Built on a hill the church towers over Elmhurst. This is Saint Adalbert’s Polish Roman Catholic Church. It’s the oldest Polish parish in Queens. Its story begins in December 1891. Father Jozef Fyda was preparing a new parish at the suggestion of Bishop John Loughlin.
The Society of St Adalbert formed in March 1892. It had fifty members. They decided to create a Polish parish called “St Adalbert’s Bishop and Martyr”. A pivotal meeting happened at St Mary’s Parish in Winfield. Father Fyda handled all the paperwork. He became the first pastor.
With parishioner donations Father Fyda bought land from Mrs Julianne Berheimer. A small wooden church and rectory were built. On November 13 1892 Bishop Charles McDonnell blessed the new church. Initially only thirty-five Polish families belonged. More Poles joined wanting to pray in their native tongue. They came from Maspeth Flushing Bayside and other areas.
The church needed a school. A parochial school opened on November 18 1892. It started with four grades. An eight-grade program began in 1914. Classes were initially held in the church basement. Mr Trynicki was the first teacher. The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth joined in 1896. They still teach there. A school building was constructed in 1921. A new rectory was built in 1925.
Father Fyda resigned in 1896. Father Boleslaw Puchalski replaced him. The Conventual Franciscans took over the parish. Father Feliks Baran became the first Franciscan pastor serving from 1896-1906.
A new church was built in 1947. Father Jerzy Roskwitalski was pastor. Anthony DePace was the architect. Bishop Thomas Molloy blessed it on July 3 1949. It’s a grand Gothic style. It’s made of beige and light-brown bricks and sandstone. The current pastor Father Miroslaw Podymniak was installed on March 1 2015. Saint Adalbert’s is the fourth oldest Polish parish in New York City. Its history continues to unfold.