Corpus Christi R. C. Church Complex

The Corpus Christi R.C. Church Complex is a series of several buildings located on Buffalo's historic East Side within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. The complex contains the Kolbe Center, Sears Street Hall, Rectory, Convent and the huge sandstone church that towers over the neighborhood. The complex school was closed in 1982 and has been razed.

Corpus Christi (Church)
Location199 Clark Street, Buffalo, New York
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic
WebsiteCorpus Christi Church
History
StatusParish church
Founded1898
Founder(s)Hyacinth Fudzinski
Dedicated1907
Architecture
Functional status"Active"
CompletedJune 13, 1909 (church)
Construction costUS$200 thousand
Specifications
Capacity1,650
Length170 feet (51.8 m)
Width90 feet (27.4 m)
MaterialsOnondaga limestone faced with Medina sandstone
Corpus Christi R.C. Church Complex
Corpus Christi R.C. Church, March 2009
Location199 Clark St., Buffalo, New York
Coordinates42°53′29″N 78°50′10″W
Area2.4 acres (0.97 ha)
Built1900
ArchitectSchmill and Gould
Architectural styleRomanesque
NRHP reference No.07000630[1]
Added to NRHPJune 27, 2007

History

Corpus Christi was the seventh Polish parish established in Buffalo. The Church was founded by Fr. Hyacinth Fudzinski, a Franciscan friar from Czarnków, Poland. The church was established to serve the religious needs of the growing Polish community of the East Side. The church community grew in the early 20th century as immigrants poured into the neighborhood.[2] The church has suffered the problems that have plagued other inner-city churches across America the past 30 years. As parishioners moved to the suburbs, the church became increasingly empty during masses and the school was closed in the early 1980s.

Building

Completed in 1907, Corpus Christi's imposing facade is wrought of Hummelstown brownstone quarried in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.[3][4] The church has 3 large bells, all in the north tower. The largest bell dates to 1898, the smaller bells were installed in 1948. All were cast by the Meneely Bell Foundry in Troy, NY. The crosses atop the towers were filled with letters from the parish's school children before they were affixed to the cupolas. The original church windows were made by Franz Mayer works in Munich, Germany.[5]

Present day

In June 2003, the Franciscan Friars decided that they could no longer administer to the community due to financial and other concerns. This announcement led to the creation of a committee named "The Friends of Corpus Christi", who sought to find another order to lead the faithful. This search yielded results when the Pauline Fathers agreed to take over the Church property and continue the rich heritage. The Paulines currently have two priests and one brother administering to the parish community. The current Pastor is Fr. Anselm Chalupka.[6]

The Complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.[1]

  • side view
  • convent
  • rectory
  • plaque to the right of the front entrance
  • sign to the left of the front entrance
  • scaffolding for renovation (May 2011)

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2016-07-01. Note: This includes Claire L. Ross (December 2006). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Corpus Christi R. C. Church Complex" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-07-01. and Accompanying eight photographs
  3. Nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places, page 3
  4. Hummelstown Brownstone booklet page 44
  5. Ederer, Martin (April 2009). "Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church". The Pauline Fathers & Brothers. CHURCH PAMPHLET.
  6. Corpus Christi Church. "History". Retrieved 2011-05-01.
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