St. Hyacinth Catholic Parish was established on July 7, 1927 to minister to the
spiritual and educational needs of the increase of Polish Americans from St. Stanislaus
Parish. There were already three Polish Catholic national parishes in the area: St.
Anthony (1881), St. Stanislaus (1908) and Nativity (1922). St. Hedwig (1875) and St.
Adalbert (1907) Polish parishes are located in the Lagrange Street area. Catholics of
Polish descent living west of the railroad tracks near Brown Ave. were encouraged to
belong to this new parish. Membership in a national parish is based on belonging to a
given ethnic group and St. Hyacinth was the last to be established in the Toledo Diocese
for Polish Americans.
Bishop Samuel Stritch gave Fr. John F. Lubiatowski the task of organizing the
parish. About 100 families comprised the membership of the new parish. Mass was
offered at St. Stanislaus Church each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for the people of this new
parish until a church could be built.
In August 1927, property was purchased between Evesham and Parkside Blvd.
Since the need of a school was of primary importance, a portable building was purchased
from St. Ignatius Parish for $700 and the temporary school was started. Four Franciscan
Sisters of Sylvania, Ohio welcomed the children on September 19, 1927. Sister M.
Imelda Czubek was the first principal.
The contract for the new church was let December 7, 1927 to Leo Herman of
Bowling Green, Ohio. The cost of the building was $16,000. It was of Gothic style, 110
feet long and 42 feet wide with a seating capacity of 400. On Sunday, December 18,
1927, the corner stone and bell were blessed. Unbelievable as it may seem, the contractor
with his crew and men from the parish along with Fr. Lubiatowski, worked around the
clock so that the church could hold the first Mass on Christmas Day 1927 on a portable
altar.
The beautiful Gothic wood altar we remember from the old church was given for
our use by the Ursuline Sisters of Toledo on condition that, when the parish was able to
get one of its own, the altar would be returned. The altar came from their chapel on
Cherry Street and was a gift from Dr. and Mrs. Francis Pilliod, major benefactors of the
Ursulines. The statue of St. Hyacinth was a gift of the Holy Name Society.
Contracts were awarded in early 1928 to Aloysius Herman, architect, and Leo
Herman, contractor, for a brick rectory and convent and these were soon completed. In
June of the same year, more property was purchased. Leo Herman, contractor,
constructed the permanent school replacing the portable at a cost of $25,955.
The 1930s and the early 1940s were financially difficult for many people. At the
earnest request of many parishioners to Fr. Lubiatowski, spending was kept to a
minimum. These buildings were all the physical structures of the parish until early 1953
when the rectory was enlarged and the church parking lot was paved.
Fr. John Lubiatowski died suddenly on December 6, 1954. He faithfully served this
parish for over twenty-five years and left a long remembered legacy to the community.
Rev. Wenceslaus A. Czajkowski, pastor of St. Mary Magdalen in Rossford, Ohio
was appointed pastor on March 24, 1955. Several problems confronted him on his arrival.
The school was overcrowded as the portable was still being used for classroom space.
The Sisters’ Convent needed remodeling and the church was inadequate for the increased
membership of the parish which was 3,155.
Three classrooms were added to the rear of the school. Two meeting rooms and
new restrooms were added in the new basement section. The windows in the older
classrooms were improved with glass blocks. A wing was added onto the convent that
included a chapel, office and additional sleeping rooms. The rectory was remodeled in
1957 with the addition of a wing in the back. This made room for the councilmen and a
larger kitchen. A new roof was put over the entire structure.
A new place of worship was the biggest undertaking of the pastor and the
parishioners. Fr. Czajkowski met with the parishioners on a Sunday afternoon in
February 1957 to explain the problems with the old church building and the need for a
new structure. It was decided that each employed parishioner would be asked to
contribute $2.00 each Sunday until each reached a goal of $300. One dollar at this time
had the purchasing power of $6.00 today. 266 families contributed that amount and 18
exceeded the goal.
The last Sunday masses were held on March 8, 1959 in the old church. The
basement school hall served as the temporary church for services. The old building was
torn down during Holy Week and the building of the new church began. The corner stone
was blessed on September 30, 1959 by Bishop George J. Rehring. Though not yet
completed, the new church was ready for services on March 24, 1960. Seating was for an
estimated 700 persons.
