St. Stanislaus

About St. Stanislaus Parish

St. Stanislaus Parish (Kościół Św. Stanisława) is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, located at 3916 N Interstate Avenue in North Portland's Overlook neighborhood. It is the only Polish Catholic church in the state of Oregon and one of very few in the Pacific Northwest. The parish was founded by Polish and other Slavic-speaking Catholic immigrants who had come to Portland in the late 19th century, and was consecrated on December 6, 1908. The building, constructed in the Romanesque style of wood and stone, was designated a City of Portland historic landmark in 1993. Today it continues to serve Polish, English, Croatian, and Latin-speaking Catholics under the leadership of Father Piotr Dzikowski, S.Ch.

Founding and Early Years (1892–1932)

The first organized Polish presence in Portland dates to 1892, when the Polish National Alliance built a lodge in North Portland. For the next decade and a half, Polish Catholic families attended Mass at other nearby parishes. In 1906, Archbishop Alexander Christie commissioned Father Charles (Karol) Seroski (Sieroczyński), a Polish priest recently arrived from Missouri, to build them a church. Seroski and his parishioners dug the foundation, carried lumber from a nearby mill, hauled water from the Willamette River, and donated the funds to build it. The cornerstone was placed on July 4, 1907, and the Archbishop consecrated the completed church on December 6, 1908. Father Florian Matuszewski succeeded Seroski and served a 20-year pastorate that included remodeling the rectory, adding a sacristy, and rebuilding the front stairs.

• 1892 – Polish National Alliance builds a lodge in North Portland
• 1906 – Archbishop Christie commissions Fr. Charles Seroski
• July 4, 1907 – Cornerstone laid
• December 6, 1908 – Church consecrated by Archbishop Christie

Mid-Century Transitions (1932–1982)

After Fr. Matuszewski's death in 1932, the parish was briefly led by a non-Polish priest, Rev. V.L. Moffenbeier, until Rev. Stanislaus Śmigiel arrived in 1935. Śmigiel served until his own death in 1957 and oversaw an influx of Polish war-displaced immigrants in the early 1950s, even as many earlier Polish families moved away from the neighborhood, accelerated by construction of the Interstate 5 freeway. From 1957 to 1982 the parish was led by two Croatian Franciscan cousins, Fathers Milan and Joseph Mikulich, O.F.M. They introduced Croatian-language Masses, excavated the church basement to add a parish hall and kitchen, and at one point hosted the only Sunday-evening English Mass in the city. By 1982, however, only about 30 families remained and the parish's future was in question.

• 1932 – Death of Fr. Matuszewski; Rev. V.L. Moffenbeier appointed
• 1935 – Rev. Stanislaus Śmigiel begins pastorate (serves until death in 1957)
• 1957–1962 – Fr. Milan Mikulich, O.F.M. (Croatian Franciscan)
• 1962–1982 – Fr. Joseph Mikulich, O.F.M.; Croatian Masses begun

Renaissance and the Society of Christ (1982–2010)

The 1980s brought a new wave of Polish immigrants who had fled Solidarity-era persecution, and a determined effort by parishioner Dr. Adam Lis — a former Polish underground fighter and University of Oregon biochemist — to secure a Polish-speaking priest. Lis worked with the Archdiocese of Portland, the Society of Christ (S.Ch., a congregation serving Polish communities abroad), and a delegate sent by Pope John Paul II himself. The result was the 1982 appointment of Rev. Stanisław Herba, S.Ch., the parish's first Polish priest in 25 years, launching a period of parish renewal through Polish dinners, fundraisers, and the 1993 designation of the church as a City of Portland historic landmark. Successor Society of Christ pastors — Fathers Stanisław Parol (1988), Stanisław Drzał (1989–1993), Richard Philiposki (1993–), Henryk Kociołek, and Tadeusz Rusnak (2004) — sustained the momentum, launching the Croatian apostolate, the first Annual Polish Festival (1994), and a Polish heritage school.

• 1982 – Fr. Stanisław Herba, S.Ch. appointed (first Polish priest in 25 years)
• 1993 – City of Portland designates the church a historic landmark
• 1994 – Croatian apostolate begun; first Annual Polish Festival held with PLBA

Present Day and Recent Renovations (2010–present)

In August 2010, the parish welcomed its current pastor, Rev. Piotr Dzikowski, S.Ch. Over the following decade, the parish completed a sweeping series of improvements: the church presbytery was renovated, altars were repainted, new floors were installed, parishioners built a new pulpit, and a local parishioner, Bruno Drozdek, created a new sculpture of St. John Paul II. New church organs were purchased and installed in 2021. The parish continues to serve Polish, English, Croatian, and Latin Mass communities and remains a center of Polish heritage in Oregon through the annual Polish Festival and the Polish heritage school.

• August 2010 – Fr. Piotr Dzikowski, S.Ch. appointed pastor
• Presbytery renovated; altars repainted; new floors installed
• Parishioner Bruno Drozdek creates St. John Paul II sculpture
• 2021 – New church organs installed

Parish Clergy

The parish is served by its pastor, Father Piotr Dzikowski, S.Ch., a member of the Society of Christ (S.Ch.), the religious congregation founded after World War I to minister to Polish communities around the world. The Society of Christ has been responsible for the parish continuously since 1982. Parishioners are encouraged to arrange confession, anointing, baptism, marriage, and other pastoral needs through the parish office.

• Rev. Piotr Dzikowski, S.Ch. — Pastor (2010–present)

Ministries and Community Life

Although a small parish, St. Stanislaus sustains a remarkably active community life rooted in faith, language, and Polish heritage. The annual Polish Festival, first held in 1994 in cooperation with the Polish Library Building Association, drew an estimated 12,000 people in 2016 and remains one of Portland's most visible expressions of Polish-American culture. The parish also operates a Polish heritage school for children and adults, a Croatian apostolate, and RCIA/OCIA preparation for those entering the Catholic Church. Parishioners regularly organize Polish dinners and other fundraisers to support building improvements — a tradition that goes back to the original 1907–1908 construction.

• Portland Polish Festival (annual, since 1994)
• Polish heritage school (children and adults)
• Croatian apostolate (since 1994)
• RCIA / OCIA (Becoming Catholic)
• Rosary groups (English and Polish / Modlitwa różańcowa)

Sacraments

Arrangements for Baptism, Marriage, the Anointing of the Sick, and other sacraments are made through the parish office during office hours (Monday and Wednesday, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM) or by contacting the pastor at [email protected]. The parish also offers RCIA/OCIA formation for adults seeking to enter the Catholic Church, meeting weekly on Sunday at 10:30 AM.

• Baptism
• Marriage
• Anointing of the Sick
• RCIA / OCIA (Becoming Catholic) — Sundays, 10:30 AM

Contact, Office, and Visiting

St. Stanislaus Parish is located at 3916 N Interstate Avenue, Portland, OR 97227, on the historic Polish-American corridor of North Portland. Phone and fax: 503-281-7532. Email: [email protected]. The Parish Office is open Monday and Wednesday, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM. Parish registration forms are available at the back of the church and can be returned to the pastor. The building, designated a City of Portland historic landmark in 1993, is a small but storied Romanesque church of wood and stone, the only Polish Catholic church in Oregon.

• Address: 3916 N Interstate Avenue, Portland, OR 97227
• Phone / Fax: 503-281-7532
• Email: [email protected]
• Parish Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM