The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-05
IN IMMENSE PARISH
Largest Congregation in the
World in Chicago.
ITS MEMBERSHIP $4,000
Father Spetz Has Charge of
This Great Flock.
rs MEMBERSHIP $4,000

Chicago, H., Nov. 4.-The largest church
parish in the world is in Chicago. There
is no religious organization in London
Faris. Rome or any other of the great
cities that viii compare with it in mem
bership. At the latest enumeration. or
Easter Sunday, 1902, there were 8. 800 com
municants. representing at least 4.5OO fam
lies. Adding what may be called the
floating population of the parish, the
ccmers and goers who apply to their
priest occasionally for spiritual guidance,
the total number of sheep, lambs and
goats in this great ock will exceed 80 900.
The parish covers about eight square
miles of territory. including the larger
part of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth
wards
1t is the Roman Catholic parish of the
Polish Church of st. Stanislaus Kostka,
situated at the corner of Noble and In
graham streets, in the midst of the Polish
colony. Roughly speaking, the parish is
bounded on the South by Chicago ave-
nue., on the east by the north branch OF
the Chicago river, on the north by North
avenue and on the west by Western ave-
nue., including the delectable district
known as Goose Island. Many of the
communicates live in other parts of the
city and in the suburbs.
St Stanislaus Kostka, the patron saint
of the parish, was the son of Polish
senator in Cracow and lived in the early
years of the seventeenth century. In his
boyhood he was marked for his piety
and desired to become a priest, but his
family objected, intending him for the
profession of his father. Led by the Holy
Spirit he went 10 Vienna, where he com
pleted his education, and afterward TO
Rome, where he joined the Order Of the
Jesuits, being noted for his piety and
learning. While in Vienna he became SER
iCusly i'll, and, believing that his end was
near, begged that priest be sent for
to administer the last rites of the church
but the family with whom he was lodging
were non-Catholics and refused to com
ply with his request. Whereupon he
prayed God to forgive them and asked
mercy for his soul At this an angel
appeared, bearing the sacrament, which
was administered to him by invisible
hands. A large oil painting representing
this incident in his life, for which he was
afterwards canonized. adorns the interior
of the Chicago church
There are about 200, 600 Poles in Chicago,
ircluding a large colony of laborers en-
PlOyed in the steel mills of South Chicago
and fourteen Roman Catholic churches
are supported entirely by them. They are
frugal. Woodworking honest, and law
abiding community. devoted to their race
and religion and the welfare of their large
families. The patriotism of the Pole is
proverbial. No race has suffered more
from the love of country and none has
fought with greater bravery and endur-
ance for the right to live and engage in
the pursuit of happiness. The Poles in
Chicago are good taxpayers and a large
number of them own their homes The
most prosperous building and lean society
is located in St. Stanislaus parish,
although it has no connection with the
church. The priests conduct a sort of
savings bank also, and pay interest upon
money deposited with them by members
of the church, which now amounts to
about $1,000. It costs So, 921 last year to
pay the expenses of the parish The
revenues were s66,910, the principal items
being $22647 from pew rents. s14, S5S from
tuition fees at the several educational
institutions and s11,7sz from collections.
The church has property amounting to
more than $50 COO including school pro-
jerty, publishing house and an interest
in ST. Adelbert cemetery at Norwood
park. 1t requires the entire time and ser
vice Of two men to manage the secular
affairs OF the parish under the direction of
Father Spetz. the procurator and treas
urer W. Barwig has charge of the soci-
ETY. and school work T Crzanowski is
the parish registrar and financial secre-
tary
Father Spetz is a Canadian by birth.
was educated at the college of st. Jerome
in Canada. studied theology at Rome for
two years. and spent seven years, until
1859. as a missionary at Adrianople Tur-
key. He was then recalled to Rome be-
come vice rector Of the Polish college
in that city. In 1893 he came back to
American as professor Of classics in St
Mays college, Kentucky. and in 1896 be-
came the business manager of ST. Stamis-
laus Kostka parish OF Chicago. He is
one Of the most accomplished linguists in
the country, speaking, reading and writ
ing nglish. French. German, Italian. Bull
garian and Turkish, besides his native
Polish.