St. Casimir’s Polish National Catholic Church celebrated its centennial two years ago, but the church’s future is very much in doubt.
The congregation is now only about 20 families, down from a peak of about 600 from years ago. But those who are members are determined to do whatever they can to keep the church going.
John Weldy is among them. A retiree of Eastman Kodak Co., Weldy started attending the Simpson Road church about eight years ago, when his wife, Maria, a Polish native, stumbled upon St. Casimir’s on a cul-de-sac near their St. Paul Boulevard home.
They met in England when Weldy was there working for Kodak. They came to Rochester where Weldy had worked before going to England in 1999.
“She came all the way from Poland and found a Polish church just around the corner,” said Weldy. “For my wife, it was quite a pleasant surprise.”
Maria Weldy was visiting family members in Poland and not available for comment. John Weldy, who plays in various jazz ensembles, started playing the church organ on special occasions, but now plays every Sunday, during the church’s lone Mass at 10 a.m.
Weldy has taken popular songs by artists such as the Beatles, Lionel Ritchie and Phil Collins, and melded them into hymn-like tunes that he plays before Mass begins. His wife and their daughters have helped out in all aspects, including readings and altar service.
“What I like about the church is it has a free and open approach, it’s not strict or rigid,” Weldy said. “But we don’t have a success formula from a business standpoint. We just don’t know where (the church) is going.”
St. Casimir’s is not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese, as is the nearby St. Stanislaus Church on Hudson Avenue, which also is rooted in Polish heritage. St. Casimir’s is part of the Polish National Catholic Church, which formed in 1897 and is based in Scranton, Pa. The church has more than 25,000 members nationally, according to its Web site.
Ilona Frederick of Rochester just started attending St. Casimir’s a few months ago.
“It’s a beautiful church,” she said. “What’s nice about it is that it’s so small.”
The pastor is the Rev. Marek Gnidzinski, a Polish native who served at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Batavia for nine years. He started at St. Casimir’s in June.
The small congregation is nothing new for Gnidzinski. He served as a missionary priest in Africa years ago and said he would travel 100 miles to meet up with 10 or so people and celebrate Mass.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s one person or 1,000, my approach is still the same,” Gnidzinski said.
But the struggle with St. Casimir’s is difficult, said Gnidzinski, who said he expects a decision on the church’s fate from his bishop very soon.
“I’ve got pretty good hopes about it,” he said. “I’ve done everything in my power. But without new members, it’s difficult to survive.”
Note that the article is incorrect in relation to the Bishop deciding the fate of the Parish. If a Parish were to close that must be the decision of the people who are members of that Parish. The Bishop only conducts the vote on a closure and such a vote is only made at the request of the Parish membership.
