One of the precious gems of Milwaukee is St. Stanislaus Church. Located at 524 W. Historic Mitchell Street, this Catholic Church has Latin Mass every Sunday at 10:00 AM. St. Stanislaus is currently being renovated, restoring some of the hidden beauty underneath the paint.
The Polish parish was established in 1866. The cornerstone of the church was placed in 1872 and the church was completed a year later. The first Polish parochial school in America was established in 1873.
The parish thrives because of tradition and faith. From the St. Stanislaus website:
As the parish numbers declined throughout the 1970’s and 80’s, the future of this church was uncertain. In 2007, Archbishop Timothy Dolan gave St. Stanislaus Parish to the care of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest and, in 2008, erected St. Stanislaus Oratory. The Priests of the Institute are dedicated to the celebration of the Extraordinary Rite of the Mass (1962 Latin Rite). The Ordinary Rite Mass (English) is still offered on the Saturday vigil.
With the advent of the Institute at St. Stanislaus, new life has come to the venerable old church. Hundreds of families regularly attend the Extraordinary Rite Mass here on Sundays and weekdays. The Latin Mass has different liturgical requirements which have necessitated changes in the church. The altar has been moved back into the sanctuary, a temporary altar rail has been erected to enable communicants to receive kneeling, and chairs and prie dieu have been added to the sanctuary for the additional servers necessary for High Mass. In addition, the beautiful, antique vestments have been recovered and put back into use.
The choir loft, is adorned with a medallion of St. Cecelia, patroness of musicians Here, the choir sings Gregorian chant and other beautiful ancient Masses. In 2011-12, the organ received a much-needed restoration. The pipes were cleaned and regulated. The action was rebuilt, as were the bellows and control system. A console, formerly built and installed at the minor seminary, was moved and installed here.