The architect for the church was Harold Munger. The design is a combination of
contemporary and 6th century basilica style. Features include bays with dormer-style
windows along the sides, Italian marble wainscoting, mission tile roof and a bell tower. A
fifteen-foot stained glass window of St. Hyacinth is above the entrance. The stained glass
windows on the side in the nave depict the Seven Sacraments and other religious themes.
The life-size marble crucifix in the sanctuary is the focal point when you enter the
church. The builder was Comte Construction Company at a cost of over $325,000. The
solemn blessing and mass was on Sunday, May 29, 1960, with Bishop George J. Rehring
presiding.
St. Hyacinth Parish had now entered a new era with a remodeled school, convent,
rectory and a beautiful new church. The parishioners were indeed grateful for their
sacrifices.
Looking back in this period of our parish’s history, there were many active
organizations contributing to the spiritual and social life of our parish. Some were started
during the pastorate of Fr. Lubiatowski. Councilmen, now replaced with ushers, the
Altar-Rosary Society, the Holy Name Society, the St. Francis Guild and the St. Vincent
de Paul Society are still active. The Parents and Teachers Club, the Sodality of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, the Boy Scout Troop No. 161, and the Cub Scouts have disbanded,
but they provided a very useful service at one time. The pastor, associate pastors and
parishioners were moderators of these groups. The Parish Council, now called the
Pastoral Council, was begun when Fr. Czajkowski was pastor. The St. Hyacinth Seniors
Club is the newest organization that began with the suggestion and encouragement of Fr.
Slominski.
St. Hyacinth Parish had two adult choirs for many years. An appeal by
Fr. Czajkowski in 1960 led to the formation of the Men’s Choir. Associate pastor
Fr. Zygmunt Pitula was the moderator, John Mannes was the choral music instructor and
Benny Dudek was the director. About 30 men composed the early choir and their first
mass was sung in Latin for the first communion class of 1960. In the 1970s, women were
invited to join and the name was changed to the Mixed Choir.
The Ladies Choir was organized in 1965 by associate pastor Fr. Ralph Biernacki.
When he was transferred, Joseph Jakutowicz agreed to become their director. The choir
sang the Polish Mass on Sunday and for many special parish and local functions. Both
choirs recorded albums. Because of declining membership, the choirs were combined in
2002. Chris Jakutowicz is the current liturgy and music director. The choir also
participates in the Wieczor Koled celebrated by all Toledo Polish parishes. We are
thankful for the many parishioners who were members and those who are still are.
Festivals are part of our ethnic heritage. St. Hyacinth Parish has had many over
the years. They bring friends and relatives together and also raise money to defray
operating costs. We were the first to have a Polish-American Festival in 1970, organized
by Joseph Jakutowicz, that invited all Polish parishes and any others interested to attend.
The main theme was Polish music, food and games. Bands played music for dancing and
listening. Attendance grew and it was moved to the Lucas County Recreation Center. The
festival is now celebrated in the Polish Village/Lagrange Street area.
The papacy of Pope Paul VI initiated extensive liturgical reform. Starting in 1969,
a New Order of the Mass, a new church calendar, the use of vernacular languages in all
sacramental rites, the restoration of the permanent deaconate, and new ministries for lay
persons was gradually introduced. As a result, the priest faced the people during mass
which was now in English or Polish. St. Hyacinth has lay Eucharistic Ministers and
Lectors now and are blessed with a permanent deacon. Rev. Mr. Robert Pacholski was
our first, Rev. Mr. Irvin Gonsiorowski served St. Hyacinth faithfully from 1983 until his
death in 2003. Since then, Rev. Mr. Ronald Peeps had been assigned to our parish until
his new assignment in March 2007 to St. Pius X Parish. His replacement is Rev. Mr.
Michael Pence.
As the years went by, neighborhood demographics changed. St. Jude Parish,
which was established as a territorial parish, lowered our parish and school enrollment
and other parishioners moved away. By 1972, parish membership was around 2,700.
Msgr. Czajkowski, who was made a papal chamberlain in 1963, retired in October 1972
and relocated to Bradenton, Florida.
