Procession
St. Stanislaus Elementary School
St. Stanislaus Elementary School, established in 1908 (the brick school building was constructed in 1907 to accommodate 1,500 pupils; enrollment peaked at 2,686 in 1933), is the parish's parish school serving students in K–8. The school currently enrolls about 250 students, maintains a 100% eighth-grade graduation rate, and offers special-education push-in and pull-out services, an Intervention Specialist, LD Tutor, Psychologist, Speech Therapist, and a full-time Basic Skills teacher. Ninety-four percent of graduates continue to Catholic high schools; ninety-one percent are accepted into their first-choice high school. The school shares its campus with Cleveland Central Catholic High School, which was founded at the parish site in 1968 before consolidating with three other Catholic high schools.
- Established 1908; current enrollment ~250 students K–8
- 100% eighth-grade graduation rate
- Shared campus with Cleveland Central Catholic High School (founded 1968)
- Special education, intervention, and basic skills support
Outreach and Charity
The parish lives out its mission as a servant community through several outreach efforts, including the Ozanam Center — a community-meals ministry serving hot meals on Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:30 PM on the grounds of Holy Name Church. St. Stanislaus also participates annually in the Womankind Baby Bottle Campaign, a pro-life fundraiser in which baby bottles are distributed on Mother's Day weekend and returned on Father's Day weekend. Pre-Baptism Classes are offered bimonthly to support parents preparing for the sacrament.
- Ozanam Center — community meals Thursdays 4:00–5:30 PM at Holy Name
- Womankind Baby Bottle Campaign (Mother's Day–Father's Day)
- Pre-Baptism Class
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Rev. Fr. Eric S. Orzech, pastor, supported by a parish business manager, Mr. David Krakowski (Director of Liturgy and Music), Mr. Dan Kane, Jr., and Dr. Deborah Martin (Elementary School Principal). Clergy and staff can be reached through the parish office by emailing [email protected] with their name in the subject line. The parish office is open Monday–Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
- Pastor: Rev. Fr. Eric S. Orzech
- Director of Liturgy and Music: David Krakowski
- Mr. Dan Kane, Jr.
- Elementary School Principal: Dr. Deborah Martin
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Visiting the Shrine
St. Stanislaus welcomes visitors to its historic shrine, located at 3649 East 65th Street in Cleveland's Slavic Village. Tours have been offered to groups such as young adults from across the Diocese of Cleveland. Points of interest inside the church include the relic of the True Cross near the Pietà, the reredos with relics of St. Stanislaus and other saints in the high altar, the Franciscan altar, the altar of the Passion, and the Pope St. John Paul II memorial shrine in the east transept with his mitre and first-class relic. Parking is available on parish grounds, and the parish office can assist with guided visits during regular hours.
- 3649 East 65th Street, Cleveland, OH 44105
- Phone: 216-341-9091
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
- Tours arranged by contacting the parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Victor Zarecznypre-1883
Pastor of St. Adalbert in Berea; ministered to Cleveland's Polish Catholics before the parish had a resident pastor.
- Fr. Anton F. Kolaszewski1883–1892
Appointed first resident pastor 23 July 1883; oversaw construction of the Gothic brick church (1886–1891). Removed in 1892 due to construction debt and other charges.
- Fr. Benedict Rosinski1892–c.1906
Succeeded Kolaszewski; attempted to retire the church debt and address community divisions.
- Fr. Theobald Kalamaja, OFM1906–
Franciscan; named pastor when the parish was returned to the Franciscan apostolate in 1906.
- Rev. William Gulas, OFM1995
Listed as pastor of the parish's 1,800 households in 1995 (Encyclopedia of Cleveland History).
- Father (Ramser)2021
Quoted in the Diocese of Cleveland news article of 26 August 2021 leading a young-adult Mass and tour.
- Rev. Fr. Eric S. Orzechpresent
Current pastor (Diocese of Cleveland directory and parish staff page).