Our Long & Rich History
St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish has been in existence since 1880, when it was created as a personal parish for Polish immigrants in St. Louis. In 1891 members of the congregation formed a corporation under civil laws of the state of Missouri with the name “Polish Roman Catholic St. Stanislaus Parish.” The corporation was, and remains today, a religious, charitable, not-for-profit corporation. After the corporation was created, Archbishop Kenrick of St. Louis transferred legal title to the property to the newly-formed Parish Corporation. Since then the Parish has been financially self-sustaining. The new church was financed and built in 16 months. As years went by the Parish Corporation acquired adjoining parcels of property. The original church was later renovated, and new construction was financed and accomplished, including a $2 million Polish Heritage Center.
On December 17, 2005 the Pastor and members of the Board of Directors of St. Stanislaus Parish were excommunicated. In January 2006 Archbishop Burke (now Cardinal Burke) officially suppressed the Roman Catholic Parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka in St. Louis. The disputes between St. Stanislaus Parish and St. Louis Archdiocese are all about money, property, asset protection, control, and a belief by one man that he had absolute power to do as he wanted in his position as Archbishop. From 1891 to early 2004, the parishioners of St. Stanislaus lived in relative harmony with past Cardinals and Archbishops, who lead the Archdiocese of St. Louis. For example, on October 18, 1969, then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, later to be Pope John Paul II, visited St. Louis and spent many hours at the rectory of St. Stanislaus and celebrated Mass later that evening, in 1991 Archbishop May celebrated the historic Centennial event of the deeding of the church property by Archbishop Kenrick to St. Stanislaus, in 2003, Cardinal Rigali blessed the newly completed Polish Heritage Center.What then happened thereafter to impact these harmonious relationships between St. Stanislaus and the past leaders of the Archdiocese?
In 2004 the then-Archbishop of the Archdiocese, Raymond L. Burke, determined to put into place a plan that would shield the assets of the Archdiocese from claims asserted by victims of what has become known as the priest scandals. Thousands of persons had filed lawsuits and continue to file lawsuits, claiming that they were victims of sexual abuse by priests of various Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the United States, including the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Roman Catholic Church and its insurers have paid millions of dollars in redress to these claimants. The threat to the solvency of these archdioceses was so compelling that some took the extraordinary step of filing for bankruptcy. Archbishop Burke's Plan in his words would be a "…revision of the form of civil law structure of parishes [of the Archdiocese, but not St. Stanislaus, a civil corporation, which unlike these other parishes owned its assets outright] to nonprofit corporations…." Because these parishes were associations, with assets owned by the Archdiocese, the assets were at risk to be used to pay the claims of the victims. By using the civil law structure of nonprofit corporations, only the assets of the particular parish where the accused priest served would be at risk to pay claims. The assets of the other parishes in the Archdiocese would not or so the reasoning went. Prior to the Plan being instituted, Archbishop Burke observed that "The parishes of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, with the exception of St. Stanislaus…are presently structured in the form of unincorporated associations." With ominously chilling candor, Archbishop Burke, confident that all of his decisions and actions would never be questioned, promised: Once the final form has been given to the proposed revision of the civil law structure of the [other] parishes, St. Stanislaus…will be asked to accept the same civil structure as every other parish in the Archdiocese. If the board of director [of St. Stanislaus] refuses to revise the present structure of civil incorporation I will be left with no other choice than to declare that the parish is no longer part of the archdiocese [sometimes referred to herein as "suppression"]. In addition, in a letter to the parishioners of St. Stanislaus the Archbishop further defined what he would demand of St. Stanislaus, stating: I must insist that [St. Stanislaus] comply with the norm of Church law, as does every other parish in the Archdiocese, in what pertains to its structure….[St. Stanislaus] will continue to hold all of its [assets], but the administration of the [assets] will be carried out under the direction of the [Pope], [myself] and the priest [whom I appoint]…."
What Archbishop Burke did not clearly disclose in his communication with the members of St. Stanislaus is what he meant when he used the word "administration" as defined by the Church. The term "administration" in "Burkespeak" would allow the Archbishop to sell, change, and control parish property, so that while title might technically remain with St. Stanislaus the power to manage and fully control that power would be conveyed to Archbishop Burke. He backed up his demand with the threat that if St. Stanislaus did not obey he would remove it from the Archdiocese. In issuing this ultimatum Archbishop Burke ignored the covenants and provisions of the 1891 documents – documents that the Archdiocese claims govern and define the legal relationship between the Archdiocese and St. Stanislaus. Article III of the Charter expressly contradicts the power that Archbishop Burke claimed he had to compel St. Stanislaus to give him "administrative" control over its assets with these words: "The property, business, and affairs of [St. Stanislaus] shall be managed and fully controlled by a Board of Six directors . . . ."In rightful reliance on secular law and promises guaranteed to it in the 1891 Charter, St. Stanislaus did not "conform" to "the Plan" and true to his word that he would "…be left with no other choice than to declare that the parish is no longer part of the archdiocese" Archbishop Burke decreed that St. Stanislaus was suppressed, a Canon Law term that describes the process by which a local parish is banished from an archdiocese. Before Archbishop Burke took this final action, he ordered the priests serving St. Stanislaus to cease serving it, later excommunicated the board of directors, and excommunicated a young Polish priest who courageously answered the call of the parishioners of St. Stanislaus to minister to their religious needs and lead them in worship, the first time on the eve of the day of the birth of Christ, 2005 before over 2000 joyful parishioners. The young Polish priest was named Father Marek Bozek. Before accepting the call to become the priest at St. Stanislaus, Father Bozek met at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II. Speaking together in Polish, Father Bozek asked the Pope to pray for him as he worked to decide whether he should accept the call from St. Stanislaus. The Pope replied that he had already been praying for Father Bozek and would continue to pray that God would bless Father Bozek's decisions and future ministry. When it was a parish of the Archdiocese, St. Stanislaus was legitimately unique, both in terms of its Polish ethnic heritage, as well as its more secular status as a parish that owned the real property, improvements, and personal property that comprised the St. Stanislaus parish – a status that has existed for over 115 years.
On December 17, 2005 the Pastor and members of the Board of Directors of St. Stanislaus Parish were excommunicated. In January 2006 Archbishop Burke (now Cardinal Burke) officially suppressed the Roman Catholic Parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka in St. Louis. The disputes between St. Stanislaus Parish and St. Louis Archdiocese are all about money, property, asset protection, control, and a belief by one man that he had absolute power to do as he wanted in his position as Archbishop. From 1891 to early 2004, the parishioners of St. Stanislaus lived in relative harmony with past Cardinals and Archbishops, who lead the Archdiocese of St. Louis. For example, on October 18, 1969, then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, later to be Pope John Paul II, visited St. Louis and spent many hours at the rectory of St. Stanislaus and celebrated Mass later that evening, in 1991 Archbishop May celebrated the historic Centennial event of the deeding of the church property by Archbishop Kenrick to St. Stanislaus, in 2003, Cardinal Rigali blessed the newly completed Polish Heritage Center.What then happened thereafter to impact these harmonious relationships between St. Stanislaus and the past leaders of the Archdiocese?
In 2004 the then-Archbishop of the Archdiocese, Raymond L. Burke, determined to put into place a plan that would shield the assets of the Archdiocese from claims asserted by victims of what has become known as the priest scandals. Thousands of persons had filed lawsuits and continue to file lawsuits, claiming that they were victims of sexual abuse by priests of various Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the United States, including the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Roman Catholic Church and its insurers have paid millions of dollars in redress to these claimants. The threat to the solvency of these archdioceses was so compelling that some took the extraordinary step of filing for bankruptcy. Archbishop Burke's Plan in his words would be a "…revision of the form of civil law structure of parishes [of the Archdiocese, but not St. Stanislaus, a civil corporation, which unlike these other parishes owned its assets outright] to nonprofit corporations…." Because these parishes were associations, with assets owned by the Archdiocese, the assets were at risk to be used to pay the claims of the victims. By using the civil law structure of nonprofit corporations, only the assets of the particular parish where the accused priest served would be at risk to pay claims. The assets of the other parishes in the Archdiocese would not or so the reasoning went. Prior to the Plan being instituted, Archbishop Burke observed that "The parishes of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, with the exception of St. Stanislaus…are presently structured in the form of unincorporated associations." With ominously chilling candor, Archbishop Burke, confident that all of his decisions and actions would never be questioned, promised: Once the final form has been given to the proposed revision of the civil law structure of the [other] parishes, St. Stanislaus…will be asked to accept the same civil structure as every other parish in the Archdiocese. If the board of director [of St. Stanislaus] refuses to revise the present structure of civil incorporation I will be left with no other choice than to declare that the parish is no longer part of the archdiocese [sometimes referred to herein as "suppression"]. In addition, in a letter to the parishioners of St. Stanislaus the Archbishop further defined what he would demand of St. Stanislaus, stating: I must insist that [St. Stanislaus] comply with the norm of Church law, as does every other parish in the Archdiocese, in what pertains to its structure….[St. Stanislaus] will continue to hold all of its [assets], but the administration of the [assets] will be carried out under the direction of the [Pope], [myself] and the priest [whom I appoint]…."
