Polish
Mutual Benefit and Friendly Society
BRANTFORD
POLISH HALL, 154 Pearl St.
519-753-0414
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LEARN
ABOUT POLAND
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| The Coat of
Arms of Poland
consists of a White Eagle on a red shield. The Eagle is wearing a
crown.
In Poland, the Coat of Arms is usually called simply White Eagle
(Orzeł
Biały), and it is always capitalized. MORE... |
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History
of Polish Community in Brantford Vol. 3
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| Returning
to the years which
preceded World War II, as the number of Polish immigrants increased in
Brantford, the need of accommodating them with a Polish-speaking
priest became urgent. In 1936, the Most Rev. Joseph F. Ryan, J.C.D.,
D.D.,
bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, appointed the Rev.
Thomas
Terasiuk, Ph.D. to organize a parish for the Poles in Brantford.
Previously
to this, Father Tarasiuk had been in charge of the Roman Catholic
parish
of St. Stanislaus in Hamilton. He arrived in the Telephone City during
November of 1936 and took up residence in the rectory of St. Basil's
church,
using again its old chapel for his religious services. |
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| In
February, 1938, Father
Terasiuk was in a position to purchase an abondend church at the corner
of Brant Avenue and St. James Street. Cost of the property and the
building
was $10,000. Within a few weeks, necessary alterations were made within
the building, an altar was added, and the church edifice was dedicated
by Bishop Ryan on February 27, 1938. At the same time, Dr. Terasiuk
purchased
the property adjacent to the church. The small home on this property
was
converted into a rectory. Actually the house was so small that it was
necessary
to use the office as a bedroom. |
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| It may
sound trite by this
time to say that the beginnings of this new Catholic church in
Brantford
were difficult. But it was true. The church was no exception. It had to
undergo the same financial difficulties which afflicted the Polish lay
organizations in their beginnings. But it survived. Through the entire
thirteen-year pastoral ministry of Dr. Tarasiuk in the Polish parish of
St. Joseph's there is visible the thread of continual sacrifice and
hard
work by him and his people. |
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| Due to the
serious illness
of Father Terasiuk in 1947, the Rev. Joseph Wisniewski of the Fathers
of
the Congregation of the Resurrection, came from Chicago, Illinois, to
assist
in the pastoral duties of St. Joseph's parish. After the death of
Father
Terasiuk the parish remained under the care of this same Congregation
of
the Resurrection. |
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| On January
1, 1949, the
Rev. John A. Poreda, C.R. became pastor of St. Joseph's. With the
arrival
of the Rev. Mitchell J. Tadla, C.R. as an assistant to Father Poreda,
more
living space was needed. With this in mind, Father Poreda purchased the
property on 235 Brant Avenue. Improvements were added to the old
rectory
and it became convent for two Felician Sisters. Eventually, though,
these
nuns left Brantford when it became evident that no elementary school
would
be attached to St. Joseph's. |
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| The church
was badly in
need of renovation, but it was not until 1954 that something could be
done
about this. On January 1, 1954, the Rev. Walter L. Baran, C.R. was
inducted
as pastor of St. Joseph's. It was his good fortune to commission a
gifted
immigrant Polish artist, Charles Malczyk, to do a series of historical
scenes from Poland's religious life. Mr. Malczyk, also a new arrival in
Canada and residing in Windsor, had been touring Ontario in the hope of
finding some work for his artistic talents. And so it was a happy
encounter
for Mr. Malczyk and the parish of St. Joseph's. Unfortunately, Father
Baran's
tenure at the parish was short. On August 29, 1954, the Rev. Edward J.
Gira, C.R., Ph.D., D. D., was reassigned from his post as professor at
St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, to the pastorship of St.
Joseph's.
It was under his guiding hand that the renovation of the church took
place. |
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| In a short
time St. Joseph's
took on the breath-taking splendor of the churches in the Old World.
Using
a combination of light and shade and vivid color, Mr. Malczyk's work
was
reminder of Poland's glorious past, at the same time inspiring the
viewer
with a hope for a great future. This was the purpose of the gifted
46-years-old
Polish painter. He wished to strengthen the morale and bolster the
courage
of these Polish people who had suffered so much for the country and the
church, depicting the ruins of Warsaw in the Second World War where
Poland
kneels symbolically in the figure of a monk before the Crucified
Christ.
Striking also among the paintings is the mural of the Last Supper. It
was
often the main attraction for visitors to the church. |
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| It must be
emphasized that
the renovation of St. Joseph's church was also a common effort of the
Polish
community in Brantford. It offered its talents, of which there was
abundance,
and was generous with its time and labor, for the Pole is a member of a
proud nation whose citizens have accepted for centuries as their own
the
motto, "For God and Country." He deeply honors and respects that
title. |
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| The
redecoration of the
church took one full year to accomplish and, when it was completed, it
was followed by a solemn ceremony of rededication, conducted by Bishop
Joseph F. Ryan on January 6, 1955. The Polish community was now the
proud
possessor of a beautiful church.
Through the
years other changes
have been made in the church to enhance its beauty. The church grounds
have been landscaped and offered charming view to visitors entering the
city. Under its pastoral care, in one way or another, was over 3,000
Polish
people within a fifteen-mile radius of Brantford, proven to be the
steadying
element in the Polish community.
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NEXT
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| CLICK
HERE to
view
list with names of all Past Presidents since establishment of the
Brantford
Polish Mutual Benefit and Friendly Society, from 1927 until now. |
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Brantford's
Polish Senior
Citizens 1967 Centennial Year
Front Row: Mrs.
S. Wolski,
88; Mrs. A. Smierciak, 90; Mrs. A Drozdz, 77.
Second Row: Mr.
Peter Wiacek,
77; Mr. Stanley Neziol, 93; Mr. Joseph Wiacek, 82. |
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POLISH
DANCE "KRAKOWIAK"
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We have just
the right place
for your next Super Bowl Party, Soccer Party or any other Theme Night.
Affordable rental for your entertainment needs. Please
CLICK
HERE for more info. |
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