Background
After the failure to gain independence of Russia in 1863 and years of political and social unrest, Poles emigrated to the United States in ever increasing numbers, peaking in the 1880s. In Western Massachusetts between 1890 and 1910, immigrants created a string of institutions to support their community, including social clubs, benevolent societies, veterans' groups, and a long string of Polish Catholic churches.
Scope of collection
The Polish Jubilee Collection consists primarily of commemorative booklets containing parish and community histories, photographs, and local advertisements, that celebrate the Jubilee, other anniversaries, and events in over twenty Massachusetts Polish American parishes. It also includes booklets furnishing histories and names associated with Polish American groups, such as the Brotherly Aid Society, Medical and Dental Association, Polish National Home Association, Polish American Veterans, and the Polish Women's Alliance.
Among other items are a paper, "The Dawn of Polish Independentism in New England: Separatists of Chicopee, Massachusetts" by William Wolkovich-Valkavicius; a pamphlet "Images of a Polish Christmas Wigilia" by Sophia Kielb 1988, including songs and recipes; photographs of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church in Turner's Falls and of Fr. Alfons A. Skoniecki; a booklet, "Springfield's Ethnic Heritage: The Polish Community" by Barry Schatz, 1976; and two books, Last of the Titans: Monsignor-Colonel Alphonse A. Skoniecki of Massachusetts, by Daniel S. Buczek, 1986, and Society of Christ in America, a church history detailing the life of a priest and the immigrant communities he served; and Struggle for Life, by "Laudator" 1971, which contains a bibliography and details the dangers of communism.
Materials are arranged by town and organized chronologically.
Inventory
Boston: Our Lady of Czestochowa 90th Anniversary Booklet, South Boston
1983
Box 1: 1
Boston: Polish Constitution Day, A Celebration, State House
1987
Box 1: 2
Chicopee: St. Stanislaus 25th Anniversary Book
1916
Box 1: 3
Chicopee: Silver Jubilee (25th), Friends of Liberty Society
1942
Box 1: 4
Chicopee: Veterans of the Polish Home Army of World War II
1954
Box 1: 5
Chicopee: Jubilee Journal: 40th Anniversary of the Friends of Liberty Society
1957
Box 1: 6
Chicopee: 45th Anniversary of the Polish National Home Association
1959
Box 1: 7
Chicopee: St. Stanislaus Diamond Jubilee
1966
Box 1: 8
Chicopee: Grand Opening Banquet: Polish American Veterans of World Wars
1967
Box 1: 9
Chicopee: 75th Anniversary Souvenir Book, Holy Mother of the Rosary Church
1972
Box 1: 10
Chicopee: St. Anthony of Padua, Golden Jubilee of the Parish
1976
Box 1: 11
Chicopee: 33rd Annual Convention, Polish American Veterans of Massachusetts
1981
Box 1: 12
Chicopee: 25th Anniversary, Polish Veterans of World War II, Post #38
1981
Box 1: 13
Chicopee: Festival Kultury Polskiej: A Celebration of Polish Culture, Society of Polish American Culture of Western Massachusetts
1984, 1988
Box 1: 14
Chicopee: Dawn of Polish Independencies in New England, by William Wolkovich-Valkavicius
1987
Box 1: 15
Chicopee: Images of a Polish Christmas "Wigilia," by Sonia Kielb
1988
Box 1: 16
Easthampton: Album Jubileuszowy, 50th Anniversary of the Founding of Sacred Heart Parish
1958
Box 2: 17
Granby: Silver Jubilee, St. Hyacinth Seminary
1952
Box 2: 18
Greenfield: Golden Jubilee Album, Sacred Heart Church
1962
Box 2: 19
Hadley: Dedication, Holy Rosary Church
1977
Box 2: 20
Hatfield: Silver Jubilee Album, Holy Trinity Parish
1941
Box 2: 21
Holyoke: Profile, Mater Dolorosa Church
1982
Box 2: 22
Housatonic: Fiftieth Anniversary Album, All Saints Parish
1965
Box 2: 23
Indian Orchard: First Baptism in New Church; Golden Jubilee of the Gwardja Tadeusza Kosciuszki Society; Immaculate Conception Church
1906, 1954, 1980
Box 2: 24
Ludlow: 25th Anniversary, Christ the King Church; Czerwone Maki; Rev. Xavier S. Baranowski, 45th and 50th Anniversary of his Ordination, Christ the King Parish
1973, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985
Box 2: 25
(For more on Czerwone Maki, see MS 306 Newspaper Collection)
Northampton: St. John Cantius Church, 50th Anniversary; Golden Jubilee, St. Valentine's (Polish National)
1954, 1981
Box 2: 26
Pittsfield: 50th Anniversary Album of the Holy Family Parish
1963
Box 2: 27
South Deerfield: 20th, 25th, 50th, and 60th Anniversaries, Holy Name of Jesus (Polish National); Album Jubileuszowy 50, St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church; St. Stanislaus Church, 75th Anniversary
1949, 1954, 1959, 1974, 1989
Box 2: 28
Springfield: Polish Day Tercentenary Observance
1936
Box 3: 29
Springfield: Grand Opening, New Home and Club of the Polish Community Home
1937
Box 3: 30
Springfield: History of Our Lady of the Rosary Church
1947
Box 3: 31
Springfield: 30th Anniversary of the St. Stanislaus Brotherly Aid Society
1948
Box 3: 32
Springfield: As We Know Ks. Stanislaus S. Orlemanski, Parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary
1955
Box 3: 33
Springfield: 40th Anniversary of the St. Stanislaus Brotherly Aid Society
1958
Box 3: 34
Springfield: 350th Anniversary to Commemorate the Arrival of the First Polish Settlers to the U.S.
