[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 57 (Friday, May 8, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4561-S4562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ANNOUNCEMENT OF CELEBRATIONS OF ST. STANISLAUS AND MONSIGNOR GABALSKI

 Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I rise today to proudly announce 
two celebrations of major historical achievement. Our first event is 
the 50th Anniversary of His Ordination to the Service of Our Lord, the 
Pastor, Reverend Monsignor John R. Gabalski, P.A. The second event is 
the 125th Anniversary of St. Stanislaus R. C. Church, B.M. The first 
event will take place on Saturday, May 23, 1998, with a Mass of 
Thanksgiving in St. Stanislaus R. C. Church at 4:00 p.m. A banquet will 
follow at the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Peter J. Adamski Social Center, 389 
Peckham Street, Buffalo New York. The second event will take place on 
Sunday, June 7, 1998 at 4:00 p.m. with a Mass of Thanksgiving with his 
Excellency, Bishop Henry J. Mansell, Ordinary, of the Diocese of 
Buffalo. A civic reception will follow at the Hearthstone Manor, 333 
Dick Rd., Depew, New York.
  Rt. Rev. Msgr. Gabalski, P.A., attended school at SS. Cyril and 
Methodius Seminary Orchard Lake in February 1945 to May 1948 and was 
ordained on May 22, 1948 in Buffalo's St. Joseph New Cathedral by Most 
Rev. John F. O'Hara. The Reverend attended undergraduate studies at 
Canisius College for math; Norte Dame and Catholic University, 
Washington for adolescent psychology; and at Manhattanville, New York 
for music. In June 1948-August 1949 Msgr. Gabalski attended graduate 
school at De Paul University, Chicago for Polish and in 1949 received 
his M.A. in Polish. He also attended graduate studies in language at 
the University of Detroit and obtained a M.E. in education at Canisius 
in 1968. Msgr. Gabalski has accomplished many achievements too numerous 
to count and has spent much of his time volunteering with different 
organizations. He was a Pastor of Queen of Peace from June 1974 to 
February 1978. Moreover, Reverend Gabalski was a 16-year member at the 
Orchard Lake Michigan Schools and a faculty member and Director of the 
Diocesan Preparatory Seminary. Reverend Gabalski started pastoring St. 
Stanislaus in February 1978. We compliment Msgr. Gabalski with his 
accomplishments with the church and outside achievements.
  The second event is a great milestone in the history of St. 
Stanislaus R.C. Church which is the 5th oldest parish and the 1st 
oldest Polish parish in the Diocese of Buffalo. The nucleus of the 
first Polish parish in Western New York was formed in 1872 under the 
direction of the Rev. Ivannef Gartner and a recent immigrant, Joseph 
Kujawski. According to the 1870 United States census, there were no 
less than 135 natives of Poland within the city limits of Buffalo. John 
Pitass, on June 8, 1873, organized St. Stanislaus Parish at a meeting 
of the St. Stanislaus Society. St. Stanislaus B.M. School opened in 
April, 1874. On August 10, 1882 groundbreaking took place and in 1883 
the first level of the church was built. The founding Pastor was Dean 
Pitass and Rev. Dr. Alexander Pitass was the second Pastor of St. 
Stanislaus. The

[[Page S4562]]

third pastor, Rt. Rev. Peter J. Adamski, founded an all-girls high 
school and was succeeded by the fourth pastor Rev. Msgr. Chester A. 
Meloch in 1974 who began construction of the Resurrection Mausoleum at 
the St. Stanislaus Cemetery. After Msgr. Meloch retired, he was 
succeeded by Msgr. Gabalski. During the current pastor's tenor, the 
Marian Mausoleum was constructed at the cemetery, a unit of the Knights 
of Columbus was established at the parish, the Outreach Center was 
opened, and the Msgr. Adamski Village with apartments for seniors and 
private homes became a reality. We wish St. Stanislaus the best in 
their 125th anniversary to be celebrated in 1998.

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