Saint Hedwig's Parish was formally established at third and Wallace Streets in 1911, by Reverend John E. Fitzmaurice, Bishop of Erie. Prior to this time, Catholics parishes in the city, East of Parade Street, worshiped either at St. Stanislaus, St. Mary's, or St. Patrick's church.
In 1909 the continuously growing parish of Saint Hedwig was in need of its own church. Father Andrew Ignasiak, with a chosen committee, prepared for the foundation of Saint Hedwig's Parish to be situated on the Southeast corner of Third and Wallace Streets, the property extending South about 160 feet, and East about 290 feet. The property on which Saint Hedwig's buildings would to stand originally belonged to Elizabeth F. Denny. After her death it was willed to her daughter, Amelia Melisina Brereton, who, on October 1, 1909, sold one part of her estate to the parish for the construction of the church. The two story structure was designed by Paul Rys, the second floor housing a 300 seat church, and the first floor a two room school.
On May 3, 1911, Father Francis Robaczewski was called from Tyler, Pennsylvania, a small mining town where he had built the present parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka, to become the first pastor of the newly-founded parish of Saint Hedwig in Erie. He offered the first Solemn High Mass in the new church on May 11, 1911. One month later, on July 4, Bishop Fitzmaurice visited and dedicated the new church.
Besides the two classrooms, the first floor served as the pastor's residence until 1913, when the pastor then moved into the newly constructed convent adjacent to the church, which would serve as a rectory until 1929. From 1911 through 1912 the teaching Felician Sisters at Saint Hedwig lived at the St. Stanislaus Convent, before moving in 1913, to Saint Hedwig's Parish, where they made their first home, in the pastor’s former residence, on the first floor of the church. As the school expanded to eight classrooms, the teaching staff increased, the fourth street church became crowded and the sisters moved into the third street convent, occupied by the pastor and assistant.
During the tough economic times of the Great Depression, parishioners came together with Father Robaczewski and began the building the superstructure of what would soon become the parish’s new church. Cobblestone was obtained in Erie from streets that were being modernized with new asphalt pavement, skilled laborers and Volunteers came together to build the new church, which was finished in 1934.
When Father Louis Kozlowski was appointed pastor at Saint Hedwig in November of 1959, he continued the parish’s ongoing fund raising program to build a new school with the aid of the School Building Committee. On September 25, 1960, ground was finally broken, and in the following year on March 14, 1961, the final plans were drawn by the architectural Firm. At the end of the school year, on May 8, 1961, faculty and students gathered to watch the demolition of their wooden eight-room school before recessing for the summer, returning that year in September of 1961, to their newly constructed school.
The Second Vatican Council brought several changes to Saint Hedwig’s Parish, one of which was for the first time, the priest gave the Mass in English, while facing the congregation from a portable altar.
Saint Hedwig Firsts:
First Baptism: May 19, 1911, Jadwiga Czartoryski
First Communion Class: June 21, 1912
First Confirmation Class: May 16, 1915
First Marriage: July 3, 1911, John to Katarzyna Ingator
First Funeral: July 6, 1911, Genowefa Podurgiel
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| Dedication of the first church (1911) |
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| The first pastor “Monsignor Robaczewski” built the convent, rectory, and present church. |
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| Groundbreaking for the new school (September 1960) |
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Saint Hedwig’s Parish First, and Last Band:
(L-R) Joe Osiecki, Norman Laniewicz, Bob Filipkowski, John Bargielski, Larry Bargielski, Jack Suleski, Tom Markiewicz, Jerry Krusziewski, Jim Potocki. |
