Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-05
POLISH CHURCH TROUBLES.
A BITTER FEUD BETWEEN TWO coNGRE.
CATIONS AT CHICAGO.
Several Sacred Vessels Stolen From the
Church of the Holy Trinity-The Theft
Charged TO the Rival Church and a Fight
Is Feared.

CHICAGO. Jan. 4-There is war again
between the ST. Stanislaus Polish Church
and its neighbor of the same denomination,
the Holy Trinity Church. On Saturday
night be ore ChrIstmasi the Holy Trinity
Church was entered from the rear and two
costly golden chalices, from which the
| Holy Sacrament is administered, and one of
the sacred vessels of solid gold were stolen
from the altar. The two chalices are
worth about 81 200, but u. significant feat
ure of the theft is the fact that the bases
of the urns which are the most
valuable part of them, were unscrewed from
the bowls and left behind only the bowls
being taken. As the bowls of the chalices
are held especially sacred, it is evident that
the thieves did not steal them on account of
their value, but for the purpose of depriving
the Holy Trinity altar of its most sacred
furniture. The theft has been kept very
quiet in the hope that Information might
leak out which would give clew to the
sacriligious robbery. The members of the
Holy Trinity Church. however, believe that
the deed was committed by some one of the
opposition church.
ST. StahisIaus Church stands on the corner
of Noble and Ingraham Streets and the
Holy Trinity Church is ON Noble street, only
three blocks away. The animosity between
the two churches began with the building of
the Holy Trinity edifce in 1874, and the
hatred between the two. hocks has fire.
guently developed into open riots. Permis-
SION was given the Holy Trinity people to
build their church by Bishop Foley with the
understanding that it should be "Filial"
church and not parish church. The Holy
Trinity people. however, insisted upon max
ing it q parish church and demanded
priest OF their own. The Rev. Father Vim
eff nj
Church, said mass in the Holy Trinity ed-
fee for about two years, but this arrange
ment was extremely CALLING to the Holy
Trinity yeopie.
They openly charged. Father Barzvnski
with indifference to their spiritual and tenn
poral welfare. He belongs to the order of
Eesurrectionists and it is claimed by the
Trinity flock that he was trying to bring
their church into the order to which they
were bitterly opposed, They again de-
manded priest OF their own. The Bishop
re used to give them one except on con-
dition that they give the Bishop a quit
claim deed of the church property. In 1877
the Rev. Father Simon Mielcuszny took the
pastorate OF the church without the permis-
sion of the Bishop, and, in consequence, the
pastor was excommunica ed.
The Rev. Mr.. Mielcuszny died very sud-
denly and mysteriously in bis own house,
and the Holy Trinity people openly
their suspicious that he was murdered by
parties of the opposition church. The death
of the priest precipitated. a fierce riot be-
tween the two Polish factions, in which
several persons were injured. About two
years ago it was arranged to give the Bishop
clear title to the church property, and he
was to send them a pastor. Rev. Father
Simon Kobrzynski was assigned 10 the Holy
trinity Church, and after caring for his
flock for about six months, locked up the
church and quit, taking the keys with him.
This was about six months ago.
The thief or thieves who stole the chalices
had keys to the church, and the Holy Trinity
people believe that the church was unlocked
by the keys carried away by their iormer
priest. and attribute the theft to the St.
Stanislaus faction. The bitter enmity which
has been dormant Tor = time has broken
loose afresh, and religiouR fight more in
tense than ever is imminent.