My name is Bobby J. Sulecki and this is EriePoloniaHistory.com.
This site includes the history of Erie’s four Polish Parishes:
St. Stanislaus, Holy Trinity, St. Hedwig and St. Casimir; and also the neighborhoods, businesses, clubs and people.
I also have a site on the history of St. Hedwig Church
http://www.sthedwighistoryerie.com/
Under each Parish, there is a Profiles and Memories section, which are interviews and collected memories from people in the various parishes.
These websites are not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie.
My work is an independent Community Project. I make no monetary gain out of this.
I have done these websites because of my deep devotion to my Polish Heritage and History of Erie’s Polish Community.
If you are looking for Church records for family genealogy, you must contact that Church or the Parish it was merged into. I do not have the resources to do that.
My endeavor is here for all to enjoy and here to use, however, it is also copyrighted, and I would ask if you share my work, please credit me so others will also know.
I am looking for contributions of photos, memories, interviews, etc.
You may contact me at SuleckiBobby@gmail.com.
Dziękuję! Thank You!
All current Photographs by Mary Jo Loncki Sulecki unless otherwise noted.
***STATEMENT FROM ERIE POLONIA HISTORY ON THE DIOCESE OF ERIE PROPOSED PASTORAL PLAN:***
First of all, I am a proud member of St. Stanislaus Parish after merging from St. Hedwig Church.
However, my heart is with all of our Polish Churches and I have a connection with each of them.
On my mother's paternal side, my grandfather Loncki was baptized at Holy Trinity because of where they lived at the time, but he and his whole family grew up at Stanislaus, where his mother's family Chojnacki's had been since at least the 1890's. Although later on I heard of animosity and a rivalry between St. Stan's and Holy Trinity, I never got that from my grandfather, who was very proud to have Msgr. Niedbalski on his paper route.
On my mother's maternal side, Mielnik's were all from St. Hedwig.
On my father's paternal side, Sulecki's were all from St. Casimir. In fact, my great Uncle Bro. Berard Sulecki OFM, was a native son.
My father's maternal side was from St. Stan's, the Desser family, but some later also joined Holy Trinity.
Unfortunately, the news about St. Casimir and their cluster was not shocking, the writing was on the wall, as the Diocese left them hanging after their Pastor, Fr. O'Hara died.
I understand that it would have to close, but let me continue...
The news about Holy Trinity merging into St. Stan's as a secondary mission Church was shocking, especially after Bishop Persico celebrated Mass at their Zabawa just this past weekend all the while knowing his announcement in a couple of days would be devastating to them. It's hypocritical.
And the Diocese mentioned, oh you can still have a Festival. Really?
And this is the problem. Bishop Persico and the hierarchy do not understand a thing about our heritage. Our faith and ethnicity are intertwined.
He said, "It's still one faith, one Church, one baptism. It may not be the same building, but we're all a part of that one faith."
It's that building thing again, that the church is just a building........But to the Polish and the Italian (St. Paul's), you are taking that heritage away. As long as you are sound, it doesn't make sense to close.
There are not enough Priests. We all know who is to blame for that one. Instead of closing and alienating people, are there other solutions? There should be. No wonder many Catholics leave.
St. Stan's is to absorb all these Churches. How can we manage all of them? Plus, how many people from the cluster and Holy Trinity will join us? At the least, St. Stan's and Holy Trinity should remain "Partner Parishes."
The Diocese just looks at the money and the numbers, not how it affects people. They don't care about feelings or preserving our history.
My goal with my website is to preserve our Polish Churches and history, and history of where we came from, how we grew up, etc., And I always wanted to unite the Polish people in that.
The Bishop may think that all the Polish Churches will stick together. I don't think it will turn out that way. Everyone is glued to their own church and I understand that. The Polish are very proud and stubborn.
St. Hedwig Church is long gone, even though the Latin Mass continues there. That will never be home anymore.
My hope is that we pray together, not bash each other, and make sure you get your feedback in to the Bishop, even if they don't listen. Polish people never give up!
My life has never been easy, and this Polonia project is not easy either, but sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me going.
May God Bless and Help Us!
Bobby J. Sulecki,
Curator, Erie Polonia History Project
© 2015-2023 Robert J. Sulecki
Use of the text and images on this website, are for personal use only. Permission for all other uses must be obtained from the copyright holder.
