Clockwise from top left : Br . Matthew Rehagen , CSC teaching his 5th graders in math class ; 4th graders putting on a live Stations of the Cross during Lent ; a mural painted in the early 1940s by Chicago painter John Mallin that depicts the work Polish immigrants did when they arrived in South Bend in the late 19th to early 20th centuries .
Lay leader Don Popielarz believes that the immigrant story is at the core of St . Adalbert ’ s renewal . “ We were and continue to be an immigrant parish — first Poles , now Hispanics ,” he said . “ Ninety percent of our members are first- or second-generation immigrants , primarily from Mexico . Sixty percent speak only Spanish . Thirty percent are bilingual . Their story and their goals are the same as those of the Poles who arrived from Warsaw 150 years ago : they want their children to be educated . They want to take part in the sacraments . St . Adalbert ’ s is a compelling place with a compelling story to tell .”
Rev . Ryan Pietrocarlo and team leaders used an innovative approach to create an asset-mapping event that parish leaders devised to meet their unique needs . Church leaders paired English- and Spanish-speaking congregants together , with translators at each table , to identify parish strengths , create connections , and draft an action plan .
Church leaders also encouraged the parish to reframe its outlook . “ The challenges faced by parishes like ours often have us thinking in terms of scarcity ,” said Father Ryan . “ We want to turn that around and think of our parish and its gifts in terms of abundance — and know that we have much to offer our community , as they have much to offer us .”
The parish lives out its historic mission of serving first-generation immigrants by melding South Bend ’ s expanding Hispanic population into a congregation that celebrates both Polish and Mexican cultural heritage . St . Adalbert welcomes community members to take citizenship classes , to have documents and letters translated , and to gain access to the parish food pantry . Of course , the historic church is also the site for baptisms , weddings ,
funerals , confirmations , First Communions , and quinceañeras — essentials for the 3,000-plus parish members .
With a vision , a plan , and training , Father Ryan and Popielarz tackled the daunting task of raising the multimillions of dollars needed to achieve their dreams , starting with the replacement of the church ’ s enormous roof . The duo is a dynamic force , and they fully grasp the compelling nature of the St . Adalbert story and how best to market it . “ The more we told our story in the broader South Bend community , the more support we attracted ,” said Popielarz .
Father Ryan concurs : “ A parade of angels keeps appearing . Indiana University South Bend Choral Union held a benefit concert in our sanctuary , the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame gave us the Second Offering on a home football weekend , Notre Dame alumni clubs request private tours . Over 1,000 of the faithful appeared on the doorstep of the sanctuary on Ash Wednesday .” When it was time to approach the parishioners of St . Adalbert , they followed Christ ’ s model of the mission of the 72 disciples : “ The harvest is plentiful , but the laborers are few ” ( Luke 10:1-10 ) .
With the imprimatur of a $ 250,000 grant from Partners ’ National Fund ( managed in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation ) and an additional $ 400,000 grant from the Sacred Places Indiana program at Indiana Landmarks , fundraising opportunities erupted , and not one , but two $ 1 million anonymous gifts have been received .
Father Ryan and Popielarz are confident about raising the funds necessary to complete the required repairs and restoration . “ After all , we have momentum ,” says Father Ryan , “ and the angels truly are on our side .”
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