Narrative History of the Basilica of St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

The quiet, imposing, grandeur of St. Josaphat Basilica, hardly bespeaks the nearly insurmountable difficulties experienced by Founding Pastor, Rev. Wilhelm Grutza, and his architect-contractor, Mr. Erhard Brielmaier. Considering the building and its huge copper-plated dome, one cannot easily imagine the reversal of many architectural and engineering principles involved in the gigantic project.

The monumental task of building this vast structure was born in the mind of Fr. Grutza. He had constructed the first church in 1888 - and saw it consumed by flames a year later. A second church planned shortly thereafter proved entirely inadequate to the needs of the growing parish even before its construction. Fr. Grutza contacted Mr. Brielmaier, a practicing architect specializing in ecclesiastical work, and engaged him to draw up plans for a structure which would meet the present, and even later requirements of the growing Polish Catholic population of the then far South Side of Milwaukee.

The architect's plans for the new edifice were brilliantly conceived. They called for a structure of brick construction, with terra cotta trim. The church would seat approximately 2,000 persons. It was to be arranged so as to bring the majority of the people as close to the main altar and pulpit as possible, and yet avoid the obstruction of the columns, which would be indispensable in a structure of this size and proportions.

The church plans were virtually complete when Fr. Grutza made a trip to Chicago. It was a fateful trip--one might even call it providential. It is probably safe to assume that in planning the new church, the energetic pastor considered building it of stone. But the very limited financial straits of the poor and struggling parish entirely eliminated any such costly designs. In Chicago, however, Fr. Grutza learned of the razing of that city's old Post Office and Customs House to make room for a more modern structure. The entire building was made of stone, which for the most part, was in excellent condition.

Fr. Grutza toyed with the idea of purchasing the stone. He made inquiries, then rushed back to Milwaukee for a conference with his architect. The stone, he informed Mr. Brielmaier, could be purchased for $20,000 and delivered to Milwaukee on railroad flatcars. The purchase price included doors with hardware attached, ornamental bronze railings and lighting fixtures. The price of the stone was $30,000 less than the cost of new brick and terra cotta intended to be used under the original plans. The plans were changed to use the stone and include six granite columns and carved stone capitals for the entrance facade of the new church.

Here one might do well to pause and reflect on the difficulties, which beset the architect, who had the added duty of general contractor, if he agreed to a change of plans. In construction one usually plans first, then selects the materials to fit the plans. Here, the reverse would be true. Each stone would have to be carefully inspected, measured, sorted and numbered, and a place found for it in the new structure. Then, too, when one considers the tremendous proportions of this edifice, and especially the dome - which was to be the fifth largest in the world at the time of its construction - one must recall that domestic Portland cement was considered unequal to foreign cement in the United States at that time. Brielmaier imported German Dyckerhoff Portland cement for use in the footings and floor slabs. He used domestic Portland cement for the mortar in the walls. Reinforcing steel for the foundation was an unknown quantity - old railroad ties would have to be used instead. Steel rails were used to reinforce the concrete footings under each of the eight piers supporting the 214-foot dome. Then, Mr. Brielmaier would be forced to pioneer in yet another field. The building of St. Josaphat Church was to be the first large-scale attempt at iron construction in the United States. Finally, and what could prove the architect's undoing, was scarcity of money. The parish resources were extremely limited, even to the extent that the architect-builder would have to hire help from among the poor, unskilled parishioners. They, in turn, could help finance the slow progress of the building. Truly, Erhard Brielmaier was faced with a monumental decision.

Here was a challenge to his architectural and engineering skill, a challenge under the most extreme and adverse conditions. But he accepted it. And, one might ask, just what actuated his consent to the change of plans-- the challenge to his skill? Yes, to a certain extent. One must hasten to add, however, that a desire to help the struggling parishioners, who otherwise could not have afforded a church of stone, and, above all, a yearning to construct a temple of beauty paying tribute to the Almighty forever, could not have been absent within the soul of the architect.

The plans were changed. Construction began. Five hundred railroad flatcars were used to transport the stone and other fixtures to Milwaukee. A huge empty field, bounded by Garden Street (Fifth Place), Lincoln Avenue, First Avenue (Sixth Street), and Grant Street, was used to store the blocks of stone. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1897. Extreme care was taken to waste nothing. Hardly a stone was recut. Even the bronze railings found a place in the galleries. The six granite columns and carved stone capitals, which had graced the Chicago Courthouse for years, now presented an imposing facade. (For these, Fr. Grutza passed over a tidy profit. A few days after he had purchased them for $1,900, a Jewish congregation about to build a Synagogue offered him $15,000 for them.) Several years passed - years of difficult construction, with certain departures and modifications in plans in order to suit the stone and material used.

In completing the project, a gigantic earthmoving task was begun. The site of the church was formerly the slope of a hill (about 12 feet above the present level). It reached the height of approximately 30 feet in front of the new edifice. The entire hill was now moved away - by man and horse power alone - and dumped along the Kinnickinnic River whose western shore at the time bordered the old Grove Street (now Fifth Street).

