“It was on this day, 125 years ago, that the first Mass was celebrated in St. Stanislaus,” Bishop Rhoades preached to the overflowing church in South Bend on Tuesday, March 25. “They also called this area ‘the village of St. Stanislaus’ … [which consisted of] faith-filled, hardworking, g enerous Polish immigrants who built this beautiful church, then quickly built a rectory (in 1902) and then a school (in 1905).” On the solemnity of the Annunciation, Bishop Rhoades visited St. Stanislaus Catholic Church as the community celebrated its 125-year anniversary with a high solemn Mass and the dedication of a new altar. The parish is an apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, celebrating the Mass in Latin, according to the liturgical books of 1962. The traditional liturgy used in worship is a preference of many families in the South Bend area. Photos by Clare HildebranddtPews are filled with parishioners at St. Stanislaus’ celebration for 125 years on Tuesday, March 25, in South Bend. Placing a relic of St. Stanislaus into the altar, Bishop Rhoades blessed the chiseled stone and celebrated Mass with the parish’s pastor, Monsignor John Fritz. In his homily, Bishop Rhoades detailed the history of the parish from its founding in 1900 to the present day. “When St. Stanislaus Parish began, this area of South Bend was referred to as the ‘Golden Hills’ area, because that was the name of the subdivision of homes built by the Studebakers and Olivers for their immigrant workers. Polish immigrants built this church.” “From the beginning, they used the church basement as a school, because they so highly valued Catholic education,” Bishop Rhoades said. “By 1905, they had more than 500 students. It is amazing what they did in the first decade of the parish’s existence.” In the 1960s, attendance dropped off due to changing demographics in the city, as many of the Polish families moved out of the western part of South Bend for newer towns elsewhere. As this trend continued into the 2000s, Bishop Rhoades said he was forced to make a decision: Should he close a parish with such a vibrant history but also with a declining attendance? “In my first years as bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, I was confronted with the challenge of how to preserve this beautiful church due to its small number of parishioners. Providentially, I learned of the desire and need of the South Bend Latin Mass community for a permanent parish home,” he said. “Ten years ago, I changed the status of St. Stanislaus to a ‘personal parish’ for the Latin Mass community. … It has been wonderful to see the growth and renewed vitality,” he said with a smile. Bishop Rhoades blesses the new altar next to Monsignor John Fritz. At the anniversary Mass, the pews of St. Stanislaus were overflowing with families – a testament to the dedication of those who attend St. Stanislaus, as the altar dedication, Mass, and prayers took more than three hours to complete. “The reason we are all here is to reverently worship God and to honor Him, not just in His house but also in our lives,” said Kelsey Menn, a parishioner at St. Stanislaus. “As a parish, coming together for [the altar blessing] just helps us worship even better and ties us to Him in such a deep way that is just beautiful to see,” she added. Joseph Caudle, a Notre Dame graduate and longtime member of St. Stanislaus, praised the community for its ability to foster true fellowship. “My wife and I would come to the Latin Mass when it was over at St. John the Baptist when we were students at Notre Dame in 2005,” Caudle said. “Since then, we’ve been associated with this community even when we moved away. … This community has brought us back to South Bend multiple times, and so when the bishop gave us this parish, we switched our registration immediately. It is just such a wonderful gift,” he explained. The new marble altar is on display for all to see at the St. Stanislaus anniversary Mass and altar dedication on Tuesday, March 25. Monsignor Fritz told Today’s Catholic about the growing number of parishioners at the parish. “Despite many parishes closing and whatnot, and even our own potentially closing 10 years ago, we keep breaking our records of baptism. Last year, we baptized 24, and our weddings are still increasing, so attendance is up here,” he explained. “In his sermon, the bishop spoke about how the sacrifices of those who came before us really laid the foundation of this parish,” Monsignor Fritz said. “We’re really trying to keep and preserve that passion we’ve inherited here at St. Stanislaus.” In the end, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter pastor revealed his pleasure at having the bishop visit. “It is always a joy to have Bishop Rhoades here, and especially for the 125th anniversary,” he concluded. Tuan Ngo, a member of the parish’s schola, reflected on his involvement in the parish. At St. Stanislaus, the schola chants the proper of the Mass. “I thought, ‘I’ll give it a shot,’” Ngo said. “Gregorian chant just has a unique way of speaking to you. … God has a funny way to put His fingerprint on everything. And so, like the bishop mentioned in his sermon, he was to close this parish due to low numbers, and now, we’re growing. It looks like we may be here for another 125 years.” Clare Hildebrandt is a staff reporter at Today’s Catholic. The post St. Stanislaus Community Marks 125-Year Anniversary appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less