Staff
Staff of Sainth Hyacinth Basilica:
CONGREGATION OF THE RESURRECTION
This religious community of priests and brothers was founded in Paris, France on February 17, 1836 by Bogdan Janski, a layman. The entirethrust and history of religious re–birth of Catholicism spawned the ideals of a resurrection of society, bringing the life and love of God to all people through the personal witness of its members. The community of priests and brothers is to build, and to teach others to build, a christian community in which all can experience the hope, joy and peace of Christ’s Resurrection.
After the death of the founder, Bogdan Janski, in 1840, his associates and co–founders further developed these ideas. In 1842 they professed their first religious vows in Rome. Shortly, thereafter, they received the Church’s approval as a religious order of priests and brothers.
In 1866 a group of Resurrectionists established a permanent mission in Galveston, Texas.
In 1870 the Resurrectionists were invited to Chicago to direct St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish (still existing on Noble Street, just north of Division Street), in a not yet totally developed area of Chicago. Before long, however, the parish became the largest center for the Polish immigrants.
Through tireless efforts Father Vincent Barzynski, C.R. established several other parishes in Chicago and other parishes as far as Lemont, Illinois and parishes in Northern Indiana.
In his totally encompassing vision Fr. Barzynski enlisted a young lady, Theresa Dudzik, to care for the elderly, as well as the orphaned. She founded the Sisters of St. Francis of Chicago, who have continued the care of elderly to this day.
Realizing that young men needed to be educated in an American society, Fr. Barzynski offered the initial “high school for boys” dream to Fathers Joseph Halter and John Piechowski, members of the Resurrectionist community. In 1890 an old frame church building was converted into twoclassrooms. 12 students were enrolled in the first year. It was necessary to beg, entreat, and plead with parents to send their boys to high school rather than to work. Even at a charge of 25 cents a month –in a six-day school week, which ran from September to July – by necessity the families of 7 or 8children were concerned that the boys enter the trades or work at the steel mills after the completion of 6th grade.
From this beginning St. Stanislaus Kostka College, then Weber High and Gordon Tech High Schools were founded. To this date Gordon remains under the direction of the Resurrection Fathers and Brothers.
The priests and brothers continue their direction of St. Hedwig, St. Hyacinth, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Stanislaus B.&M. and St. Wenceslaus parishes in Chicago. In the Rockford diocese, parishes in Woodstock, Johnsburg, and Richmond Illinois, are under their leadership; ass well as parishes in Westmont and Morris Illinois of the Joliet diocese. The Resurrectionists also direct parishes in California, Alabama, Florida and Kentucky.
As the Congregation celebrates its 175th anniversary they serve over 90 institutions and parishes in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Tanzania, Ukraine and the United States.