This site includes the history of Erie’s four Polish Parishes:
St. Stanislaus, Holy Trinity, St. Hedwig and St. Casimir; and also the neighborhoods, businesses, clubs and people.
I also have a site on the history of St. Hedwig Church
http://www.sthedwighistoryerie.com/
Under each Parish, there is a Profiles and Memories section, which are interviews and collected memories from people in the various parishes.
These websites are not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie.
My work is an independent Community Project. I make no monetary gain out of this.
I have done these websites because of my deep devotion to my Polish Heritage and History of Erie’s Polish Community.
If you are looking for Church records for family genealogy, you must contact that Church or the Parish it was merged into. I do not have the resources to do that.
My endeavor is here for all to enjoy and here to use, however, it is also copyrighted, and I would ask if you share my work, please credit me so others will also know.
I am looking for contributions of photos, memories, interviews, etc.
You may contact me at SuleckiBobby@gmail.com.
Dziękuję! Thank You!
All current Photographs by Mary Jo Loncki Sulecki unless otherwise noted.
***STATEMENT FROM ERIE POLONIA HISTORY ON THE DIOCESE OF ERIE PROPOSED PASTORAL PLAN:***
First of all, I am a proud member of St. Stanislaus Parish after merging from St. Hedwig Church.
However, my heart is with all of our Polish Churches and I have a connection with each of them.
On my mother's paternal side, my grandfather Loncki was baptized at Holy Trinity because of where they lived at the time, but he and his whole family grew up at Stanislaus, where his mother's family Chojnacki's had been since at least the 1890's. Although later on I heard of animosity and a rivalry between St. Stan's and Holy Trinity, I never got that from my grandfather, who was very proud to have Msgr. Niedbalski on his paper route.
On my mother's maternal side, Mielnik's were all from St. Hedwig.
On my father's paternal side, Sulecki's were all from St. Casimir. In fact, my great Uncle Bro. Berard Sulecki OFM, was a native son.
My father's maternal side was from St. Stan's, the Desser family, but some later also joined Holy Trinity.
Unfortunately, the news about St. Casimir and their cluster was not shocking, the writing was on the wall, as the Diocese left them hanging after their Pastor, Fr. O'Hara died.
I understand that it would have to close, but let me continue...
The news about Holy Trinity merging into St. Stan's as a secondary mission Church was shocking, especially after Bishop Persico celebrated Mass at their Zabawa just this past weekend all the while knowing his announcement in a couple of days would be devastating to them. It's hypocritical.
And the Diocese mentioned, oh you can still have a Festival. Really?
And this is the problem. Bishop Persico and the hierarchy do not understand a thing about our heritage. Our faith and ethnicity are intertwined.
He said, "It's still one faith, one Church, one baptism. It may not be the same building, but we're all a part of that one faith."
It's that building thing again, that the church is just a building........But to the Polish and the Italian (St. Paul's), you are taking that heritage away. As long as you are sound, it doesn't make sense to close.
There are not enough Priests. We all know who is to blame for that one. Instead of closing and alienating people, are there other solutions? There should be. No wonder many Catholics leave.
St. Stan's is to absorb all these Churches. How can we manage all of them? Plus, how many people from the cluster and Holy Trinity will join us? At the least, St. Stan's and Holy Trinity should remain "Partner Parishes."
The Diocese just looks at the money and the numbers, not how it affects people. They don't care about feelings or preserving our history.
My goal with my website is to preserve our Polish Churches and history, and history of where we came from, how we grew up, etc., And I always wanted to unite the Polish people in that.
The Bishop may think that all the Polish Churches will stick together. I don't think it will turn out that way. Everyone is glued to their own church and I understand that. The Polish are very proud and stubborn.
St. Hedwig Church is long gone, even though the Latin Mass continues there. That will never be home anymore.
My hope is that we pray together, not bash each other, and make sure you get your feedback in to the Bishop, even if they don't listen. Polish people never give up!
My life has never been easy, and this Polonia project is not easy either, but sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me going.
May God Bless and Help Us!
Bobby J. Sulecki,
Curator, Erie Polonia History Project
© 2015-2023 Robert J. Sulecki
Use of the text and images on this website, are for personal use only. Permission for all other uses must be obtained from the copyright holder.
