St. Stanislaus

Parish Identity and Welcome

St. Stanislaus Parish is located at 516 East 13th Street, Erie, Pennsylvania, at the corner of 13th and Wallace Streets, and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. The parish website (ststanserie.org) describes itself as 'much more than our bulletin,' and invites visitors to learn about the parish and its sister church, St. Hedwig, 'a Gothic treasure located on the historic East Bayfront.' Office hours are Tuesday through Saturday by appointment; the office is closed Sunday and Monday.

History of St. Stanislaus Parish

Founded in 1885 as the first Polish parish in the Diocese of Erie, St. Stanislaus grew out of the Polish 'Polonia' that had been settling on Erie's lower East Side since the arrival of the Mendlewski family in 1868. Bishop Tobias Mullen blessed the cornerstone of the original wooden church in October 1884 and dedicated it to St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr on October 1, 1885. The first resident pastor, Rev. Andrew Ignasiak, was installed on August 22, 1886, and within months began building a rectory and a parish school, personally teaching the first 70 pupils in 1887. By 1901 the Felician Sisters were instructing 650 students in 11 classrooms.

• 1868 — Andrew and Catherine Mendlewski and their six children become the first Polish family in Erie.
• 1883 — About 85 Polish families live near 12th and Wallace Streets.
• 1884 — Bishop Tobias Mullen blesses the cornerstone of the wooden church.
• 1885 — Wooden church dedicated to St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr, October 1, 1885.
• 1886 — Rev. Andrew Ignasiak installed as first resident pastor, August 22.
• 1887 — Parish school opens; pastor himself teaches 70 children.
• 1892 — Felician Sisters assume leadership of the school (240 pupils).
• 1895 — Brick rectory rebuilt after February 8 fire; cornerstone of new brick church blessed in September.
• 1898 — Present Roman-style church dedicated by Bishop John E. Fitzmaurice on September 25; Forty Hours Devotion opens.
• 1900 — Sacristy fire on January 1 destroys the interior; church rebuilt.
• 2000 — Interior completely repainted, worship space reconfigured, heating and A/C replaced.
• 2001 — Parish school closes in June after a long and productive history.

St. Hedwig Church (Sister Church of the Parish)

St. Hedwig Church, 521 E. 3rd Street, Erie (established 1910/1911), is now part of the St. Stanislaus Parish community. The parish website describes it as 'a Gothic treasure located on the historic East Bayfront.' St. Hedwig hosts the Diocese of Erie Latin Mass Apostolate, with Mass in the Traditional Latin form on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., and confessions on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. (before Mass).

• Gothic-revival church on the historic East Bayfront
• Founded 1910/1911 from St. Stanislaus
• Latin Mass: Sunday 9:30 a.m., Tuesday 5:30 p.m.
• Confessions: Sunday 9:00 a.m., Tuesday 5:00 p.m.
• Purgatorial Society devotions first Wednesday of the month at 5:00 p.m. before Mass

Pastor and Parish Staff

The parish is led by Rev. Jason A. Glover, S.T.L., as Pastor, with Rev. Msgr. Daniel Magraw serving as Senior Associate. Michelle Inter is the Parish Ministry Coordinator (and Director of Religious Education for the Eastside Catholic Faith Formation cluster). Kay Villa serves as parish secretary, and Tad Fryczynski is the parish Organist and Choir Director. The St. Hedwig/Latin Mass bulletin also lists Fr. Jerry Priscaro as a resident priest for the cluster.

• Pastor: Rev. Jason A. Glover, S.T.L.
• Senior Associate: Rev. Msgr. Daniel Magraw
• Parish Ministry Coordinator / Eastside CFF DRE: Michelle Inter — (814) 920-7525, [email protected]
• Secretary: Kay Villa
• Organist & Choir Director: Tad Fryczynski
• Support Staff: John Villa (maintenance, listed on diocese page)
• Resident Priest (cluster): Rev. Jerry Priscaro

Faith Formation and Religious Education

Religious education for the parish's children and youth is provided through the Eastside Catholic Faith Formation program, which St. Stanislaus shares with neighboring East Side parishes. The Director of Religious Education is Michelle Inter, reachable at (814) 920-7525 and [email protected]. The Knights of Columbus in the cluster host an annual Superbowl Pancake Breakfast whose proceeds purchase Catholic Youth Bibles for the children and youth of the Eastside parishes.

Parish Ministries and Groups

Under Monsignor Urbaniak, the parish rebuilt its pastoral and finance councils and installed lectors and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion. A Care and Concern group assists parishioners in need. Music is led by organist and choir director Tad Fryczynski. Several prayer and outreach groups are centered at the parish's St. Hedwig Church: the State Street Ministry (rosary, evangelization and clothing outreach at 9th and State every Tuesday morning), the Maria Auxilium Christianorum prayer group (prayer for fallen-away loved ones, third Wednesday of the month), and the Purgatorial Society (Masses for the dead, first Wednesday of the month at St. Hedwig and Mondays at the Drumm home).

• Pastoral Council & Finance Council
• Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
• Care and Concern outreach group
• Parish Choir (Tad Fryczynski)
• State Street Ministry (Tuesdays 10:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m.)
• Maria Auxilium Christianorum prayer group (third Wednesday)
• Purgatorial Society (first Wednesday at St. Hedwig, Mondays at the Drumm home)

Sacraments

Information about Baptism, Religious Education, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Adult Initiation, Marriage, and prayer or study groups is available by calling the parish office at (814) 452-6606. The parish participates in the Diocese of Erie's annual Catholic Services Appeal (CSA), which funds diocesan ministries across all 13 counties of the diocese.

The Parish School (1887–2001)

St. Stanislaus School opened in 1887, with the pastor himself teaching 70 children. The Felician Sisters took over leadership in 1892 when enrollment reached 240, and by 1901 the school had 650 students and 11 teachers. After a long and productive history, the school closed in June 2001 because of rising costs, dwindling enrollment, and the changing demographics of the surrounding neighborhood.

• 1887 — Opened; pastor taught 70 children himself.
• 1892 — Felician Sisters assumed leadership.
• 1901 — 650 students, 11 teachers.
• 2001 — Closed in June.

Architecture and the Building

The present St. Stanislaus Church is a Roman-style brick structure begun in 1894 and dedicated in 1898. Twin 135-foot steeples were planned but never built for economic reasons. A 1900 sacristy fire forced a full interior rebuild. In the summer of 2000 the entire interior was repainted, the worship space was reconfigured (retaining all religious artifacts), and modern heating and air conditioning were installed. The parish's sister church, St. Hedwig, is described by the parish as 'a Gothic treasure on the historic East Bayfront.'

Getting Involved and Giving

Parishioners and visitors can support St. Stanislaus through the Diocese of Erie's Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) — the parish's annual CSA goal contributes to the diocesan-wide $4,235,000 campaign supporting ministries across 13 counties. Online giving and the parish weekly bulletin (with Mass intentions, announcements, and ministry schedules) are available on the parish website.

• Online giving via the parish website
• Weekly bulletin (ststanserie.org/weeklybulletin.php)
• Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) of the Diocese of Erie