St. Casmir, a Polish Catholic church, was built in 1915 on the corner
of Hess Avenue and Atkins Street. Polish emigrants had been settling in
Erie’s lower Eastside, and wished to organize their own parish. Over
150 families and various church organizations raised money for the
construction of the church. In the Spring of 1915, Liebel-Binney
Construction Company began work on the Victorian style church. St.
Casimir’s was officially dedicated in 1916 by Rt. Rev. John E.
Fitzmaurice, who was acting Bishop at the time. Two years later, a
school was formed in the basement of the church, and a separate school
building was built on a neighboring lot in 1948. The school was
officially closed in 1982, but the church remained open.
In 1990, St. Casimir’s and neighboring congregations, St. Ann’s and
Holy Family, united under the direction of one pastor to form Our
Mother of Sorrows Parish. The three parishes are still open to the
public, run separate church services, and have their own rectories. In
2016, St. Casimir’s community is now comprised of 150 members, and
holds Saturday and Sunday mass.
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