Architecture | St. Stanislaus Kostka Biography of a Saint

History
As drivers approach downtown Chicago on the Kennedy expressway they will notice how the road swings around the rectory of a church just before the Division street exit. As the driver passes by, he or she is presented with a Christ image looking down upon the bustling traffic, and welcoming all to the spiritual oasis that is St. Stanislaus Kostka.

The parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka opened in 1867. Bishop Foley put the Resurrection fathers in charge of the growing parish in 1871. As the flow of Polish immigrants continued into the neighborhood, a larger church was needed. By 1897, St. Stanislaus Kostka parish became the largest parish in the United States, if not the world, with 8,000 families, totaling 40,000 people. There were twelve masses each Sunday: six masses in the upper church and another six masses in the lower church. During Vincent Barzynski's pastorate (1874-1899) St. Stanislaus Kostka became the mother Catholic Church of Polish parishes. As the twentieth century progressed, the neighborhood surrounding the parish began to change, a change perhaps best illustrated in the nickname of the area: what was once "Stanislawowo" eventually became "Kostkaville." By 1981, the parish contained only 850 families. The drop in number was partly due to the building of the Kennedy expressway in the 1950s, which gave many parishioners no choice but to move out of the neighborhood. The neighborhood still contains some Polish people. However, Americans coming from a myriad of ethnic backgrounds, and an even larger number of Mexican-Americans, have eclipsed their numbers. The large number of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans has brought a new dynamism and vitality to the parish.

References:Ellen Skerrett, et.al., Catholicism, Chicago Style (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1993); George Lane and Algimantas Kezys, Chicago Churches and Synagogues (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1981).

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In 1876 the current church, and second on the site, was begun. Patrick C. Keely of Brooklyn designed the church. He was the most famous of Catholic architects, and his accomplishments include Holy Name Cathedral. The church was modeled after a church in Krakow. In 1881 the church was dedicated and in 1892 the twin towers were completed. The towers stood 200 feet high. However, in 1964 one tower came down after being struck by lightning. The church is 200 feet long and 80 feet wide. The structure is built of brick. A veneer of stucco was added in 1923, along with a new entrance that enclosed the front stairs.

As one enters St. Stanislaus Kostka, the eyes are immediately drawn to the baroque altar standing at the end of the long center aisle. Choir stalls carved in oak flank the altar. From there the eyes move upward to a painting of Our Lady who is setting the baby Jesus in the arms of Stanislaus Kostka while instructing him to join the Society of Jesus. As the eyes continue to move upward they are stuck by the large painting in the Sanctuary dome. The work of Thaddeus Zukotynski, a Polish painter, depicts the resurrected Christ accompanied by the saints in Heaven. An inscription in Latin reads: "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Alleluia. And on the third day He arose as He said. Alleluia." The visual stimulation continues as one views the stain glass chandeliers that hang above the oak pews. It has been said that the chandeliers are the work of Louis C. Tiffany of New York. Stain glass windows that illustrate the mysteries of the Rosary border the nave of the church. The windows are the work of F.X. Zettler of the Royal Bavarian Art Institute in Munich, and were put into place in 1903.

