Oldest Polish church in America nearing completion of restoration work

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, dedicated to the Polish martyr and saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów, is the oldest Polish church in America.

Although Poles had been trickling into the south side of Milwaukee for several years, it was not until 1866 that they were numerous enough to organize a Roman Catholic parish. Thirty families bought a small brick church, formerly owned by Lutherans, and dedicated it to St. Stanislaus. They had come to the city to escape religious perception in Poland, and made many sacrifices to establish their own place of worship.

Like many historic churches, Saint Stanislaus suffered from the misguided trend of the 1960s to transform its classic architecture into a modern style. Ironically, recent church restoration projects in Milwaukee over the past few years have sought to undo those changes.

In the case of Saint Stanislaus, many of its beautiful features were obliterated during its remodeling in 1966 as the parish prepared for its 100th year anniversary and changes in the liturgy. The beautiful altar rail was removed and the sanctuary became radically altered.

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