Sunday, December 20, 2009

St. Stanislaus




ststanislauspdx.com/
3916 N. Interstate Avenue

St. Stanislaus, named after a Bishop of Krakow, Poland, in the 11th century, is another hidden gem. Although located on Interstate Avenue in north Portland (just north of Kaiser Hospital), you would likely drive past without giving it a second thought. The outside of the church, though well kept, is modest.
The inside, however, shows beautiful attention to detail from the brass and glass light fixtures to the dark wooden pews. The statuary and walls are clean and freshly painted.

I went to the 11 am Mass, which is a Polish Mass. Rev. Tadeusz Rusnak, the pastor, conducted the Mass in his native language. After the Mass I heard some speaking English, but I believe many could speak only Polish. The Mass closely paralleled an English Mass, with a few songs thrown into the liturgy that are apparently part of the Polish tradition.

St. Stanislaus also has an English Mass and a Croatian Mass. Every year the church has a Polish festival, selling trademark Polish foods such as pierogi and kielbasa.

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