[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 34 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E344]]


   CELEBRATION OF 90 YEARS ST. JOSEPH'S PARISH, WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GERALD D. KLECZKA

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 4, 1999

  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to honor the men 
and women of St. Joseph's Parish, West Allis, Wisconsin, as they 
celebrate the church's proud heritage and its 90th anniversary with a 
special Mass and dinner on March 21st.
  Shortly after the turn of the century, the steady expansion of farm 
and industrial machinery firms led many immigrants to the rolling 
fields and wide-open spaces of the city of West Allis. Satisfied with a 
sense of security and prosperity offered by West Allis, many Polish 
immigrants settled in the city. These men and women soon approached the 
Milwaukee Archdiocese for permission to erect a church and school in 
their own new neighborhood, one which would praise God in their native 
tongue and further teach and strengthen them and their growing 
families. In 1906, the Archbishop agreed to send the new parish a 
Polish speaking priest for their church and Polish speaking nuns for 
their school. At a November meeting the name Saint Joseph was chosen as 
Patron of this new church.
  A temporary pastor was appointed and the beginnings of St. Joseph's 
parish were slow. However, once a definite site for the parish church 
and school were agreed upon, things moved quickly. Twenty lots on 
Mitchell Street, between 64th and 65th Street, the present site of St. 
Joseph's, were purchased at a cost of $2,200. The first resident 
pastor, Father Anton Kierzek, was appointed in the fall of 1908. The 
building's cornerstone was laid in March of 1909 and the wooden two-
story structure, built for $7,500, was dedicated in May.
  Thus, the works and deeds of a small group of Polish immigrants were 
successful in erecting a temple for worship and a school to train and 
rear their offspring. The city of West Allis grew rapidly; local 
industries flourished. More Polish families built homes near the 
parish. In 1924, plans for a new parish building, both chapel and 
school, were completed. This structure, built of block and brick, has 
become a familiar landmark in the city to the present.
  A roll call of the parish leaders over the years reveals traditional 
Polish names: Szukalski, Lipinski, Iglinski, Barczak, Makowski, 
Bieniewski, and Barszczewski. The names of the parish priests since the 
early 1960s continues that Polish tradition: Fathers Peksa, Piechowski 
and the current priest, Father James Posanski.
  Congratulations to the men, women and families of St. Joseph's Parish 
on your proud heritage and 90 years of service and worship. May God 
continue to bless each and every one of the parish members as they face 
new challenges.

                          ____________________