History of Holy Rosary Church

By the late 1880's the population of Polish immigrants was growing rapidly and conflict arose between the St. Stanislaus Society and the pastor of St. Stanislaus Church. Both of these factors led to the establishment of the second Polish parish, Our Lady of the Rosary ( Matka Boska Rożańcowa) in 1887. A protestant church building located on Bethel St. and Eastern Avenue was purchased and renovated for Catholic liturgical use. Father Piotr (Peter) Chowaniec, a priest from Poland, became the first pastor. On December 8, 1887, Father Peter celebrated the parish's first Mass. In 1889, acreage was purchased outside the city in Dundalk for a parish cemetery. Not long after that, a parish elementary school was opened and the Felician Sisters were invited to staff the school. Eventually, a four storey school was built across from the church on Eastern Avenue as well as a three storey convent. In 1892 Father Peter died under suspicious causes while still young in years.

Father Mieczyslaw Barabasz was assigned as the second pastor. He was a highly educated man and was editor of the clerical newspaper "Przyjaciel Domu " (Friend of the Home). He expanded the church in order to accommodate its rapidly growing congregation. Unfortunately, he had many problems with factions in the parish and with the St. Stanislaus Kostka Society. The Society, which had been instrumental in founding the two Polish parishes, also led a revolt leading several hundred families into schism. Subsequently, they established the independent parish of Our Lady of Unceasing Help which is located on Broadway. This church would later join the Polish National Catholic Church movement. Fr. Barabasz passed away before his time in 1914.

The third pastor was Father Stanislaus Wachowiak. A native from the parish, and the first American born pastor, he was appointed just one year after his ordination. Father Wachowiak, later Monsignor, spent the rest of his priest life as pastor until his retirement in 1968. Father Wachowiak had the vision needed to recognize the need to relocate the parish site several blocks east in order to accommodate its continuing growth. In 1927, the cornerstone was laid for the largest Catholic Church in the Baltimore Archdiocese. The present Romanesque-style church seats 2,000. The church is uniquely wide without any support columns or pillars.

Holy Rosary parish peaked at about 2,500 families, approximately 8,000 souls, in the 1920s and 1930s. Enrollment in the school was over 1,500 children. As many as six priests and 50 nuns were assigned to the parish. For a time, Holy Rosary was not only the largest Polish parish (among six) in Baltimore, but also the largest parish in the Archdiocese.

After Monsignor Wachowiak's well-deserved retirement in 1968, Father Chester Mieczkowski was appointed the fourth pastor. Father Mieczkowski had been an assistant to Monsignor Wachowiak for many years. Later on, Father Mieczkowski was also designated a domestic prelate, or Monsignor.

After World War II, a gradual decline became evident in the parish. In the 1960s and 1970s, the older generation began to pass on and many younger families sought homes in newer sections of the city and in the suburbs. The school began to decline in enrollment, as there were fewer families with children living in the neighborhood. The school finally closed its doors in 1997.

In 1991, Monsignor Mieczkowski retired and Father Ronald Pytel, a native son of the parish was appointed the fifth pastor.

Currently much of the Fells Point, Upper Fells Point and adjacent Canton neighborhoods are undergoing what is called gentrification. Young, often single, professional people who work downtown are moving into these neighborhoods and renovating old row houses. There is also a boom of new apartment and condominium housing, which is changing the face of the area. There is a challenge of re-evangelization of young adult baptized Catholics that are not practicing their faith.

Presently, most Holy Rosary parishioners live outside of the vicinity in other parts of the city and suburbs. A recent study has indicated that Holy Rosary's registered parishioners live in 50 different cities and towns outside of Baltimore. Some live even in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia.

After World War 11 and early in the 1950s, there were an influx of Polish immigrants (displaced persons) which helped to stabilize the need for services in the Polish language. After the imposition of martial law in Poland, another influx of Poles came in the early 1980s. Until this day, a small number of Poles continues to arrive in Baltimore as a result of relocating from other cities for employment reasons.

Holy Rosary Church is a magnet for Polish-speaking people, as the parish continues to promote itself as the spiritual and cultural center of Baltimore's Polonia. At present, Holy Rosary is the only parish to continue using the Polish language at Sunday Mass, and on weekdays as well. Many Polish Catholic customs and traditions are practiced, such as the"Boże Ciało" (Corpus Christi) procession, the Easter Resurrection procession, the Holy Saturday Easter food basket blessing and many other para-liturgical devotions. The Cardinal Hlond Polish School has both religion and Polish language classes for the parish children.