1958
Box 3: 35
Springfield: Silver Jubilee, St. Joseph's Parish (Polish National)
1959
Box 3: 36
Springfield: The Millennium of Poland: One Thousand Years of Her History as a Christian Nation
1960
Box 3: 37
Springfield: 50th Anniversary of the St. Stanislaus Brotherly Aid Society
1969
Box 3: 38
Springfield: Springfield's Ethnic Heritage: The Polish Community
1976
Box 3: 39
Springfield: Rev. John P. Skowronski, 40th Anniversary of his Ordination, Our Lady of the Rosary
1976
Box 3: 40
Springfield: Golden Jubilee, St. Joseph's Church (Polish National)
1984
Box 3: 41
Springfield: Polish Women's Alliance of America, Group 422, 60th Anniversary
1984
Box 3: 42
Springfield: 75th Anniversary of the Jan Sobieski Brotherly Aid Society
1985
Box 3: 43
Springfield: Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, 70th Anniversary
1987
Box 3: 44
Three Rivers: Zloty Jubileusz Poswiecenua Kosciola SW Piotra i Pawla
1955
Box 3: 45
Three Rivers: Father Skoniecki, 40th Anniversary Photograph
1957
Box 3: 46
Three Rivers: In Honor of the 50th Anniversary of Priestly Service of Alphonse A. Skoniecki, SS Peter and Paul Church; Dedication of the Newly Renovated St. Stanislaus Polish Lyceum; Ordination to the Priesthood of Raymond A. Soltys; Diamond Jubilee, SS Peter and Paul Church; Mass of Thanksgiving, Pope John Paul II Polish-American Foundation, Bishop Czczepan Wesely
1967, 1972, 1979, 1980, 1985
Box 3: 47
Three Rivers: Last of the Titans: Msgr. Col. Alphone A. Skoniecki of Massachusetts, by Daniel S. Buczek
1986
Box 4: 48
Turners Falls: Holy Rosary Society, Our Lady of Czestochowa, 25th anniversary booklet; Souvenir of the 30th Year of the Founding of the Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish; Newspaper Articles on history of Turners Falls and formation of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church
1937, 1939, n.d.
Box 4: 49
Turners Falls: Srebrny Jubileusz, Ks. A. A. Skonieckiego; Srebrny Jubileusz, Ks. Joseph P. Szczepaniak; Golden Jubilee Album, St. Kazimier Society; Golden Jubilee Album, Our Lady of Czestochowa Church; Golden Jubilee Program, St. Stanislaus B.M. Society; 50th Anniversary Album, Holy Rosary Society, Our Lady of Czestochowa
1942, 1951, 1954, 1959, 1961, 1962
Box 4: 50
Turners Falls: Photographs; Certificate honoring church founders Jakob and Marja Sojka
1946-1988; n.d.
Box 4: 51
Ware: Golden Jubilee, St. Mary's Parish; Golden Jubilee, Polish National Catholic Church; Mass program for St. Mary's Church
1956, 1978, 1985
Box 4: 52
Webster: Ad multus Annos, Pamietnik z okazji Srebrnego Jubileuszu Kaplanstwa Wiel. Ks. Dr. Andrzeja Lekarczyka, Proboszcz Parafji Sw. Jozefa; Diamond Jubilee, St. Joseph's Church
1941, 1962
Box 4: 53
Webster: Centennial, St. Joseph's Parish
1987
Box 4: 54
West Adams: Srebrny Jubileusz; Parafji Sw. Stanislawa Kostki
1927
Box 4: 55
West Warren: Silver Anniversary Ordination, Rev. Lipinski
1980
Box 5: 56
Westfield: Golden Jubilee, St. Joseph's Church (Polish National); Holy Trinity Church, Diamond Jubilee; 60th Anniversary, St. Joseph's Church (Polish National)
1970, 1978, 1980
Box 5: 57
Worcester: First Poles in America, Our Lady of Czestochowsa Parish; American Struggle for Life from 1774: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: St. Mary's CC High School
1958, 1971
Box 5: 58
Ellsworth, Pennsylvania: Golden Jubilee, Holy Family Institute; Orchard Lake, Michigan: A Novena for the Holy Millennium of Poland's Christianity, Polish Seminary
1950, 1966
Box 5: 59
National Medical and Dental Association, Bulletin, 75th Anniversary Issue
1985
Box 5: 60
Administrative information
Search terms
Subjects
- Catholic Churches--Massachusetts.
- Chicopee (Mass.)--History.
- Polish-Americans--Massachusetts.
- Springfield (Mass.)--History.
- Turners Falls (Mass.)--History.
Link to similar SCUA collections