Rev. Bede Slominski was appointed pastor on November 17, 1972. He continued
to meet the spiritual needs and administrative concerns of the parish including the school
situation. Principals, Sr. Madaleva and then Sr. Joanne along with Fr. Bede stressed the
importance of keeping the school open. They incorporated the students, whenever
possible and regardless of faith or race, into parish liturgies and celebrations.
In anticipation of our Golden Jubilee, the Parish Council with the guidance of Fr.
Slominski inaugurated the Immediate Action Fund to raise more than $100,000 for
improvements. The sanctuary was remodeled to conform to the needs of the updated
liturgy with a new sacrificial altar, a reduced altar railing, new carpeting, sanctuary
furnishings and interior repainting. The Holy Name Society donated a carillon that played
Polish hymns.
The Golden Jubilee was opened by Bishop Albert Ottenweller in November 1976.
Other events throughout the year celebrated our Polish heritage. Bishop John Donovan
presided at our Mass of Thanksgiving in September 1977 with members from all
organizations processing into church.
Through the efforts of Fr. Slominski, our membership in Central City Ministries
of Toledo was accepted. Also, in order to help defray the cost of school operations, bingo
in the school hall was held on a weekly basis. A group of regular volunteers manned the
tables and called the numbers. Bingo was discontinued in the early 1990s.
Parish membership continued to decline and non-Catholic students were already
enrolled in the school. A Sunday Mass in Polish was celebrated at least once a month.
The position of associate pastor ended when Msgr. Czajkowski retired. Fr. Thomas
O’Neill, OSFS, helped on weekends and sometimes during the week. Fr. John Hemstreet
was appointed temporary administrator in 1978 when our pastor was on sick leave.
Fr. Slominski returned, but his health continued to deteriorate and he died on June 16,
1983 from a massive heart attack.
Rev. Paul Camp was appointed pastor in August 1983. He was confronted with
many of the same problems. Many parishioners had moved away, especially those with
school age children. Only 15% of the student body was Catholic. Fr. Camp brought
optimism to a very changing parish community. We were already members of CCMT and
with his guidance, we sought ways to reach out into our local community and embrace
ethnic diversity. Sr. Mary Pius, OSF/S returned as a pastoral associate. We still had an
occasional Polish Mass presided by the priest from St. Adalbert Parish. When we
changed to one Mass on Sunday, the Polish Mass was discontinued.
Shortly after cleaning and repainting the church interior, tragedy struck on
October 13, 1984. A fire, possibly arson, which had begun in the sacristy, caused
extensive heat and smoke damage to the interior estimated at over $200,000. The
saddened parish community came together to restore the damage. Weekend masses were
again held in the school hall while the renovation was taking place. Joseph Jakutowicz
did an excellent job of coordinating the restoration and replacement of damaged fixtures,
altar cloths and vestments. Interior walls were repainted. The sacristy was redone and all
woodwork was refinished. The intense heat destroyed the organ and it was replaced. On
February 9, 1985, Bishop James R. Hoffman rededicated the church.
In 1989 Fr. Camp transferred to the Diocese of Cleveland and Rev. John Shiffler
was appointed the fifth pastor of St. Hyacinth Parish on July 1, 1989.
Fr. Shiffler, a son of the parish, came with great enthusiasm to minister to us. He
too had to deal with the problems of declining parish membership and the increased costs
to operate our school. School enrollment was almost totally non-Catholic and AfricanAmerican. Our first lay principal, Rita Dominick, and Fr. Shiffler urged us to continue
the school as its presence was needed in the central city. Financial aid from Central City
Ministries and the parish subsidy enabled us to continue the school as an outreach
ministry.
Fr. Shiffler referred to our church as “the jewel of the boulevard” and started a
remodeling fund raiser. All stained glass windows were reinforced. The interior was
repainted and new lighting along the sides in the nave was installed. A new canopy
replaced the original above the main altar. Symbols of the four evangelists were placed
on the side sanctuary walls. Portraits of four saints, honoring the other Polish parishes,
were placed on the ceiling in the church proper. Two ceramic murals, St. Francis and the
Holy Family, were commissioned and executed by Sr. Jane Mary Sorosiak, OSF/S. They
were installed next to each side altar. The Holy Family mural was a gift of Sophie
Wilczynski. The church was also air-conditioned. Several pews in the back were removed
and a gathering area was created with the iron grillwork recycled as dividers. Parish
membership stabilized to a degree and the school continued to have a healthy enrollment.
Fr. Shiffler left our parish early in 1995 on a leave of absence. He later became
chaplain for the Little Sisters of the Poor and then was appointed administrator of Our
Lady of Fatima, Lyons, Ohio and Our Lady of Mercy, Fayette, Ohio. Rev. Jonathan C.
Wight, associate pastor of Christ the King in Toledo, was appointed our next pastor in
July 1996.
Fr. Wight was our first non-Polish pastor. He was also a part-time instructor at
St. Francis de Sales High School. This would be a different era for our parish. Fr. Wight
quickly familiarized himself with our needs and we are thankful for his ministry to us.
With the assistance of Deacon Irv Gonsiorowski and Fr. Wight, we still celebrated
Lenten, May and October devotions as well as blessing the Easter food and Forty Hours.
The choir continued to sing the popular and remembered Polish hymns.
The Sisters of St. Francis from Sylvania withdrew from our parish in 1997. Over
100 Sylvania Franciscans were assigned to St. Hyacinth and gave many years of
dedicated service in the classroom, care of the church sanctuary and participation in
parish activities.
The Sisters of Notre Dame from Toledo offered to move into the convent.
Sr. Lynda Snyder, SND also was hired as the principal of our school. We were very sad
to lose the services of the Franciscan Sisters, but gladly accepted the Notre Dame Sisters
as a continued presence of Sisters in the parish.
Fr. Wight saw to it that repairs to the school, convent and church would be made
as needed. The convent was repainted and plumbing repaired. New restrooms were
installed in the school. Roof repairs were also made. The parking lot was resurfaced and
better security was installed. The Holy Spirit ceramic mural, again executed by Sr. Jane
Mary, OSF/S, was placed in a side niche. It was a gift from Melvin Wilczynski. The
rectory was repainted and new carpeting was installed.
The lamb, a symbol of Jesus Christ, from the center of the original altar was
recently recovered. It was restored and placed in the center of the sacrificial altar during
the Diamond Jubilee Mass. Thus the old and the new were combined to remind us of our
beginning, the present and our hope for the future.
The bells of St. Hyacinth tolled their last sometime in April 2002. The electronic
system had been working for over 40 years and was beyond repair. Fr. Wight made an
appeal to the people to make a special contribution for a new system. Parishioners and
others responded so well that the bells once again rang for our jubilee.
August 17, 2002 was a joyous day for St. Hyacinth Parish. We celebrated our
75th Jubilee with Bishop James R. Hoffman presiding at the Mass. Former pastors,
religious who served or were former members of the parish and parishioners, both present
and past, filled the church. A dinner dance was held at the Inverness Country Club in the
evening. It was a wonderful and memorable celebration.
Fr. Jonathan C. Wight transferred to All Saints Parish in Rossford on July 1, 2003.
Fr. James Sanford, OSFS was appointed to be our new pastor. This was our first pastor
from a religious order, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. These next three years would
be filled with change, adjustments, acceptance and challenges to the parish community.
Fr. Sanford came with enthusiasm and ministered very capably. He learned our
Polish celebrations and honored them. The school was running smoothly under the
leadership of Sr. Lynda Snyder. A generous and anonymous donation to the parish
allowed us to build a ramp to the school basement hall that was finally completed in
October 2004. This made it easier for the seniors and those with limited mobility to take
part in the parish events that are held there. Our church organ was also causing repair
problems and this was replaced when a new one was installed in March 2004, also a
result of the anonymous donation. We are honored by someone who believes in our
mission.
When the Oblates assumed responsibility of Gesu Parish, their Provincial
Superior moved Fr. Sanford to St. Pius X Parish. It has always been ministered by the
Oblates. They take a vow of obedience, so we had to accept the change in pastors again.
Fr. Nelson Beaver was appointed to be our next pastor on July 1, 2004. He came
to us from a rural parish. This would be a year of challenges for him and us. Fr. Beaver
also familiarized himself with our Polish celebrations. He was noted for his daily walks
in the neighborhood. We accepted the change again and Fr. Beaver expected to stay with
us for several years.