In 1993, Holy Rosary church was designated as the Archdiocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy. It became more famous when the Vatican recognized the healing of Father Ronald Pytel as a miracle through the intercession of Blessed Faustina Kowalska, the miracle which led to her canonization in the year 2000.

After the death of Father Ronald Pytel, in 2003, the Society of Christ (a Polish religious congregation) was invited to assume pastoral charge of the parish. Priests of this order had been working at Holy Rosary as assistants since the early 1970s. Father Richard Philiposki SChr, the first American born priest in the society, was appointed the sixth pastor. In 2005, the parish was blessed when the Sisters of Merciful Jesus arrived from Poland to open their first house on American soil. In October, 2007, Father Jan Michalski SChr was appointed seventh pastor. In October, 2009, Father Zdzislaw Nawrocki SChr was appointed administrator of the parish. In August, 2011, Father Andrzej Totzke SChr was appointed a pastor and together with Father Leszek Wedziuk SChr, serves people.

Holy Rosary Parish, which has one of the most beautiful churches (if not the most beautiful) in the Archdiocese, is looking eagerly to meet its future challenges.

Under the special care and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, Saint Faustina and Blessed John Paul II, our special patrones, and assisted by intercessory prayers of our deceased priests and parishioners now with God in heaven, we move forward in time trusting Jesus-"Jezu Ufam Tobie"! We trust that our mission will continue well into this 21sl century.

Please join us to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Holy Rosary Parish in Baltimore Maryland
Established by Polish Emigrants in 1887

December 9 / Sunday
11:30 a.m. - Solemn Jubilee Mass
12:30 p.m. - Jubilee Concert at the Church
1:00 p.m. - Banquet at the School Hall
408 South Chester Street, Baltimore, MD 21231

For more information call: 410 732-3960
For tickets for banquet call: Christine Grabowski 410-207-4502

Spiritual preparation in English
Speakers:
Rev. Luigi Esposito, Pastor at Our Lady of Pompei in Baltimore
Rev. R. Filipowski S.Chr. from Las Vegas.

December 1 /Saturday/
5:00 p.m. - Mass and homily.

December 2 /Sunday/
8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - Mass and homily.

December 5 /Wednesday/
6:00 p.m. - Adoration of Blessed Sacrament.
6:30 p.m. - Confession.
7:00 p.m. - Mass and homily at St. Faustina Chapel.
7:45 p.m. - Movie: “Our Tainted Nature’s Solitary Boast: Mary, The Mother Of God.”

Father Barron masterfully correlates the Catholic Faith’s testimony to the revelation of God in Christ with the vivid practices of reverence offered to his Mother. Mary is explained as “an on-going presence, an actor in the life of the Church.” Father Barron journeys to the humble remains of Mary’s house in Nazareth‚ to the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus and to the great Marian shrines of Lourdes and Guadalupe to explain the Church’s teachings about Mary as the Mother of God‚ the Immaculate Conception and the dogma of the Assumption.

Duchowe przygotowanie w języku polskim
temat: z Maryją ku wolnośi ducha - Prowadzący: Ks. Andrzej Trojanowski

S. Chr.‚ egzorcysta z Archidiecezji Szczecińsko-Kamieńskiej, budowniczy pierwszego w Polsce Ośrodka Pomocy Duchowej dla osób potrzebujących uwolnienia oraz współtwórca filmu “Egzorcyzmy Anneliese Michel.”

5 grudnia /środa/
temat: Oczyszczenie od wszystkiego co jest obce duchowi bożemu
6:00 p.m. - Adoracja Najświętszego Sakramentu.
7:00 p.m. - Msza z nauką w kościele.

6 grudnia /czwartek/
temat: Zagrożenia duchowe
6:00 p.m. - Adoracja Najświętszego Sakramentu.
7:00 p.m. - Msza z nauką w kościele.
8:00 p.m. - Projekcja filmu “Egzorcyzmy Anneliese Michel.”

7 grudnia /piątek/
temat: jezus uzdriwiciel
3-7:00 p.m. - Adoracja Najświętszego Sakramentu.
6:00 p.m. - Okazja do spowiedzi.
7:00 p.m. - Msza św. i nabożeństwo z prośbą o uzdrowienie.

8 grudnia /sobota/
temat: Osobista konsekracja Bogu przez Maryję
6:00 p.m. - Adoracja Najświętszego Sakramentu.
7:00 p.m. - Msza św. z aktem oddania się Bogu przez Maryję.