Catholic Parish of St.

Pastor: Fr. Leonard Chrobot Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Sociology and Coordinator - American Polish Research Fellowship Program, University of Notre Dame


Exterior of Parish	St. Hedwig School	St Hedwig priests 1877 to 1977	St. Hedwig Rectory "Bloody Sunday 1914 (Added 12/20/2005)

The source of this photo is the 1927 St Hedwig Aniversary Book (Added 12/20/2005)	St Hedwig Class of 1932 (Added 12/20/2005)	St Hedwig Freshman Class of 1937 (Added 12/20/2005)	St Hedwig Class of 1952 (Added 12/20/2005)

Catholic Church. St. Hedwig (South Bend, Indiana) (Main Author) Microfilm of originals in the

Film Notes

Marriages 1877-1906 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617058 Item 2 ]
Baptisms 1877-1883 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617058 Item 3 ]
Deaths 1877-1913 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617058 Item 4 ]
Baptisms 1884-1888 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617058 Item 5 ]
Baptisms 1888-1892 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617058 Item 6 ]
Baptisms 1892-1897 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617059 Item 1 ]
Confirmations 1894-1922 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617059 Item 2 ]
Baptisms 1897-1907 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617059 Item 3 ]
Baptisms 1907-1916 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617059 Item 4 ]
Marriages 1907-1922 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617059 Item 5 ]
Deaths 1913-1936 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617235 Item 1 ]
Baptisms 1916-1927 - FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617235 Item 2 ]

Films are available in the Genealogy Center, second floor, Crimp Film rolls 28, 29 & 30

This is a magnificent web site with many beautiful pictures and a detailed history of the rich tradition of these parishes.

St. Patrick - St. Hedwig Parish Office
309 S. Taylor St.
South Bend, IN 46601

St. Patrick - St. Hedwig Rectory
331 S. Scott St.
South Bend, IN 46601

Parish Office: (574) 232-5839 (Monday - Friday: 9am - 12pm & 1pm - 4 pm)
Priest's Residence: (574) 287-8932
Hedwig Memorial Center Rental: (574) 287-8935
Hedwig Memorial Center (Direct Line): (574) 472-2955

Polish people had been arriving in South Bend since 1869. Up to 1877 they were part of St. Patrick's Congregation, and worshipped in the old St. Patrick's Church, on west Division street. Their spiritual wants were attended to by Polish priests from Chicago and from the Otis, Indiana parish then known as Salem Crossing. Two of these priests were, Rev. Peter Koncz and Rev. Louis Machdzicki. The number of souls at this time had increased to 125 families.

On January 1, 1877, Rev. Valentine Czyzewski, C. S. C., took charge of the congregation, residing at St. Patrick's parochial residence. The first church, located on Monroe street, was started in the fall of 1876, and was finished and blessed on July 1, 1877. It was a frame structure, 83x40 feet, [352] and 24 feet in height. The cost of this church was $3,500. In 1879, a cyclone totally destroyed this church. The present church property on Scott street was bought at a cost of $2,325 on January 18, 1880.

The present St. Hedwig's Church was begun on August 12, 1881, and was dedicated April 15, 1883. The style is the Romanesque, its length 149 feet and the width sixty-two feet; the main walls being thirty-three feet in height and the steeple 156 feet. The altars used for several years were temporary, and the church, including pews, was erected at an outlay of $33,000. It was entirely remodeled in 1898: pillars were placed in position to support the roof, steel arched ceilings were provided, new pews replaced the old ones, together with decorations of various kinds, amounting in all to $7,300. In 1891, three very fine altars were donated by the societies of the church. The St. Hedwig's Society donated the Main Altar, costing $2,500. The two side altars were donated by the St. Stanislaus' Society, at a cost of $1,200. The organ was donated at an expense of $2,500, by the St. Casimir's Society. The seating capacity of the church is 920.

The first school of brick, containing eight rooms and two offices, was built in 1884 and was destroyed by fire, on February 4, 1886. The present school is three-stories in height and its dimensions are 126x62 feet. It contains twelve school-rooms, a large hall and two rooms for office purposes. It has an attendance of 735 children. The school was erected in 1886, and cost $28,000. The interior was entirely repainted in 1905, at an expense of $600. In the same year, an iron fence was built around the church property. The school is taught by eight Sisters of the Holy Cross and five female lay-teachers. The Sisters reside in St. Joseph's Academy, one block away from St. Hedwig's school. The original school building is now used as a society room, and also for choir practice, as well as by St. Florian's Turners.

The parochial residence is a frame building, and was moved to the present site in 1884, having been purchased by Father Czyzewski at a cost of $3,000. An addition was made to the house in 1884; and the hot water heating apparatus was provided for it, in 1904. This house is the first parochial residence and, until it was ready for occupancy, Father Czyzewski resided with the pastor of St. Patrick's Church.

St. Hedwig's Church has numerous societies: St. Stanislaus Kostka's Society, St. Casimir's, St. Hedwig's, St. Vincent de Paul's, St. Valentine's, St. Adalbert's, St. Florian's, the Apostleship of Prayer, the Young Ladies' Holy Rosary Society, the Children of Mary, the Guardian Angel Society and the Temperance Society. The number of souls in the parish is about 4000, or 828 families. There is a debt of $19,000 on the church property.
Father Czyzewski has been the pastor of St. Hedwig's Church, since January 1, 1877. In 1896, he bought the lots for, and organized St. Casimir's Congregation, and in 1898 he did the same for St. Stanislaus' Parish. He also built churches at Terre Coupee and Rolling Prairie. Among the assistants, FAther Czyzewski has had, may be mentioned Rev. Michael Lauth, C. S. C., Rev. A. Zubowicz, C. S. C., Rev. C. Sztuczko, C. S. C., Rev. Eligius Raczynski, C. S. C., Rev. Theodore Jarzynski, C. S. C., Rev. George Kolesinski and Rev. Boniface Iwaszewski, C. S. C. Three regular and four secular priests have come from St. Hedwig's Parish and thirty young women have entered different convents.

2000 update on the St. Hedwig Parish:
St. Hedwig's Parish remains within the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
The present address is:
St. Hedwig Church (est. 1877)
331 S. Scott St. - South Bend, IN 46601 Phone: (219) 287-8932.

Source: The Diocese of Fort Wayne, 1857--September 22--1907, A Book of Historical Reference, 1669-1907. By the Rt. Rev. H. J. Alerding. Fort Wayne: The Archer Printing Co. 1907

· (St. Hedwig's; 1882) "Secular teachers remained until 1882 when Brother Stanislaus took charge." Sr. Renata. 1882

· (St. Hedwig's, 1895) "In 1884 a large brick school house, then the largest in the city was erected. In 1895, 860 pupils in all attending. About 400 boys. Teachers: Brothers Stanislaus, Director, and Bros. Robert and Peter." 1895

· (1883) "The Congregation of St. Hedwig's numbers over 500 Polish families.... The parish school has upwards of 240 children in daily attendance. It is under the charge of a Brother (Stanislaus) and two lay teachers."-- Ave Maria, 19:74. 1883

· (St. Hedwig's School, 1888) Students...275; Teachers, Brother Stanislaus and two laymen. 1888

· (St. Hedwig's; 1898) "In 1884 a brick house was erected -- the largest in the city -- the number of pupils attending was 860. These are instructed by three Brothers and five Sisters of Holy Cross. Brother Stanislaus, Director, Robert and Adalbert." A History of Catholicity in Indiana, Blanchard: Vol. I, p. 438. 1898