Reverend Jan Mucha, St. Joseph's Polish Church in Globeville

 

Father Jan Mucha first came to St. Joseph's Polish Church in 1970 while visiting relatives in the United States. Parishioners liked the young Polish priest and asked him to stay. Mucha accepted their invitation, assisting the pastor, Father Fraczkowski, and assuming the pastorate in January, 1974, after the death of Fraczkowski. 

Under Father Mucha's pastorate, the parish embraced its Polish traditions - the Saturday blessing of Easter baskets, and the Corpus Christi procession through the Globeville neighborhood. Masses were celebrated in both English and Polish. Father Mucha completed a full restoration of the church in time for the parish’s 75th anniversary in 1977 and presided over the 100th anniversary of the parish in 2002. After the fall of Communism, Father Mucha welcomed a new generation of Poles, who brought traditions like the Krakowiacy Polish dancers, Polish food festivals and language lessons in the school.

Father Mucha seemed to exude joy - he genuinely enjoyed his calling, his parishioners and his small parish in an urban neighborhood. In July 2010, Father Mucha retired to Mullen Home where he remained until his passing on March 21st, 2018. Visitation will be held Tuesday, March 27th, at 1:00 pm, followed by a Rosary at 2:00 pm at Mullen Home, 3629 W. 29th Avenue, Denver 80211.

Visitation, also on Tuesday, March 27th,5:00 pm, followed by a Rosary at 6:00 pm at St. Joseph's Polish Church, 517 E 46th Avenue, Denver 80216. Funeral Mass Wednesday, March 28th, 10:00 am at Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Burial at Mt Olivet.
Sign the condolence book at www.CFCSColorado.org     

Historic churches in Globeville

Shot-gun houses fill the long, narrow lots, iron and wooden fences define each yard and sheds, re-purposed chicken coops and barns line the unpaved alleys. Economically, Globeville is a poor neighborhood, but historically, tiny Globeville is rich. Each small home contains the story of an immigrant with a low-paying job, sending for relatives from the Old Country and building a better life in America. Hard-working and painfully frugal, these newcomers saved and planned for a generation to build their own ethnic churches, a link to their native cultures and a celebration of the freedom of worship that brought many here. By 1920, the neighborhood was home to three Volga-German congregations, a Russian-Serbian Orthodox Church, St. Joseph's Polish Roman Catholic Church, Holy Rosary Church, the Greenwood Methodist and the Seventh Day Adventist Churches. As the founders passed on and their descendants assimilated and moved away, congregations would struggle and not all the churches would survive. 
As the remaining parishes reached milestone anniversaries, parishioners experienced a renewed interest in their ethnic heritage, and looked for ways to celebrate their legacy with official historic status. Three of Globeville's ethnic churches have received historic designation: St. Joseph's Polish Roman Catholic Church is on the National Register, while both Holy Transfiguration Cathedral and Holy Rosary Parish are on the Colorado State Register. St. Joseph's at 517 East 46th Avenue, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The listing from the National Register states that "the Gothic style church was constructed in 1902 to serve Polish immigrants in the Globeville suburb of Denver." What the description doesn't say is that Globeville's Poles were from the Russian-controlled Plock region of Poland, where their religion, language and culture had been suppressed, that they would save for nearly 20 years, and then petition the German-born Bishop Matz to build a parish "exclusively for the Polanders." The congregation obtained Father Jarzynski (a Holy Cross priest from the same Plock region as many parishioners) and held Mass, confession, baptism and marriages in the home of Frank Wargin until the church was completed on Christmas Day, 1902. The church was a connection to Poland at a time the nation had ceased to exist, and much of the life of the Polish community was centered around St. Joseph's. There were processions for the feast of Corpus Christi, blessings of food before Easter, as well as Mass after the secular celebrations of Polish Constitution Day and the birthday of Casimir Pulaski. There was the Polish Literary Club, an organization for young people, that produced Polish plays, raising money for the parish and entertaining the community. There were also choirs, music performances, fraternal organizations, mock Polish weddings and parish bazaars.
The parish survived the Depression, World War II, assimilation, the division of the neighborhood by interstate highways and inadequate services from the city of Denver to make it for 110 years. With an infusion of new arrivals from Poland and enthusiastic support from the descendants of the founders, St. Joseph's is again the source of Polish culture, with Masses in both English and Polish, Polish language classes, Polish music and dance performances. Visit the website, or stop by (Lent is coming!) and experience the rich faith, food, culture and traditions of Poles in Globeville.  
St Joseph's Polish Roman Catholic Church

