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St. Stanislaus Catholic Church
Warsaw, ND
Church History
 The
Polish settlers of southeastern Walsh County were deeply
religious Roman Catholics. They didn't have an
organized church after immigration started after 1876.
Many of these settlers from Winona and Perham, MN and
Pine Creek, Wisconsin and some directly from the
Kaszube, Poland (then West Prussia). Some of the
original settlers contacted Fr. Klement Grynolc
(Greenholtz) to start services in Warsaw, ND. Fr.
Klement Grynolc was assigned as a missionary priest to a
vast area of Minnesota, Pembina, and Winnipeg. Fr. John
Considine also started saying mass in people's homes
about once a month in the Warsaw area. By 1880 there
were over 100 parishioners in the area, with more coming
every year. As the community grew, so too did the need
for a permanent church. A temporary cemetery was
established in the southeast corner of the east 80 of
section 29, owned by Andrew Maszk. These burials and
some baptisms were recorded by Fr. Considine, and the
burials were relocated to the site of the present
cemetery. After land was donated by several settlers
for a church site, it was decided to organize a church
committee to petition the Bishop. After mass on August
15, 1882 parishioners met to sign members, appoint
committees and assess fees. December 27, that same
year, a general session was held to elect committee
officers. At this meeting Jan Szarkowski was elected
president; Theor Wysocki secretary; and Andrzej Maszk,
treasurer. A later meeting the church site was voted on
, and the Anton Hefta 10 acre site in the northwest
corner of section 31 was selected and named Pulaski (now
Warsaw). In 1883 Father Alexander Michanowski was
assigned to the new Pulaski settlement as the first
resident priest. On October 17, 1883 the first church
was built under his direction, at the cost of $2,500.
Through the following years the population grew and the
church had to be enlarged. In June of 1896, Father
Francis Gawlowicz arrived and put together plans to
build the present church. The Saint Stanislaus church
was dedicated July 9, 1901 with the Bishop of Fargo, the
most Rev. John Shanley officiating.
Saint Stanislaus b.1031 d.1079 Feastday: April 11
Stanislaus was born of noble
parents on July 26th at Szczepanow near Cracow, Poland.
He was educated at Gnesen and was ordained there. He
was given a canonry by Bishop Lampert Zula of Cracow,
who made him his preacher, and soon he became noted for
his preaching. He became a much sought after spiritual
adviser. He was successful in his reforming efforts,
and in 1072 was named Bishop of Cracow. He incurred the
enmity of King Boleslaus the Bold when he denounced the
King's cruelties and injustices and especially his
kidnapping of the beautiful wife of a nobleman. When
Stanislaus excommunicated the King and stopped services
at the Cathedral when Boleslaus entered, Boleslaus
himself killed Stanislaus while the Bishop was saying
Mass in a chapel outside the city on April 11.
Stanislaus has long been the symbol of Polish
nationhood. He was canonized by Pope Innocent IV in
1253 and is the principle patron of Cracow. His feast
day is April 11th.
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