St. Vincent de Paul Church (Milwaukee)

The St. Vincent de Paul Church, referred to in Polish as 'Kościół Świętego Wincentego a Paulo', is a Roman Catholic Parish located at 2114 W. Mitchell St. on Milwaukee's South Side, and one of Milwaukee's 'Polish Cathedrals.'^[1]

History

In the mid-1880s, it was decided to organize a fourth Polish parish on Milwaukee's south side. $30,000 was raised and a large two story brick building constructed, designed by Bernard Kopacki. In 1888 the church was completed and dedicated by Archbishop Michael Heiss to St. Vincent de Paul.

The first priest to serve the Parish was Father Vincent Lewandowski, who had been ordained into the priesthood in the Duchy of Poznań in 1864. A Polish nationalist, Father Lewandowski was forced to flee in 1872 and arrived in America three years later.

A smallpox epidemic broke out in 1894 and took the lives of nine parish schoolchildren. A somewhat cross and irritable man, Father Lewandowski resigned from the parish in a fit of anger in 1899, and died of a heart attack the following year while riding in a street car.

Around this time, a new church was required to cope with the number of parishioners each Sunday. $85,000 was raised and the new cathedral was built in the Romanesque style. It measured 66 feet wide by 186 feet long. The twin towers rise 132 feet and 195 feet respectively, it has four bells, the largest of which is 62" in diameter and weights 5000 lbs.

Two U.S. Congressman called St. Vincent de Paul their home parish. John C. Kleczka, who was the first Polish-American elected to Congress, and later Clement J. Zablocki, who served Wisconsin's fourth district for 35 consecutive years. Congressman Zablocki also served as the parish organist and sang in the church choir.

Notes

↑ http://www.polishchurchesofmilwaukee.com

Bibliography

Borun, Thaddeus We, The Milwaukee Poles (Milwaukee: Nowiny Publishing Co. 1946)
St. Vincent de Paul Jubilee Book 1938
St. Vincent de Paul Jubilee Book 1963

Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Archbishops	John Henni Michael Heiss Frederick Katzer Sebastian Gebhard Messmer Samuel Stritch Moses E. Kiley Albert Gregory Meyer William Edward Cousins Rembert Weakland Timothy M. Dolan Jerome Edward Listecki

Auxiliary Bishops	Joseph Maria Koudelka Edward Kozłowski Roman Richard Atkielski Leo Joseph Brust Richard J. Sklba William P. Callahan Donald J. Hying

Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Basilicas Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, Hubertus Parishes St. John Vianney Church, Brookfield St. John the Baptist Church, Johnsburg Gesu Church, Milwaukee Holy Trinity Church, Milwaukee Old St. Mary's Church, Milwaukee St. Adalbert's Church, Milwaukee St. Hedwig's Church, Milwaukee St. Stanislaus Church, Milwaukee St. Patrick's Church, Milwaukee Saints Peter and Paul Church, Milwaukee St. Vincent de Paul Church, Milwaukee St. Mary's Church, Port Washington St. Patrick's Church, Racine St. Joseph's Church, Waukesha Former St. John of God Church, Kewaskum St. Patrick's Church, Adell St. Augustine Church, Trenton Chapel St. Joan of Arc Chapel, Milwaukee Shrine Archdiocesan Marian Shrine

Education	Higher Education Alverno College Cardinal Stritch University Marian University Marquette University Mount Mary University Seminaries Saint Francis de Sales Seminary Sacred Heart School of Theology High Schools Burlington Catholic Central High School, Burlington Catholic Memorial High School, Waukesha Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, Milwaukee Dominican High School, Whitefish Bay Marquette University High School, Milwaukee Messmer High School, Milwaukee Pius XI High School, Milwaukee St. Anthony High School, Milwaukee St. Catherine's High School, Racine St. Joan Antida High School, Milwaukee St. Joseph High School, Kenosha St. Lawrence Seminary High School, Mt. Calvary St. Mary's Springs Academy, Fond du Lac St. Thomas More High School, Milwaukee Former St. John's School for the Deaf

Priests	Dismas Becker Fabian Bruskewitz Jan Romuald Byzewski Kilian Caspar Flasch Raphael Michael Fliss Augustus F. Gearhard Boleslaus Goral James Groppi Hyacinth (Jacek) Gulski Francis J. Haas Jerome J. Hastrich James Michael Harvey Wacław Kruszka David John Malloy Aloisius Joseph Muench William Patrick O'Connor Joseph Perry Augustine Francis Schinner Charles Asa Schleck Paul Francis Tanner

Cemeteries	Calvary Cemetery, Milwaukee Mount Olivet Cemetery, Milwaukee

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