In a grand Pontifical High Mass celebrated by Archbishop Francis Xavier Katzer on July 21,1901, the church was dedicated, and took its place as the most imposing of all Polish churches in the United States. Sebastian Cardinal Martinelli, representing the Holy Father, pronounced the Papal Blessing. The ceremony was attended by more than 4000 of the Faithful. The actual construction problems were overcome. The dreams of Fr. Grutza and architect Brielmaier were a reality. But the costs entailed had been tremendous, much greater than anyone had imagined. The parish was burdened with a heavy debt.

Death now intervened. As if taking pity on the priest whose shoulders carried such a responsibility, it removed Fr. Grutza from the scene of his labors. Barely one month after the dedication of the new church, Fr. Grutza's funeral was held on August 27, 1901.

Fr. Joseph Kempa became the new pastor and was shortly succeeded by Fr. Anthony Pradzinski. The latter held the position for five years and was followed by Fr. Joseph Knitter. In spite of the extraordinary qualities of leadership of this priest, the parish stood in virtual bankruptcy from 1905 to 1909 - years during which the interest on monies borrowed and current expenses ran more than twice the total income.

In January, 1910, at the request of His Excellency Sebastian Messmer, Archbishop of Milwaukee, the Franciscan Fathers Minor Conventual took over the management of the parish which was then encumbered with a debt of three quarters of a million dollars. The Very Rev. Hyacinth Fudzinski, OFM Conv., former provincial of the Franciscan Fathers, Saint Anthony of Padua Province, took upon himself the administration of the parish. Under his skillful leadership, and, in spite of numerous difficulties and misunderstandings, the debt began to decrease. In addition, many an ill-disposed mind was pacified. Fr. Fudzinski served as pastor for four years. In 1914, the Very Rev. Felix Baran, OFM Conv. was appointed pastor by the provincial chapter. He came to the parish in September of that year, and remained until his death in 1942.

With undaunted energy and skillful planning, Fr. Baran proceeded further to slash the debt. Despite ever rising difficulties, thanks to his stupendous courage and to the generous financial aid of the parishioners, the debt was finally liquidated. This accomplished, the zealous pastor began to contemplate the renovation of the church. He had always been solicitous about beautifying the church adequately, and, in consequence, spent many a sleepless night before undertaking a project of such magnitude. He did not wish to burden the parish with a new and heavy debt. Long did he contemplate the undertaking of the project before embarking upon it. The church needed renovation badly, and the good parishioners encouraged the pastor to proceed at once.

In 1926, Fr. Felix enlisted the services of Conrad Schmitt Studios to accomplish the great task of the decoration of the interior. Painted ornamental plasterwork, finished in gold leaf adorned the frieze and the faux marble columns. Schmitt artisans also added elaborate stencil work and trompe l'oeil painting. Fr. Felix further enlisted the talents of the Italian artist, Gonippo Raggi, whom he commissioned from the Vatican for the stunning oil paintings that form the murals throughout the massive church. The dazzling interior was completed in 1928. One year later, November 29, the church was consecrated (at a Pontifical Mass celebrated Bishop Rhodes of Green Bay) and elevated by His Holiness, Pope Pius XI to the dignity of a Minor Basilica, the third church so honored in the United States. The actual ceremony of elevation to the dignity of a basilica took place on January 25, 1931, in the presence of His Eminence Samuel Cardinal Stritch, the Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago.

In the fall of 1940, faulty electrical wiring started a fire in the lower basilica, causing extensive damage to the lower church, and smoke damaging the paintings in the upper basilica. Fortunately, Fr. Baran was able to secure the services of Prof. Raggi to supervise the retouching and restoring of the painting to their pristine beauty.

After Fr. Baran's death in 1942, Very Rev. Paul Czubaj, OFM Conv., an assistant, pastor for many years, was chosen to head the parish. He was given the task of renovating the lower basilica after the near disastrous fire of 1940. Under Fr. Paul's direction, the lower church was repainted, new fixtures installed, the sanctuary and altar modified, and a terrazzo floor replaced the charred wooden one.

In the summer of 1947, during a severe storm, lighting struck the dome, dislodging several large blocks of stone and hurtling them to the street below. Subsequent inspection of the foundation of the dome, and of the entire exterior of the Basilica disclosed an urgent need for immediate repairs. These were initiated by Fr. Paul, carried on by his successor, Very Rev. Bronislaus Swiszcz, OFM Conv. during the years 1948 through 1951. When Fr. Bronislaus retired from the pastorship because of illness, repairs were brought to completion by Very Rev. Gabriel Ignaszak, OFM Conv., appointed pastor in 1951. Very Rev. Paul Czubaj, OFM Conv., returned as pastor in 1957, succeeded by Very Rev. Bart Snella, OFM Conv., who died as pastor barely fulfilling one year in office. Very Rev. Eugene Piasecki, OFM Conv. assumed the reins of the Basilica to fulfill Fr. Bart's term.