The Diocesan School Office and CCMT took over the operation of the Central
City Catholic Schools. In deciding how to best serve the area, St. Hyacinth School was
closed at the end of the school year in June 2005. We regretted this action, but were told
that it would become a charter school, The Imani Learning Academy. Rent would be paid
for use of the building. Another change that the parishioners adjusted to and accepted.
The Notre Dame Sisters do not staff charter schools. They do continue to live in
the convent and remain active as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and in parish functions.
We appreciate their continued presence here.
St. Hyacinth Parish is proud of the 78 year legacy of the quality Catholic
education it provided to the children of the parishioners and, in recent years, to nonmembers children. This was a primary outreach ministry for us. Franciscan Sr. M. Helena
will also be remembered as the longest serving principal. We did not abandon our
commitment to education. A portion of the school rent money is given to St. Charles
Parish for their school.
Due to population shifts in the Toledo area and the declining number of available
priests, the Diocese of Toledo realigned the parishes and some were closed. St. Anthony
and St. Stanislaus closed on June 30, 2005. We would be the last parish with Polish roots
remaining in this part of the city and with specific boundaries. We welcomed the
members of those parishes to join with us and celebrate the Polish traditions.
To honor and remember the history and the ministry of these two parishes, we
received the statue and relic of St. Stanislaus and are awaiting a religious symbol from
St. Anthony, the mother Polish parish in this neighborhood.
St. Jude Parish was closed on December 31, 2005. Many of our former members
joined their when it was established. We again welcomed them to join us. The statue and
relic of St. Jude are also in a place of honor in our church.
Because of the parish realignments and closings, Fr. Beaver was reassigned to
another parish on July 1, 2005. We are now twinned with St. Charles Parish with
Fr. Gregory Peatee as pastor of both. What an adventure for him and for us!
Fr. Peatee lives at St. Charles and both parish offices are located at the
St. Hyacinth rectory. He is energetic and willing to accommodate our Polish uniqueness.
We have been adjusting and accepting for three years. We welcomed Fr. Peatee to our
parish family. Our Polish spirit will help us to continue onward to our final reward.
In anticipation of our 80th Jubilee Celebration, a fund raiser was started and
exceeded its goal. We started to spruce up the church. The Altar Society has already
funded the repair and refurbishing of the beautiful tabernacle and Fr. Lubiatowski’s
chalice. They also purchased new vestments and altar cloths. The candle holders,
processional cross, ambo candle holders, sanctuary lamp stand and the Pascal candle
stand have also been refurbished.
The Eikona Studio of Cleveland, Ohio was commissioned to paint three canvases
for the church. The symbol of the Holy Trinity was installed on the sanctuary ceiling.
Portraits of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II were installed on sides of the side
altars. John XXIII was Pope when this church was built in 1960 and John Paul II is
honored for being the first Polish Pope.
Some of the shrines on the sides in the nave were rearranged. The original
Sacred Heart statue is as always in one. The hand-carved wood picture of Our Lady of
Czestochowa along with a statue of St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Jude is in another. The
Infant of Prague is also enshrined separately.
The statue of St. Hyacinth has its own special shrine. His relic, the original which
was lost during the 1984 fire and replaced, is also there. The framed authenticating
papers for this relic are signed by Karol Wojtyla who became John Paul II. First class
relics are particles from a saint’s body.
An annual memorial service is held on or near All Souls Day and remembers the
parishioners who have died the past year. The St. Vincent de Paul Society recites the
rosary at the funeral home at the time of death. These traditions are long standing and
are our way of honoring the faithful members of our parish. They are not forgotten.
We are proud of the vocations to the priesthood, permanent deaconate, religious
sisterhood and lay ministry that were nurtured in our parish. They minister in the
Toledo Diocese and elsewhere and refer to us as their home parish.
We, the over 400 members of St. Hyacinth Parish, have an 80 year history of
struggles, sorrows and much joy. We are the church and we have changed. We have
become multicultural. We still celebrate some Polish customs. But, all of us can reflect
on our continued mission that “As a Roman Catholic faith community in Central Toledo,
rich in our Polish heritage, St. Hyacinth welcomes all persons to participate in its life
and outreach according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”