What Archbishop Burke did not clearly disclose in his communication with the members of St. Stanislaus is what he meant when he used the word "administration" as defined by the Church. The term "administration" in "Burkespeak" would allow the Archbishop to sell, change, and control parish property, so that while title might technically remain with St. Stanislaus the power to manage and fully control that power would be conveyed to Archbishop Burke. He backed up his demand with the threat that if St. Stanislaus did not obey he would remove it from the Archdiocese. In issuing this ultimatum Archbishop Burke ignored the covenants and provisions of the 1891 documents – documents that the Archdiocese claims govern and define the legal relationship between the Archdiocese and St. Stanislaus. Article III of the Charter expressly contradicts the power that Archbishop Burke claimed he had to compel St. Stanislaus to give him "administrative" control over its assets with these words: "The property, business, and affairs of [St. Stanislaus] shall be managed and fully controlled by a Board of Six directors . . . ."In rightful reliance on secular law and promises guaranteed to it in the 1891 Charter, St. Stanislaus did not "conform" to "the Plan" and true to his word that he would "…be left with no other choice than to declare that the parish is no longer part of the archdiocese" Archbishop Burke decreed that St. Stanislaus was suppressed, a Canon Law term that describes the process by which a local parish is banished from an archdiocese. Before Archbishop Burke took this final action, he ordered the priests serving St. Stanislaus to cease serving it, later excommunicated the board of directors, and excommunicated a young Polish priest who courageously answered the call of the parishioners of St. Stanislaus to minister to their religious needs and lead them in worship, the first time on the eve of the day of the birth of Christ, 2005 before over 2000 joyful parishioners. The young Polish priest was named Father Marek Bozek. Before accepting the call to become the priest at St. Stanislaus, Father Bozek met at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II. Speaking together in Polish, Father Bozek asked the Pope to pray for him as he worked to decide whether he should accept the call from St. Stanislaus. The Pope replied that he had already been praying for Father Bozek and would continue to pray that God would bless Father Bozek's decisions and future ministry. When it was a parish of the Archdiocese, St. Stanislaus was legitimately unique, both in terms of its Polish ethnic heritage, as well as its more secular status as a parish that owned the real property, improvements, and personal property that comprised the St. Stanislaus parish – a status that has existed for over 115 years.
Archbishop Burke ordered two priests stationed at St. Stanislaus to abandon their assignment overnight without notice in August of 2004, as punishment directed to St. Stanislaus because it had not shown a willingness to implement "the Plan." Thereafter, Archbishop Burke refused to assign a new priest to St. Stanislaus and continued his campaign of coercion and punishment for "disobedience" by excommunication and suppression. He also forbade the holding of baptisms and marriages in the St. Stanislaus owned church. Stunned that the actions of Archbishop Burke did not crush and coerce St. Stanislaus to submit to "the Plan," and dismayed that St. Stanislaus, post suppression, is a growing, flourishing, and vibrant parish, the Archdiocese along with six individuals turned to the secular courts for relief, constructing a disingenuous Verified Petition that attempted to support the actions of the Archbishop based upon equity and the rule of law, when those actions instead were based upon the unilateral edict of the Archbishop, grounded in a scheme to protect the assets of the Archdiocese from civil claimants victimized by its priests, some of whom have gone to jail.
Priestless as of August, 2004, St. Stanislaus held prayer meetings on Sundays and limped along until members of the board reached out and found Father Marek Bozek. When Father Bozek agreed to serve St. Stanislaus, filling a need for a parish priest that the Archdiocese had caused, Archbishop Burke, contrary to his promise in the St. Louis Review article to provide two priests, including one who could speak Polish, took these actions against Father Bozek: excommunicated him, convinced Father Bozek's Bishop from the diocese where he served before he came to St. Stanislaus to change his mind and not grant him the leave of absence, tried to convince federal immigration officials to deport Father Bozek, brought charges to have Father Bozek laicized (defrocked as a priest). Ironically, since Father Bozek was called to St. Stanislaus, the membership rolls have increased substantially, along with attendance at Mass, baptisms, marriages, and participation in church activities.
On March 15, 2012 St. Louis Circuit Judge Bryan Hettenbach, affirmed St. Stanislaus' ownership of its property and its right to craft bylaws that limit the authority of the Roman Catholic Church over our congregation. The case came to trial after 18 months of legal wrangling, and it took Hettenbach more than a year from the end of the trial in February 2011 to rule. He ruled in favor of St. Stanislaus' Board of Directors in 10 of the case's 12 counts. In the 50-page decision, the judge ruled that "the Archbishop may own the souls of wayward St. Stanislaus parishioners, but the St. Stanislaus Parish Corporation owns its own property." In reading the ruling, one phrase repeatedly jumps out, in count after count: "Judgment is entered in favor of Defendant Polish Roman Catholic St. Stanislaus Parish."
On February 13, 2013 St. Stanislaus Parish and the Archdiocese of St. Louis issued the following joint statement: "The Archdiocese of St. Louis and St. Stanislaus have resolved their legal dispute. The Archdiocese will dismiss its appeal and the judgment of the trial court is now final. St. Stanislaus has agreed that it will not hold itself out as affiliated in any way with the Archdiocese of St. Louis or the Roman Catholic Church. By bringing this legal dispute to an end, we pray that this will help to initiate a process of healing."
Now that this long dispute has finally come to end, it is time to move on. St. Stanislaus lives!
Priestless as of August, 2004, St. Stanislaus held prayer meetings on Sundays and limped along until members of the board reached out and found Father Marek Bozek. When Father Bozek agreed to serve St. Stanislaus, filling a need for a parish priest that the Archdiocese had caused, Archbishop Burke, contrary to his promise in the St. Louis Review article to provide two priests, including one who could speak Polish, took these actions against Father Bozek: excommunicated him, convinced Father Bozek's Bishop from the diocese where he served before he came to St. Stanislaus to change his mind and not grant him the leave of absence, tried to convince federal immigration officials to deport Father Bozek, brought charges to have Father Bozek laicized (defrocked as a priest). Ironically, since Father Bozek was called to St. Stanislaus, the membership rolls have increased substantially, along with attendance at Mass, baptisms, marriages, and participation in church activities.
On March 15, 2012 St. Louis Circuit Judge Bryan Hettenbach, affirmed St. Stanislaus' ownership of its property and its right to craft bylaws that limit the authority of the Roman Catholic Church over our congregation. The case came to trial after 18 months of legal wrangling, and it took Hettenbach more than a year from the end of the trial in February 2011 to rule. He ruled in favor of St. Stanislaus' Board of Directors in 10 of the case's 12 counts. In the 50-page decision, the judge ruled that "the Archbishop may own the souls of wayward St. Stanislaus parishioners, but the St. Stanislaus Parish Corporation owns its own property." In reading the ruling, one phrase repeatedly jumps out, in count after count: "Judgment is entered in favor of Defendant Polish Roman Catholic St. Stanislaus Parish."
On February 13, 2013 St. Stanislaus Parish and the Archdiocese of St. Louis issued the following joint statement: "The Archdiocese of St. Louis and St. Stanislaus have resolved their legal dispute. The Archdiocese will dismiss its appeal and the judgment of the trial court is now final. St. Stanislaus has agreed that it will not hold itself out as affiliated in any way with the Archdiocese of St. Louis or the Roman Catholic Church. By bringing this legal dispute to an end, we pray that this will help to initiate a process of healing."
Now that this long dispute has finally come to end, it is time to move on. St. Stanislaus lives!