Funeral at St. Joseph's circa 1910, Photo® property of Mary Lou Egan

St. Joseph's circa 2013, photo® property of Mary Lou Egan

Polish Heritage Continues in Globeville

Poles began arriving in the area that would become Globeville in the 1880s before the town was incorporated in 1891. Seeking jobs in the Argo, Grant and Globe Smelters, a small number settled in the 4500 to 4800 blocks of Washington, Pearl, Pennsylvania, Logan and Grant Streets, and on Emerson Street near the Platte River. Poles were never as numerous as the other groups who arrived in Globeville but they made their presence known by establishing fraternal organizations that would provide assistance in the event of injury, illness or death - common occurrences in smelters. There was St. Martin’s Society, Lodge #134, of the Polish National Alliance founded in 1889 and Group 62, St. Joseph’s Society of the Polish Union of North America organized in 1897. In addition to these insurance organizations, Poles formed the Polish Literary Club, the Polish Harmony Club and the Polish Falcons, all social groups for young adults. All the organizations worked to build St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church in 1902 and the school in 1926. All these institutions had the preservation of Polish culture as an integral part of their existence, hoping to convey that heritage to the next generation.  
As Poles succeeded in improving their lot financially and providing a better life for their children, they moved out of the Globeville neighborhood. (construction of two interstate highways through the heart of community accelerated their exodus.)
But Polish culture lives on in Globeville at St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church, with Mass in both English and Polish, and celebration of traditions such as the Corpus Christi procession through the neighborhood. Classes in the Polish language are taught at the school, and Polish choirs and the Krakowiacy dancers hold regular performances.

Krakowiacy singers

Altar for Corpus Christi Procession

St Joseph's Polish Catholic Church

http://www.krakowiacy.net/

Konstanty Klimoski

Many of the early arrivals to Globeville's Polish community, including Konstanty Klimoski, Piotr Skomorski, Andrew Kowalczyk, Gabriel Cymanski, Andrew Mantych, Jan, Jacob, and Frank Wargin came from the Russian sector of Poland. In the old country, they were subjected to political and religious persecution. It's not surprising that when they settled in Globeville, these men embraced the opportunity to shape the institutions important to them. These men were active in forming the Polish National Alliance, an ethnic, fraternal organization, and were also among the founders of St. Joseph’s Polish Church. Prominent among these leaders was Konstanty Klimoski.

Steve Klimoski remembers, “My grandfather, Konstanty Klimoski, was a big deal in Globeville. In those days, he was like a millionaire because he owned the Cozy Movie Theatre, this huge house at 48th and Washington and had one of the first automobiles in Globeville. He arrived about 1885 and worked in the Grant Smelter. Then he went into business for himself because he had all these kids. He put Wacie [Walter] into the grocery business and Joe Klimoski in the beer joint business, the JK Cafe. He contributed his time digging the foundation for the St. Joseph’s Church, donated a window in St. Joseph’s and one in Holy Rosary Church.”

Easter Blessing at St. Joseph's

Easter basket waiting for a blessing

Swieconka (sh-vee-en-soon-kah) is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions in which baskets containing a sampling of Easter foods are brought to church to be blessed on Holy Saturday. The basket is traditionally lined with a white linen or lace napkin and decorated with sprigs of boxwood (bukszpan), the typical Easter evergreen. Other items in basket may include sausage (Kielbasa), Easter rye bread, (symbolic of Jesus, the Bread of Life), cheese, horseradish and intricately decorated pasanky eggs.

The traditional blessing of food baskets will take place on Saturday, April 3rd at St. Joseph's Polish Church at:

• 10:00 am
• 12 noon
• 2:00 pm
• 5:00 pm

5 pm service followed by Mass in English: 8:00 pm in Polish.

St. Joseph's Polish Catholic church is located at 517 East 46th Avenue in Globeville.

http://www.swietyjozef.org/