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| - A gorgeous old Polish Catholic church. Once I was walking past and wondered.. what's in there? Two friendly older gents opened the door and said come on in. I said .. ohhh .. no it's ok. They insisted.. "Come on in! It's fine! We're not busy"
The altar is framed by life sized angels that.. well they're magical pretty! The interior is breathtaking with stone archways. There's even a plaque in the floor that once upon a time Pope John Paul II popped in for a visit. When I think of the Strip District, I think of this church standing proud at the end of Smallman Street like a beacon of safety watching over the drunks falling out of the bars down the street. :D
This church and St. Mary's in Polish Hill are two spectacular examples of "Polish Cathedral Churches" in Pittsburgh. Both are breathtaking. St. Stanislaus is baroque inside and Immaculate Heart of Mary up the hill is Renaissance style. I didn't know that on my own.. wikipedia told me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stanislaus_Kostka_Church_(Pittsburgh)
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St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and Rectory
57 21st Street
From http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/thestrip/walkingtour.html
Designed by Pittsburgh architect Frederick Sauer, St. Stanislaus Kostka Church was constructed in 1891. The congregation was formed in 1873 when 200 Polish families banded together to form the St. Stanislaus Kostka Beneficial Society. The availability of unskilled mill jobs in Pittsburgh in the late 19th century attracted a flood of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. For most of the 19th century, the neighborhood was populated by Irish and German immigrants and their native-born children. By 1915 more than 80 percent of Strip District residents were foreign-born; 30 percent of the residents were Polish.
History of Saint Stanislaus Kostka
The congregation was formed in 1873 when 200 Polish families banded together to form the St. Stanislaus Kostka Beneficial Society. The availability of unskilled mill jobs in Pittsburgh in the late 19th century attracted a flood of immigrants from Eastern Europe. By 1915 more than 80% of Strip District residents were foreign-born; 30% of the residents were Polish. St. Stanislaus Kostka Church was constructed in 1891, designed by Pittsburgh architect Frederick Sauer.
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From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stanislaus_Kostka_Church_(Pittsburgh)
In March 1936 the disastrous Saint Patrick's Day flood occurred. Water flooded the church as high as the top of the wainscoting on the walls. The pews were afloat and the Pastor was trapped in the rectory on the second floor. In December 1936 an explosion at the Pittsburgh Banana Company weakened the towers and the original baroque style bonnets were removed. Examples of the bonnet style are still found on the top of the sidewall pilasters and the ventilation cupola on the center of the roof. Three of the medallion windows over the altars were also covered over.
On September 20, 1969, Cardinal Karol Wojtya, the future Pope John Paul II, visited and offered prayers at St. Stanislaus Kostka. After cordial greetings the Cardinal is quoted as commenting on how beautiful the church was and how it reminded him of the churches in Poland. He knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and then to the Side Altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary, now the location of a humble memorial to the Holy Father.
[edit] Architecture of Saint Stanislaus Kostka
Saint Stanislaus Kostka's architectural style is a blend of Romanesque and Baroque, with Byzantine influences. Construction of the present Saint Stanislaus Kostka church was started in April 1891, and the church was consecrated on July 31st, 1892. The church is a one story brick edifice covering an area of 8,337 square feet. The church is built on the ground surface, and there is no basement. The walls are from 17 to 21 inches thick. The church measures 67 feet wide and 105 feet deep and stands 150 feet high. In 1936 the church endured flood and explosion damage.
The twin towers support a total of seven bells. The right tower holds the St. Michel bell 2,500 lbs., the St. Barbara bell 1,200 lbs. and the St. Anthony bell 750 lbs. The left tower holds the St. Casimer bell 1,800 lbs., the St. Joseph bell 1,000 lbs., the St. Rosa bell 750 lbs. and the St. Stanislaus bell 550 lbs. Five of these bells were electrified in 1956.
The stained glass figure windows were produced in Munich, Germany, at the Royal Bavarian Art Institute at a cost of $27,672 -a major expenditure for that time. Compared with today's dollar value it would cost almost $538,000. According to experts, the windows in the Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church are some of the best period "Munich Style" stained glass in the United States.
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