The history of any place or thing starts with its inception. We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish. But what is really the start of the parish? We are counting on the assignment of the first Pastor to the parish. However, plans were made several years earlier and even the land was bought a few years before Rev. Father John Z. Moneta was assigned to the parish. Father Moneta was the first pastor and that means the people of Worcester finally had an official title and therefore were a parish. The church building was not finished until August 15, 1906, when Father Moneta celebrated the First Mass in the Church. The Bishop of the Springfield diocese, Bishop Thomas D. Beaven, dedicated the Church on November 29, 1906. Less than a year later Father Moneta died. His grave is next to Msgr. Bojanowski’s in Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester. The second Pastor, Father Peter C. Reding took over in 1907, and on November 5, 1911, he also went to his eternal reward. Father Joseph Tomikowski became the next shepherd of this parish and stayed only until 1913 when he was sent by the Bishop to Immaculate Conception Parish, in Indian Orchard. The next Pastor to come to us is the one who was the most energetic builder and the most long-lasting and serving of all the pastors of Saint Mary’s.
On May 3, 1913, Rev. Father Boleslaw A. Bojanowski was assigned to this Parish. A year later, construction began on our Parish school and it opened for students on September 5, 1915. May additions followed. On June 16, 1926, the school, with an auditorium and gymnasium was completed. His Holiness Pope XI elevated Father Bojanowski to Domestic Prelate in December 1926 and on February 24, 1935, Bishop Thomas M. O’Leary invested Father Bojanowski as Right Reverend Boleslaw A. Bojanowski. A year later, in September 1936, Msgr. opened the Parish High School. These are the most admirable and extraordinary accomplishments for a parish priest and Msgr. Bojanowski will always be remembered for his foresight and good guidance.
Father Charles J. Chwalek succeeded Monsignor Bojanowski on February 10, 1956. For forty-three years, Msgr. Bojanowski led the people of the parish. Bishop Wright retired him at that time and he died at the Providence Nursing Home on June 9, 1964. Father Chwalek was eager to continue the success of this parish and under his direction the church was renovated and enlarged, the rectory was moved from Richland Street to its present location and it too was enlarged. In October 1959 there was a fire in the High School, followed by another in November Thanks be to God, the parish had in its Pastor another builder In 1964 a new High School was dedicated and stands today as a testament to the love of the parishioners for their parish Father Chwalek was responsible for many of the renovations that we see around us today and in recognition of his labors he too was elevated to the rank of Domestic Prelate on March 19, 1961. Monsignor labored tirelessly until his retirement on June 15, 1976. The Rev. Father Chester J. Janczukowicz was appointed Pastor a month after Monsignor retired.
Father Janczukowicz was born in the parish and served as a curate from 1954 until 1966. On August 27, 1976, Father Janczukowicz was made the sixth Pastor of our parish. Father Janczukowicz reorganized the parish school and redecorated the church to meet the current liturgical norms. Father Janczukowicz was the pastor here until 1993 and in his time a new marble altar and pulpit were installed in the church. All of the windows of the church were replaced with the beautiful stained glass windows that we see here now. Father Janczukowicz also saw the new siding on the church itself and completely cleaned up, painted, and decorated the interior of the church to the beautiful state that it is in now. Many things were done by Father Janczukowicz that may not be noticed by the average observer, but Father Janczukowicz must be recognized for his renovating the beautiful statues and Christmas manger set that we are so proud of as parishioners here. Father Janczukowicz even attended to the detail of decorating the Baptismal font in our church. It is a true treasure of our heritage and no doubt is the very one that was in use when Father Janczukowicz was baptized. Father Janczukowicz retired in June 1993 after serving here for seventeen years as the Pastor and for twelve years as a curate. That means he served the people of this parish for twenty-nine years. The Bishop of Worcester, Bishop Harrington, elevated Father “Chet” to Monsignor Chester J. Janczukowicz a year before his retirement and he will always be remembered as a priest, pastor, and monsignor who loved this parish. Monsignor Janczukowicz spent his retirement years in the rectory of Saint Joseph’s Parish, now Saint Joseph’s Basilica in Webster. Monsignor passed on to his eternal reward on May 20, 1997.
The seventh Pastor of the parish was Rev. Father Thaddeus X. Stachura. Father Stachura came here in June 1993 and retired after 21 years.
On July 1, 2014, Father Ryszard Polek was appointed as the new Pastor. He served first as Associate Pastor with Fr. Stachura for five years, since July 1, 2009.
Fr. Edward Michalski was appointed as the new Associate Pastor on July 1, 2014.
In August 2016, he was assigned as a hospital chaplain, with a residency at Our Lady of Czestochowa Rectory.
At the beginning of October 2017, Fr. Tomasz Góra arrived from Poland and was appointed as our new Associate pastor.
In June 2020, during the year of COVID-19 pandemic, the parish school - St. Mary's PreK-12 was closed due to low enrolment and insufficient funds to run the school and accomplish necessary updates and renovations in the school building. At the same time, St. Stephen School in Worcester was closed for the same reasons.
On March 31st, 2021, school building along with the Visitation House (former Convent) were sold. After paying off the school debt of over $172,000 (this amount did not include the debt to the parish, which is difficult to determine), the rest of the proceeds were deposited in the parish DEF savings account.
With the closing and selling of the School and Convent property, we have closed a beautiful, 105 years long, chapter in the history of our parish and the Polish immigrants in Worcester. Although it was a very sad moment in the life of our parish, we look forward to many more years as a thriving parish community, as we continue to make disciples for Christ, serving Polonia of Worcester and the area, and all who would like to join us.
Following the extensive renovation project sponsored by the new owner, the St. Mary's School building became the new home of Learning First Charter Public School.