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| Address: | Mills and Sycamore Street Buffalo, New York |
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| Founded: | Aug 1893 | |
| Parish Closed: | 1993 | |
| School: | Closed in 1985 | |
| Style: | Romaneque style of local stone | |
| Note: | Parish records transferred to Diocesan Archives | |
| LDS Microfilm: | FHL US/CAN Film [ 1292859 ] |
By the year 1890, two Polish parishes had been established to accommodate the growing population of immigrants. The tide of newcomers was steady and in the area of the church of St. Adalbert, the need for a second parish was realized. In Aug. 1893, the bishop granted permission to form a third parish for the Poles under the tutelage of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. The Rev. Jakob Wojcik, then pastor of Assumption church in Black Rock was chosen to lead the new congregation of 150 families. Property was purchased at the corner of Mills and Sycamore Streets and construction of a wooden church was begun.
The next year the school was opened, in 1914 a new three story school was built and was staffed by the Felician Sisters of Detroit, MI., who would continue service to the parish til 1985, when the school finally closed. Just two years after the parish was founded, it had the priviledge of having a native son ordained from the Polish Seminary in Detroit, MI. The Rev. Adam Marcinkiewicz celebrated his first Mass in the old wooden church and is appointed to assist Rev. Wojcik in the parish duties. Under Father Wojcik's leadership, the present church building was begun in 1896, in a red brick gothic style. Upon its completion in 1897, the church was in continuous use until dwindling numbers and deterioration of the structure caused its closing in 1991.
The Rev. Franciszek Kasprzak became the second pastor of the parish upon the retirement of Fr. Wojcik in 1911. He was elevated to the rank of Monsignor in 1922, the first such elevation of a Polish priest in our diocese, the Rev. Msgr Walenty Swinarski, the first assistant in the parish was a monsignor upon his arrival to the US and served in the Buffalo Diocese as chaplain to the Felician Sisters on Kennedy Road in Cheektowaga, NY. Msgr Kasprzak served the parish for 37 years and was a well known and respected clergyman in the area. During this period, the parish was in its heyday, many professionals and businessmen in the Fillmore - Sycamore Street neighborhood were parishioners here making it a prosperous and influential institution. The beloved Msgr died in April 1948 just months short of his 50th anniversary of ordination.
The Rev. Msgr Michal Biniszkiewicz became pastor of the parish in 1957 and remained here until his retirement in 1974, he was responsible for many updates made in the school building and parish property. During his tenure, the Bingo game was instituted to assist with the various needs of the parish upkeep.
Already signs of change were about, with younger families moving away leaving the older generation to continue the work of their parents and grandparents in supporting the church. In 1974 with the retirement of Msgr Biniszkiewicz, the Rev. Henry Borowiak became the last pastor of the church. As the number of parishioners continued to drop, the decision was to close the parish school and sent the remaining students to a combined Eastside school. When Father Henry retired in 1990, the Diocesan authorities did not appoint a new pastor but rather selected the Rev. Ron Baginski, the pastor of Holy Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul to serve as the parish administrator. Assessing the situation at the time, the parish community made the decision to close the church building and renovate two classrooms in the vacant school as a chapel for all church services. During this period the Diocese began a program to study the vitality of many parishes on the Eastside of the city. A final report was made recommending the closing of four Eastside churches, including Transfiguration. Upon the conclusion of the parish's centennial in Aug 1993 the parish ceased to exist. All sacramental registers were transferred to the Diocesan Archives.