The name Stanislaus means glory and honor. This young saint had to suffer many trials and difficulties in his short life, some due to family problems, especially problems with his brother. Many of us can relate to this saint in having pains that come from within our own family. Stanislaus was human like us, as were all of the saints. They cried and felt lonely and sad at times with the pain of not being loved. The saints help us to overcome our problems and difficulties with their testimonies of faith and love of God and with their intercessions for us, which are their prayers in heaven.
Our Lord, knowing St. Stanislaus would need special help in his life to fulfill his plan on earth, gave him a holy godfather. This godfather was a priest, and this priest baptized Stanislaus himself. The baptism took place on October 28, 1550 in Rostkow, Poland. Stanislaus, this day, became a child of God. On this holy day, Stanislaus was doubly blessed because after the Baptism, the priest, who was his godfather, took the child, Stanislaus, and laid him on the ground in front of the altar of the Blessed Sacrament and dedicated him to our Lord hidden in the Eucharist. This act of faith and prayer given to the Lord had a great effect on Stanislaus’ life as we soon shall see.
From his earliest years, Stanislaus had a tender love for the most holy Blessed Sacrament, this love was so great that it was said of him that his face would seem all on fire at the moment he would come in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Sometimes Stanislaus’s friends saw him praying in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in ecstasy floating in air. He was often in ecstasy at Mass after receiving Holy Communion. The whole day after receiving Jesus, he could hardly bring himself to speak of anything else but the great love of Jesus in the Eucharist, and he spoke with such great joy and happiness that those who heard him delighted in his words of love.
Stanislaus’ biggest trials were soon to begin as he entered his teen years. At the age of fourteen, he and his brother, Paul, were sent to Vienna to college. This older brother, Paul, was very cruel to him. Stanislaus was young and gentle and many times Paul would come home drunk, beat and kick him and make fun of his devotion to God. He would yell, “Why do you pray so much?” Then he told him that he should go to bars like other young men his age.
Stanislaus prayed for his brother’s conversion, and he received strength and love not only not to hate him, but to love him. This love came from heaven through Jesus in the Eucharist. One day, because of the abuse from his brother, Stanislaus had been unable to eat and eventually fell ill with a high fever and was near death.
He called on help from Heaven. He prayed to St. Barbara to bring him Jesus for he loved Jesus and longed for Him in the Holy Eucharist. He suddenly saw a bright light and within this light was St. Barbara, accompanied by two angels. Bilinski, a friend who had been taking care of Stanislaus saw this vision, too. Stanislaus said, “Kneel down, adore the blessed Sacrament. Two angels of the Lord are with Him and the virgin martyr, St. Barbara.” Bilinski witnessed this miracle with his own eyes. He saw St. Barbara who was holding a gold chalice, give Holy Communion to Stanislaus. After receiving Holy Communion, Stanislaus waited for Our Lord to come to take him to Heaven, but Our Lord had other plans. Suddenly, Mary appeared, holding the Baby Jesus. Our Lady placed her infant Son in his arms. Stanislaus thought he was dreaming, but no, this moment was real and true for he was holding in his arms and to his bosom, the Lord of Life. Mary told Stanislaus that he would get better as she took her Baby back in her arms. She told him to continue to follow Jesus and she encouraged him to try to become a Jesuit priest.
Stanislaus lived for three more years, but his health began to decline. He truly wanted to be a priest, a Jesuit priest, but heaven willed him to go to God. He lived for ten more months as a saintly novice. He loved Our Lord in the Eucharist as an angel does, he loved Our Blessed Mother and always told everyone that she was his mother. He prayed to die on her feast day, and on the Feast of the Assumption, 1568, at the age of seventeen, Mary answered his prayers. For on this day, August 15, as he laid in bed, worn out from his illness, he said, with eyes of joy “I see the Blessed Virgin Mary and she is surrounded by beautiful angels.”
Through God’s grace and Stanislaus’ holiness, his brother converted. After his death, Paul wept greatly for abusing his brother. Grace opened his soul to change his life and he even entered a seminary. After Stanislaus’ death, people were shocked to hear the story, told by Paul, about how he so viciously mistreated his brother and was jealous of him. They had never heard Stanislaus complain. They soon realized that this young man was truly a saint who had suffered and loved all, especially those who treated him so badly, just like Jesus Himself had done.
St. Stanislaus always longed to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and in Heaven. No matter how hard it was for him, he remained close to Jesus and Mary in prayer and would not let hate or bitterness enter into his heart. We can pray to Stanislaus to help us to love Jesus deeply in the Holy Eucharist and for help in our family difficulties so that we might have wisdom and strength to love those who do not love us or even those who may hate us. This love is divine, supernatural love, offered in the Holy Eucharist.

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