About St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel/Sacred Heart Community · Jackson, Michigan
St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel, paired with the Sacred Heart Hispanic Community (Sagrado del Corazón), is a Catholic oratory at 608 South Elm Avenue on the south side of Jackson, Michigan. Founded in 1920 to serve the city's Polish Catholic faithful as a personal parish, it was suppressed as an independent parish in November 2008 and today operates as an oratory attached to St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish (Diocese of Lansing). The site continues to host a Saturday Vigil Mass in English and a Spanish-language Sunday Mass celebrated for the Sacred Heart Hispanic Community. It is one of three worship sites of the consolidated Catholic parish community in the heart of Jackson.
- Established
- 1920
- Patron
- St. Stanislaus Kostka (Polish Jesuit novice, patron of students and Polish youth)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Timothy Nelson (Pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish, which administers the oratory; Rev. Fr. John Vinton assigned as successor effective July 1, 2026)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
Why belong here
St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel is a bilingual Catholic oratory at the heart of Jackson's Polish-heritage south side, now shared between an English-speaking worshipping community and the active Sacred Heart Hispanic Community (Sagrado del Corazón). It offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday Spanish Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and confession through the consolidated St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish, with the resources of a larger parish — schools, faith formation, RCIA, youth ministry, music, and charitable outreach — while preserving its own historic sanctuary and devotional life.
Mass times at St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel/Sacred Heart Community
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (at the parish, per combined parish schedule listings)
Adoration times
- Friday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Eucharistic Holy Hour, per combined parish listings)
- First Friday 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (First Friday Adoration, per combined parish listings)
History of St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel
St. Stanislaus Kostka began as an ethnic (personal) parish for Jackson's Polish Catholics in 1920, the fulfillment of organizing work that had started in 1913 with the founding of the St. Stanislaus Club. For nearly nine decades it served the south side of Jackson from its campus on South Elm Avenue. Following a formal suppression decree in November 2008 the parish was reduced to an oratory attached to St. Mary Star of the Sea, though it continues to function as an active worship site. The Sacred Heart Hispanic Community joined the campus in June 2009, creating today's bilingual oratory.
- 1913 — St. Stanislaus Club organized by local Polish families
- 1917 — House at Pringle and Elm purchased as first worship site
- October 1920 — Parish officially established; Fr. Bernard J. Ciesielski named first pastor
- 1921 — Combined church (basement) and school (upper floors) completed; Felician Sisters begin teaching
- 1935–36 — Felician convent and Kostka Hall built under Fr. Nowaczyk
- May 26, 1957 — Present sanctuary dedicated
- 1979 — Fr. Darius W. Wyszynski named pastor
- November 19, 2008 — Parish suppressed by decree of the Bishop of Lansing; becomes an oratory under St. Mary Star of the Sea
- June 7, 2009 — Sacred Heart Hispanic Community relocates to the St. Stanislaus Kostka campus
Architecture and the Parish Campus
The St. Stanislaus Kostka campus grew in distinct phases over nearly forty years. The first permanent structure (1921) combined a basement church with upper-floor classrooms. A Felician Sisters' convent and the parish's Kostka Hall followed in 1935–36, and the dedicated sanctuary used today was completed and consecrated on May 26, 1957. In May 1982 an Elm Avenue home adjacent to the parking lot was purchased to serve as a meeting space for parish activities.
- 1921 combined church-and-school building (church in basement)
- 1935–36 Felician Sisters' convent
- 1935–36 Kostka Hall (parish hall)
- 1957 sanctuary (present-day worship space)
- 1982 Elm Avenue parish meeting house
Sacred Heart Hispanic Community (Sagrado del Corazón)
The Sacred Heart Hispanic Community makes its home at the St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel site, where it celebrates a Sunday Mass in Spanish and is listed by the Diocese of Lansing as one of the parishes providing a Misa en Español. The community relocated to the chapel site on June 7, 2009 as part of the consolidation process, and today its ministry is one of the oratory's defining features.
- Sunday Spanish-language Mass at the chapel
- Bilingual bulletins and sacramental preparation
- Hispanic choir contributing to combined-parish liturgies
Parish Staff and Clergy
Daily ministry at the oratory is provided through the staff of St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish, who serve all three worship sites. The published staff roster includes priests, deacons, and lay leaders in faith formation, music, youth work, and administration.
