Core Parishes
These exhibits allow visitors to learn about the parishes established by the early Polish settlers from the region of Upper Silesia as they ventured out into other areas in Texas.
Father Moczygemba’s Legacy and Panna Maria’s Gifts to Polonia
Father Moczygemba, “Patriarch of American Polonia,”though primarily known for his role in the founding of the Polish settlements in Texas, would become a key figure in the early development of other Polish institutions across the United States. He served as a missionaryin several states and advocated the founding of Saints Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Michigan. A brief visit to Chicago by Father Moczygemba prompted the city’s Polish families and leaders to establish Saint Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church in 1867. Father Moczygemba was also instrumental in founding the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRUCA) one of the nation’s oldest Polish fraternal organizations still in operation.