The following years were years of growth and change in the Church at large and at the Basilica itself. In the pastorate of the Very Rev. Constantine Zelinski, OFM Conv., the Basilica parish found itself experiencing the liturgical changes of the Second Vatican Council. Fr. Constantine espoused the minimalist theory of the period and once again called the Conrad Schmitt Studios, this time to overpaint much of the faux marble columns and the ornamental paintings. In the spirit of "less being more" the Basilica was redressed for the Sixties. A copper canopy was added to the front of the Basilica from the sidewalk to the front door. Much work was done to remodel the Friary (the Franciscans' living quarters) during this time. The Very Rev. Ralph Vala, OFM Conv. succeeded Fr. Constantine.

The Very Rev. James Kowalski, OFM Conv. as Rector-Pastor (1972-1975) restored the usage of the lower church for daily Masses. Basic repair and upkeep of the Basilica church also occurred during this time. During the tenure of Very Rev. Anselm Romb, OFM Conv. the Basilica started to experience growth and development in the area of the arts and culture. Fr. Anselm worked to bring about major repair in the Basilica. In 1976, the exterior of the building was cleaned and coated with a silicone substance to reduce discoloration of the stone. He established the reliquary altar and redesigned the confessionals in the spirit of Vatican Council II. The lower church experienced some renovation and new storage rooms were added. The canopy was removed from the front of the church and the wrought iron uprights that supported it were moved to form a security gate in the lower church. The Very Rev. Thaddeus Wiktorek, OFM Conv. was appointed pastor when Fr. Anselm was elected Minister Provincial. During his term as Rector-Pastor, Fr. Ted oversaw the cleaning and major repair of the interior of the Basilica. Fr. Ted took up the repair of the dome after winds from a major storm literally ripped off a piece of the copper cladding in 1986. That disaster became the major event in the contemporary life of the Basilica. It became the duty of Very Rev. Michael Rozewicz, OFM Conv., to continue the repair of the Basilica. The patchwork on the dome copper did not hold tight and water found its way into the plaster of the Basilica ceilings and started to cause major damage. The granite steps on the front of the Basilica needed to be repaired. Fr. Michael approached the Franciscan Province of St. Bonaventure for financial assistance in the crushing need of serious work to be done. The Franciscans, experiencing a serious financial crunch of their own encouraged Fr. Michael to make an appeal to the Archbishop for any assistance he might be able to provide. With the assistance of Archbishop Rembert Weakland, OSB, Fr. Michael was able to contact several prominent Catholic businessmen of Polish ancestry. These became the nucleus of what developed into the St. Josaphat Basilica Foundation, established in 1991. Through their efforts, Del Wilson and Uihlein-Wilson Architects were hired to develop a plan for the salvation of the Basilica. John Hunzinger and Hunzinger Construction Company were chosen as the company to take up the exterior work. The Conrad Schmitt Studios were involved in the care of the stained glass. Through the efforts of many hearts and minds, the envelope was sealed. At a cost of $1.5M the exterior was finished in 1992. The work on the interior was left for another day and more fundraising efforts.

The Very Rev. William Patrick Callahan, OFM Conv. was appointed Rector-Pastor in 1994 and slowly assumed the tasks of the pastorate as the Basilica's first non-Polish pastor. Following in the footsteps of Fr. Michael, Fr. William worked with the Foundation to develop a master plan for the work on the interior of the Basilica. Time and money dictated an expedient solution to the work at hand. That was not the mind of Fr. William. He saw a full-scale restoration of the Basilica to the original 1928-decorating scheme. This was a tough decision for everyone to make. The Foundation, the Franciscans, the parishioners all knew that a major restoration would indeed be beautiful, but the fear of launching such a campaign might fall flat in the face of hard financial times or people unwilling to support a Catholic church restoration. Fr. William worked hard to convince many people of the correctness of this action and slowly the work began. More and more was done and more and more the original beauty of the church became evident! New light fixtures, replicating the originals, were fabricated by Steve Kaniewski of Milwaukee Brass Lighting Gallery. This would never have happened had it not been for the fact that Fr. William (who had been stationed at the Basilica as a newly ordained priest in 1977), hid one of the original light fixtures from the old Post Office in the Basilica attic for fear it would be thrown away (an action typical of "modernizing"). Fr. William produced the original piece at a planning meeting when new light fixtures were being considered for the Basilica. The work of the restoration took nearly a full year. During the time, the congregation gathered and worshipped in the lower church. The upper church was opened in glorious splendor for the Easter Vigil, March 30, 1997. The Minister Provincial of the Province of Saint Bonaventure (Chicago Province), The Very Rev. Anthony Labedis, OFM Conv. presided at the concelebrated Mass rededicating the cornerstone of the Basilica on July 4, 1997. Archbishop Rembert Weakland, OSB, offered a concelebrated Mass of Thanksgiving in the Basilica on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16, 1997. On September 13, 1999, ground was broken for the third stage of the Basilica restoration and renewal. The first new construction in nearly 100 years, would become the new visitors' center and handicapped entrance and elevator. This building named The Pope John Paul II Pavilion in honor of His Holiness, the Pope, was dedicated on August 27, in the Great Jubilee Year 2000--ninety years to the day of the funeral of the Founding Pastor, Fr. Wilhelm Grutza.

The history is still being made. . .