St. Stanislaus Basilica (Chicopee)
The Basilica of St. Stanislaus ( English Basilica of St. Stanislaus ) is a Roman Catholic church in Chicopee in the US state of Massachusetts . The church belonging to the Diocese of Springfield is dedicated to the Polish bishop and martyr Stanislaus of Krakow from the 11th century and has been a minor basilica since 1991 .
history
The parish of the church was founded by Polish immigrants who arrived in Chicopee in the 1880s. The Poles wanted their own church, where they could serve God in their own language and continue Polish traditions.
They first built a wooden church on the spot where the St. Stanislaus School now stands. The second Stanislaus Church with a natural stone facade was built in 1908 by the architects Robert J. Reiley and Gustave E. Steinback for the growing number of parishioners. The impressive cathedral-like structure with its two-tower facade was built in the neo-baroque style and is considered one of the most impressive church buildings in the area.
The spacious interior offers space for at least 800 worshipers in the main nave and the two aisles. In 1920 an organ was installed in the choir. The stained glass windows have their own themes and were made by European artists.
There is also a lower church that is used for daily mass, for confession and for the worship of the Blessed Sacrament. There is a remarkable collection of relics in the sacristy.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Basilica of St. Stanislaus on gcatholic.org
- ↑ The Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr on noveltytheater.com
Coordinates: 42 ° 8 ′ 51.4 " N , 72 ° 35 ′ 42" W.