Our Lady of Czestochowa church is located on the south side of 24th Street, Brooklyn, between Fourth and Third Avenues. The parish mailing address is 183 25th Street, Brooklyn NY 11232, telephone 718-768-5724. The website is at http://olcbrooklyn.org/---
Because of the tail or ogonek on the third letter, the city's name is sometimes spelled Czenstochowa, as over the doors of the rectory and former school, shown below. In 1980, the parish of St. Casimir in Williamsburg was merged with this parish. Hence, the full name of this parish is Our Lady of Czenstochowa - St. Casimir, both names indicating Polish heritage.
When I stopped by Our Lady of Czestochowa church on Tuesday, June 23, 2009, the 12:15 Mass included the 30th wedding anniversary celebration of a couple. Congratulations!
Note the reproduction of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa over the altar. Do the statues of Franciscan saints indicate that this was once a Franciscan parish?
Above is the rectory on 25th Street. Fourth Avenue is to the right.
Artillery guards the former parish school on 25th Street. The statue commemorates Gold Star Mothers, mothers of soldiers killed in action. The parish school closed in 1996.
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Please click on the "Comments" note above in tan to read six heartfelt comments. One person asks about retrieving a marriage record from about 1890. Churches do keep marriage registers, and they do make copies or issue certificates. Usually there is a fee, and there could be a problem searching the parish marriage register if you do not know the date of marriage. I believe the registers are chronological, without an index of names. At the moment, April 2013, ancestry.com is offering a free look at their marriage index.
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Thanks so much for this blog. I just learned that my grandparents were married in this church on June 24, 1906, almost the same date as the couple celebrating their 30th. Seeing the church gave me a real glimpse into the early lives of my grandparents-I know so little about their history.
ReplyDeleteI was baptized in this church in 1955. My grandparents were married here as well, in 1927. I had the opportunity to visit the church for a Sunday mass in February 2007 with my sister, to honor our grandparents,father and uncle. My family worshiped at this church since my grandfather had arrived to Brooklyn from Poland in 1915. Even though the mass was spoken in Polish, my sister and I felt a deep connection and that we were with "our people". When I was nearly 9 years old my parents decided to move out to Long Island. What a shame. I wish they would have stayed within the Polish community. It was a feeling of being home. The church is very ornate compared to the contemporary church I attended in Deer Park, LI. Thank you for your info. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteIt was very nice to see this,I went to school along with my three sisters in 1965...
ReplyDeletethe church is still as beautiful as it was back then... miss the nuns that were there they were very good to us...
Diane Famularo
Thanks for this. I graduated this school in 1977 and have many fond memories!
ReplyDelete-David Robinson
Great job with this...my entire family made all their Sacraments here. My Great Grandparents were married here. I chose to be married here and had my son baptized here as well. My sister and I are both graduates of the school. The nuns were tough, and wish they were still around for my kids.
ReplyDeleteNicely done!
- Vinny Duminski Class of 76...the Bi Centennial class
I thought you might like:
ReplyDeleteResurrection Miracles of Our Lady of Czestochowa [ Virgin Mary Easter Miracle Raise Dead Mother of God Theotokos Icon Christian Catholic Orthodox Adventist Mormon ]:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/113877578/Resurrection-Miracles-of-Our-Lady-of-Czestochowa-Virgin-Mary-Easter-Miracle-Raise-Dead-Mother-of-God-Theotokos-Icon-Christian-Catholic-Orthodox-Adve
God bless!
Thanks for taking the time to post these pictures as I greatly enjoyed them. I just shared them with my 95 year old mother who attended this church. My great-grandparents lived directly across the street in the 1920's and were married here in about 1890. Do you know any way to access the marriage records?
ReplyDeleteI was at the Church yesterday. It is just beautiful and I was lucky to be there 2 days after the feast day for the icon, Aug 26th. The stained glass windows of many saints you do not ususally see are worth seeing as well as the icon.
ReplyDeleteI was there yesterday and the church is beautiful. I was lucky to be there 2 days after the feast day (Aug. 26) for the Black Madonna. The stained glass windows showing many saints you do not usually see in churches is worth seeing as well as the icon. The windows include St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Hedwig, St. Casimir, St. Stanislaus, and St. Adalbert. There is an altar to Maximilian Kolbe killed by the Nazis.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were married in Our Lady of Czestochowa back in 1947. Would anyone know how I would go about obtaining a copy of their marriage certificate?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your help.
Pat, To obtain a copy of their marriage certificate, I think the best way is to start by phoning the rectory 718-768-5724 during office hours and asking the secretary to instruct you. There is a standard procedure.
ReplyDeleteAm looking for a 1895 baptismal record....are these available?
ReplyDeletePlease phone the rectory 718-768-5724 during office hours, as in the above comment. Also, please see http://olcbrooklyn.org/
ReplyDeleteDo you know if they kept funeral service records? My grandparents and great-grandparents were both married here and we have those records.
ReplyDeleteI am Tommy P. Graduated OLC IN 65.WHAT GREAT MEMORIES.
ReplyDelete