Before the 11 a.m. opening of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church’s Polish Festival on Saturday, July 17, people were lined up all the way to Grumpy’s Bar.
The annual event customarily draws hundreds, but there was a tragic component to this year’s affair. On April 19, a fire tore through the 107-year-old church building at 420 22nd Ave NE, destroying the roof and most of the interior furnishings. The building was deemed a total loss, and will have to come down.
But the large number of attendees at this year’s festival, which traditionally takes place in the yard of the Pulaski Auditorium across the street from the church, seemed to indicate the solidarity felt by many more than just the church’s modest 100-member congregation.
Sacred Heart of Jesus had been under a financial strain before the fire. The yearly festival, along with weekly donations to the church’s collection baskets, ordinarily pays the bulk of the church’s yearly expenses. But the COVID pandemic reduced attendance (and contributions) at masses, and last year’s festival was cancelled.
In addition, the City of Minneapolis is pressing the parish to quickly demolish the remains of the building for safety reasons. The church was given a July 29 deadline. If demolition doesn’t happen in a timely manner, the city will do the work and assess the parish for payments for several years.
So this year’s festival became much more than a customary fundraising-for-expenses event. Estimates of $75,000 or more have been mentioned for demolition costs; the parish is seeking several bids.
A GoFundMe account has around $35,000 in it; that money is ostensibly dedicated to rebuilding, which might take the form of reworking part of Pulaski Auditorium into a sacristy, or putting a smaller building on the church’s site; other options are being considered.
The festival stayed close to its traditions: Polish food – including pierogi, golabki, kapusta and Polish sausage – and beer, raffles, and accordions. The Dolina Polish Folk Dancers gave one of their spirited, colorful performances, and festival organizers got discounts from some of the vendors, such as Surdyk’s.
The church’s pastor, Father John Kutek, spent the day selling tickets, schmoozing with patrons, announcing raffle winners and generally keeping the whole event afloat. Near the end of the afternoon, an anonymous benefactor appeared at the festival (Fr. Kutek described him as a “Minnesota Polish ancestor”) and pledged to match the festival’s proceeds, up to $50,000.
Father Kutek was born in Krakow, Poland, and came to the U.S. in 1991. After two years at a Wisconsin parish, he moved to Minneapolis to succeed the Reverend Michael Augustyn as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish. The Polish National Catholic Church was founded by Polish-Americans in 1897, and has around 26,000 members in the U.S. and Canada. It differs in some doctrinal aspects with the Roman Catholic Church; a major difference is that the Polish rite allows and encourages their priests to marry, that they might have a better understanding of marital issues. Father Kutek has a wife, Renata, and two grown children, Michael and Caroline.
Another family closely associated with the parish is the Lachs. Candy and Walter are longtime festival volunteers, and they spent the day manning the raffles and selling beer, pop and water.
But the connections go in both directions. Both of Walter’s grandparents worked on the church’s construction in 1914. The Lach’s three children (Jason, Jeremy and Amy) were baptized at the church, Jason and Jeremy were altar boys, and all three were married there as well. And of course, the Lach’s eight grandchildren were baptized there, too. Asked what he and his family would like to see happen, Walter said he knew it won’t be the same as the original church, but hopes, “They get it as close as they can.”
A short tour of the church interior revealed massive holes in the roof over the altar and balcony, charred walls in the stairwell to the steeple, and a badly-damaged stained-glass window. The life-size crucifix that stood near the pulpit was saved, but with the loss of its arms. In a further insult, the twin wooden entrance doors were undamaged, but shortly after the fire, they were vandalized with spray paint. Parish volunteers worked to remove the paint, but with limited success. One of the side altars was saved, but little else.
Father Kutek said the parish is accepting direct donations, in addition to the GoFundMe account. Donations can be sent to Sacred Heart of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church, 420 22nd Ave. NE, Minneapolis 55413.
Below: The Dolina Polish Folk Dancers entertained at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Polish Festival July 17. The group has been been promoting and preserving Polish culture for more than 60 years. Fr. John Kutek visited with Bill and Kay McReavy during the Polish Festival. (Photos by Mark Peterson)
