History

Our Parish History

A church has stood at 678 Leonard Street in Brooklyn since 1838, first as the non-denominational Church of the Evangel, and later as the Christian Church of the Evangel, organized in 1861. The Church of the Evangel was founded by members of a congregation that had previously existed on Suffolk Street in Lower Manhattan. They had moved across the East River to a “better,” near suburban location.

Our Parish was created in September 1922, when a group of Polish immigrants and their children, parishioners of St. Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, decided that their parish did not fairly represent their needs.

The founders of Greepoint’s Polish National Catholic Church were K. Trypuć, W. SzaÅ‚kowski, J. PÄ™drys, A. Wojtowicz, W. Borkowski, A. Arominski, W. Wiszniewski, J. Nawrocki, A. Mazur, S. Godlewski, and W. Rojewski. They had heard Bishops Hodur and Gawrychowski, as well as the Rev. W. Cichy speak at a rally and forum at the Polish National Home on Driggs Ave. in Brooklyn on September 19, 1922. That presentation on the concept of a National Church in which people were free to worship Christ in the Catholic tradition, while at the same time maintaining their voice and vote over the use of the Parish’s assets, motivated them to take action. They had been concerned, and could not obtain an explanation for, the free spending of parish funds by the pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka R.C. Church.

These individuals, and their organizations, taking as their model the strong desire for freedom and independence which had characterized the creation of the United States, their new homeland, seceded from their former Roman Catholic parish and establish a spiritual home of their own. They named their parish ‘Resurrection,’ a name which has dual significance, both commemorating the resurrection of Jesus, but also alluding to the resurrection of their country of origin, Poland, which had undergone centuries of oppression and which, following World War I, was re-establishing itself as a sovereign entity.

The first clergy member to serve the Parish was Bishop Elect Wałenty Gawrychowski, who celebrated the first Holy Mass in the Parish on November 19, 1922.

Parish Societies were organized included the Women Adoration Society, the “White Eagle” Choir, the Defenders of the National Church Society, the “Free Poland” Theatre, The Józef PiÅ‚sudski Branch of the Polish National Union (Branch 153), the Young Men’s Resurrection Society, and the G. Narutowicz School which provided evening classes for children.

With the personal input and guidance of first Prime Bishop, Francis Hodur, the parish quickly grew and Bishop Hodur consecrated the present church building on December 13, 1925.

The early years, while successful in some ways, were difficult in others as the church community had to learn the principles of democratic association, compromise and respect for each other’s ideas.

As a community church, with strong links to its Polish heritage the parish was badly shaken by the Nazi attack on Poland in 1939, and three members of the parish made the supreme sacrifice during World War II. The years following, however, represented a golden era for Resurrection, as returning veterans, bolstered by new immigrants, reinforced by a stable and settled community allowed the church to flourish and expand its mission and its community.

Now, in the 21st Century, our church stands ready to welcome new individuals and communities that wish to worship with us, a beacon of God’s love and compassion, preaching the Word of God, dispensing the sacraments, fostering community and democratic ideals, and doing all things that our Blessed Savior Jesus Christ requested of us.

Clergy who have served

Bishop Elect WaÅ‚enty Gawrychowski, September 1922 – January 1923
Rev. Fryderyk Lachmayr, April – July 1923
Rev. BolesÅ‚aw StepczyÅ„ski, September 1923 – June 1924
Rev. John Tomaszkiewicz, July 1924 – April 1925
Very Rev. Rene Zawistowski, July 1925 – November 1928
Rev. Ladislaus Pawlowski, December 1928 – July 1929
Rev. Edgar Starorypinski, August – September 1929
Rev. Jakub Zielonka, November 1929 – November 1932
Rev. Augustyn Krause, January – October 1933
Rev. A.L. Przyjemski, November 1933
Rev. Feliks RÄ™kas, December 1933 – May 1936
Rev. Joseph Janik, June 1936 – April 1938
Rev. Andrew Tolcz, May 1938 – January 1940
Very Rev. Joseph Zawistowski, February 1940 – January 1942
Rev. Francis Wozniak, February 1942 – December 1944
Rev. Józef Kula, January 1945 – December 1951
Rev. Louis Wiktor, December 1951 – March 1956
Rev. Edmund Gruse, April – June 1958
Rev. Jan Jakubik, June 1958 – April 1969
Rev. Wacław Skoczylas
Rev. Janowski
Rev. John Harchula
Rev. StainsÅ‚aw Kural, 1998 – 2008
Rev. Joseph KoÅ‚ek, 2008 – 2010

Others noted as having served the Parish:

Rev. Władysław Trzepierczyński
Rev. Stefan Kacpura
Very Rev. Wacław Pietruszka