Religious Life in San Francisco and the Bay AreaPolish immigration to West Coast
by Gillian Olechno-Huszcza
The first Polish immigrants came to the Bay area in the 1830's. A majority were soldiers of the Polish Insurrection Army who had fought against the Russians. There were some Poles among the Forty Niners. Later migratory movements resulted mainly from political suppression in Poland. This had happened repeatedly over the years, leaving Poland in a period of economic decline. At the turn of the century many Poles came, intending to make some money and return home, but instead many remained permanently.
Following World War II many "displaced persons" and former soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces settled in the Bay area. The next influx took place after the imposition of martial law in Poland in 1981, forming the "Solidarity" group. It is difficult to estimate the number of people of Polish descent living in the Bay area. According to the Census of 1900 there were about 1,000 Poles in San Francisco and about 300 in Sacramento at that time. At present about 12,000 Polish people live in the Bay Area.
As is often the case with immigrant groups, their life centered around their church. Most of the Polish immigrants were Roman Catholic and originally the Polish community was without pastoral care in its own language for many years. Due to the efforts of Archbishop Jozef Gawlina to whom the Holy See had entrusted the pastoral care of Polish emigres, Archbishop John J. Mitty invited about a dozen Polish priests to California between 1950 and 1952. They were assigned as assistant pastors in different parishes or as chaplains in hospitals, which essentially did not change the pastoral situation for the Polish people.
In 1955 Archbishop Mitty designated three churches where monthly services were held for Polish people - Nativity Church in San Francisco, St. Colomba in Oakland and St. Anthony in Redwood City. In February 1976 a Polish Catholic Mission was established with Father Wojciech Baryski as its first pastor. He chose the name St. Wojciech, Bishop and Martyr as the Patron Saint of the Mission. Under the care of the Fathers of the Society of Christ the Mission grew. At present there are three priests from the Society active in the Bay Area - Father Stanislaw Poszwa of San Francisco, Father Stanislaw Zak of San Jose and Father Andrew Woznicki, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of San Francisco.
The Mission sponsors a weekly radio program on KUSF (90.3 FM) Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. and sponsors a Christmas Eve Supper, a gathering at Easter on Holy Saturday and observes the anniversary of the first Polish Constitution of 1791 on May 3rd, when they also honor Our Lady Oueen of Poland. There are four other centers of pastoral care in Northern California, namely St. Brother Albert Chmielowski Polish Pastoral Mission in San Jose, St. Rose Church in Santa Rosa (once a month), the Polish Pastoral Center in Oakland and the Polish Ministry in Sacramento. (Taken from remarks by Father Stanislaw Poszwa in 1991 at the Sixth Annual History Day of Bay Area Catholicism.)
From: Polish Americans in California, vol. II. National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs & Polish American Historical Association. California 1995.