Fall River diocese marks its centennial The following are the next in a series of historical sketches of the parishes comprising the Diocese of Fall River, founded in 1904. The series will run in chronological order from oldest to newest parish, according to diocesan archives, concluding in March, 2004, the centennial anniversary of the diocese. Please note that ALL parish histories will nm in the order they were founded - including parishes that have been suppressed or merged. Histories ofmerged parishes will run according to the time-line.
St. Stanislaus Parish, Fall River Construction of a new church, returned to his native Poland. Father Lawrence Malecki suc- attached to the school, began in ceeded Father Basinski, and he soon 1992. During the construction pepurchased a three-story home on riod the students were moved to the Broadway to serve as the Sisters' former St. Patrick's School a few blocks away. Bishop Sean P. convent. Following the establishment of O'Malley, OFM Cap., dedicated the the Diocese of Fall River in 1904, new church in November of 1994. Father Malecki was recalled to serve A delegation of Felician Sisters, as pastor in Quidnick, R.I. Father whose presence was so vital at the John Nowicki replaced him and school for decades, attended the served the parish as pastor until dedication. 1918, at which time Bishop Daniel The site of the former church was Feehan appointed Father Hugo transformed into a garden playEmanuel Dylla pastor, a position he ground for the school children. would hold until his death in 1966. The parish celebrated it's centenFire damaged the church struc- nial in 1998 with a number ofevents ture in 1951. Extensive renovations and pilgrimages. were needed and a new organ was On May 8, 2002, Father Bruce purchased and bells installed. M. Neylon was appointed eighth ST. STANISLAUS CHURCti, In 1963, the church received new pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish, reFAI:-L RIVE~ stained glass windows, the work of turning to his childhood neighrorthe Trappist monks of St.. Joseph's . hood. Abbey in Spencer. The following St. Stanislaus Parish continues to year, a new 4;O-foot fiberglass steeple be a vibrant parish, maintaining was erected. many of the Polish traditions that Shortly before Father Dylla's have been a part of its culture. ,death in 1966, ground was broken The school also continues to be .for a new school building across the an important part ofthe parish. Prin"" ~~.~.'.:I路 .;;.. sm:e the chlirch. Father Dylla ,'CipalDenitaTremblay is retiring this .died'on September 10 andon Sep- month after serving in thatcapacity tember 15, Father Robert Kaszynski for 20 years. Jean Willis will sucwas named pastor. ceed her. On May 6, 1967 Bishop James The permanent deacon is L. Connolly dedicated the new Franciszek W. Mis. The church school. is located at 36 Rockland Street, In April of 1991 the church build- Fall River, MA 02724. The teleing was completely destroyed by phone number is 508-672-0423, fire. As the building burned, parish- and the FAX is 508-677-1378. ioners rescued many of the church's The parish Website address is treasures. www.saintstanislaus.com/.
FALL RIVER - As southeast- for services. Later a school near the ern Massachusetts became more in- Cathedral was regularly used for. dustrialized in the late 1800s, more worship with Polish priests coming and more immigrants came to the to serve from as far away as Bos- .. region to seek a better life for them- .ton. . Bishop Matthew Harkins initi-:: selves and theirfamilies. Toward the turn of the century many of the im- cited plans for the establishment of a migrants came from the partitioned Polish-speaking parish under the Poland after its futile attempt for in- patronage of St. Stanislaus. dependence in 1863. A two-family dwelling on Many of the Polish immigrants Rockland Street was purchased settled in Fall River, which was part and served as a place of worship of the Diocese of Providence at the with Father Peter Guzik as the time. Since there were no parish fa- parish's first pastor. The first bapcilities to meet the needs of the Pol- tism took place at the home on ish-speaking residents, they utilized October 21, 1898. The cornerstone St. Mary's Church on Spring Street for a new church building was laid
on Feb. 26, 1899. Father Guzik remained pastor until April 1902, at which time Congregation ofthe Resurrection Father Joseph Ziemba served as interim pastor until Father Peter Basinski was named pastor in June of that year. The new parish had grown to 300 families by then. In 1906, Father Basinski established St. Stanislaus School, staffed by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice (Felician Sisters), who were housed on the second floor of the school building. Shortly after organizing the school program, Father Basinski
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St. Roch's Parish, Fall River FALL RIVER - In 1910 Pine Street between Orange and Mayor John Coughlin said in one Tremont streets for $18,000, of his speeches that "Father which included several Granite Theodule Guiguere and the St. Mill houses for its workers. The Roch (parish) have done more middle of the land was empty for the area that 50 policemen and by October a temporary could have done." church was ready for parish use. This was the public estimate Included in the church building of the influence of St. Roch's were a hall and school. Parish which was at that time The houses remained, one to only II years old. be used as a rectory, the other for Established by Bishop Mat- a convent. thew Harkins of Providence on The first teachers were lay May 2, 1899, to serve the city's people but in 1902 the pastor growing French-Canadian popu- went to Europe and brought back lation, the parish was situated in the Sisters of St. Joseph du Puy, a poor section in the middle of who made the first U.S. foundathe city. It was named by its first tion of the order at St. Roch's. pastor in honor of the parish in A fine musician, Father which he had been born, St. Guiguere passed on his talents to Roch's in Quebec, Canada. many students. Father Guiguere celebrated In 1917 Father Damase Robthe first Mass in the parish on ert, who later became a monsiMay 8, 1899 in a temporary gnor, became the second pastor. chapel at the corner of Oak and He razed alI but the church, recBedford streets, and immediately tory and convent and redecorated set about acquiring land for and stuccoed them. buildings. Fathers Charles E. Clerk and He purchased property on Philias Jalbert carried on the re-
building. Father Adrian Gauthier faced a parish debt of $54,000 in the middle of the Depression. He founded a chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society to help parishioners in those difficult times. Other parish societies took up the burden as well. Under Father Reginald Barrette in 1950 the property was refurbished and in 1960 Father George S. Daigle was completing the work. He was succeeded by Father Rene Gauthier. When the parish celebrated its diamond jubilee in 1974, Father Roland Bousquet was the pastor. Father Lucien Jusseaume was the pastor, when Bishop Daniel A. Cronin announced that St. Roch's would close following Sunday Masses on June 27, 1982. Bishop Cronin reported that demographic changes in the central section of the city contributed to a decline of parishioners, which at the time of the announcement, numbered only 100.
ST. ROCH'S CHURCH, FALL RIVER