Page 12 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 55 Summer 2025

Sto Lat! by Joe Pajor

St. Peter and Paul Church

100
lebrates
Years
Ce
Celebrates 100 Years

“Sto Lat! Sto Lat! These words are from a traditional
Polish birthday tune I have sung forever. They mean
“100 years, 100 years”; the verse exclaims may you live
a hundred years.

Poland has a history of celebrating The St. Peter and Paul Parish was
and sustaining cultural traditions in not established based on any Con-
music and customs and Poland’s de- necticut archdiocese's plan; it was
votion to the Roman Catholic church envisioned and created organical-
is unrivaled. It has one of the largest ly by the then Wallingford Polish
percentages of Roman Catholic popu- community. Polish families started
lations in the world. After World War migrating to the United States in
II, over 90% of Poland’s residents were the mid 1880’s, driven by financial
Roman Catholic. When I first visited hardship and political unrest in their
Poland in 1986, I easily comprehend- native Poland. While many Polish
ed Poland’s devotion and commit- immigrants settled in Chicago and
ment to Roman Catholicism. Detroit, Wallingford’s numerous
factories also attracted Polish immi-
grants.
By the early 1920s, over 150 Polish
immigrant families called Walling-
ford home. However, they missed
their native Poland’s Roman Catho-
lic parishes. These longings led to
requests for Polish speaking priests.
Wallingford’s only Roman Catholic the first Polish speaking priest perma-
church then was Holy Trinity Church nently assigned to Wallingford.
on North Colony. Although all Ro-
man Catholic masses were conduct- Upon arrival, he initiated a census to
ed in Latin then, the Polish families document the Polish community’s size
missed the comfort of listening to Pol- and commitment. Over 150 families
ish-speaking priests’ sermons and the signed pledges of financial support for
personal connection and comfort that a new church. In addition, they vol-
Polish speaking clergy could provide unteered their labor and time to fa-
during times of sadness, separation, cilitate a church's construction in any
or celebration. way possible.

New Haven’s St. Stanislaus parish was With this documented support, the
approached in the early 1920s and Hartford Archdiocese appointed Rev-
agreed to have one of their priests, erend Stanislaus Iciek as a paster to
Reverend Anthony Mazurkiewicz, rou- lead the newly dedicated parish. St.
tinely visit Wallingford to administer Peter and Paul became Wallingford's
In the 1920’s, this same strong alle- to the community’s spiritual needs. second Roman Catholic church, even
giance motivated the Wallingford Pol- While his presence was valued, it only though it would be located less than
ish community to establish the St. Pe- created a stronger desire for a full- a quarter of a mile from the existing
ter and Paul Church on North Orchard time Polish priest. Eventually, in 1922, Holy Trinity Church.
Street. It was dedicated on May 25, the Hartford Archdiocese assigned
1925; this year is its “Sto Lat!” Reverend Stanilaus Nalewajk to be Masses and other devotions were

12 WALLINGFORD MAGAZINE - SUMMER 2025