- Rev. Fr. Timothy Nelson — Pastor (successor Fr. John Vinton effective July 1, 2026)
- Rev. Fr. Rick Eberle, OSFS — Priest in Residence
- Matt Shannon, Vince Genco, Carol Franssen — Permanent Deacons
- RoseMarie Genco — Pastoral Associate
- Mary Malewitz — Music Director (since 1981)
- Bernice Haglund — Director of Faith Formation / Religious Education
- Herb Estes and John Manser — RCIA
- Lisa Dubinski — Youth Group / Youth Ministry Director
- Jake Gerber — Director of Youth Discipleship, Queen of the Miraculous Parish
- Suzanne Courtis — Office Manager / Notary
- Margi Perkins — Financial Manager
- Matthew Berkemeier — St. Mary Elementary School Principal
- Sue Hutchinson — Child Care & Development Center Director
Ministries and Faith Formation
Faith formation at St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel flows through the consolidated parish's programs, with a dedicated Director of Faith Formation coordinating Religious Education and the parish's two-year RCIA process (for unbaptized adults and for baptized Christians seeking full communion with the Catholic Church).
- Faith Formation / Religious Education (Bernice Haglund, Director)
- RCIA (Herb Estes; John Manser)
- Youth Discipleship (Jake Gerber)
- Youth Ministry (Lisa Dubinski)
- Children's Liturgy / Children's Mass during school year
Music and Liturgy
Music is a long-standing strength of the parish. Mary Malewitz has directed music for the consolidated parish since 1981, organizing ensembles that have included adult and school choirs, the Hispanic choir, and a Gregorian schola. The parish's stated mission emphasizes 'rich traditions' alongside the Sacraments, Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium.
- Music Director Mary Malewitz (since 1981)
- Adult choir, school choirs, Hispanic choir, Gregorian schola
- Traditional Latin Mass offered in the consolidated parish
School and Child Care
Although St. Stanislaus Kostka School's day-to-day operations were absorbed into St. Mary's over time, Catholic education remains a parish value. The consolidated parish operates St. Mary Elementary School and an on-site Child Care & Development Center, both accessible to families connected with the St. Stanislaus Kostka oratory community.
- St. Mary Elementary School — Matthew Berkemeier, Principal
- Child Care & Development Center — Sue Hutchinson, Director
- Children's Mass during the school year
Governance and the 2008 Suppression Decree
By decree of the Bishop of Lansing, Saint Stanislaus Kostka (Personal) Parish was suppressed effective at midnight at the end of Wednesday, November 19, 2008. The edifice was reduced to an oratory (canons 1223–1225) and its administration transferred to the Pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea. Parish registers, assets, and artistic and historical objects were transferred to St. Mary Star of the Sea in accord with canon law; former parishioners were welcomed to affiliate with the consolidated community.
- Personal parish suppressed November 19, 2008
- Church reduced to an oratory (canons 1223–1225)
- Records and assets transferred to St. Mary Star of the Sea (canon 535 §§1-5)
- Pastor at time of decree: Fr. Bernard Reilly (St. Mary Star of the Sea)
Connect and Visit
St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel is administered through St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish, whose website carries the oratory's schedule, bulletins, and staff contacts. Phone calls to (517) 784-7184 are the fastest way to confirm a specific Mass or confession time, especially around holy days.
- Address: 608 South Elm Avenue, Jackson, MI 49203
- Phone: (517) 784-7184
- Parish website: https://stmaryjackson.com
- Diocese: Diocese of Lansing
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Bernard J. Ciesielski1920–1932
First pastor; oversaw the early organization of the Polish parish and the 1921 combined church-and-school building.
- Rev. Fr. Joseph P. Nowaczyk1932–1965
Led construction of the Felician Sisters' convent (1935–36) and Kostka Hall (1935–36); died in office.
- Rev. Fr. Hubert J. Rakowski1965–1979
Succeeded Fr. Nowaczyk; died February 9, 1979.
- Rev. Fr. Darius W. Wyszynski1979–2008
Pastor at time of parish suppression; purchased the adjacent Elm Avenue house in 1982 for parish activities.
- Rev. Fr. Bernard Reilly2008 (at suppression)
Pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea at the time of the November 2008 decree; received administration of the oratory.
- Rev. Fr. Timothy Nelsonsubsequent tenure
Pastor of the consolidated St. Mary Star of the Sea community, including St. Stanislaus Kostka Oratory and the Sacred Heart Hispanic Community.
- Rev. Fr. John Vintoneffective July 1, 2026
Announced March 2026 by Bishop Earl Boyea as incoming pastor; will continue Traditional Latin Masses and Spanish-language Masses.