Sunday Service: St. Casimir
My fifth "Sunday Service" post features the breathtaking and incredibly detailed St. Casimir Church located in the heart of Kaisertown, Buffalo. Founded in 1890, St. Casimir is the only free standing Church not associated with the Diocese of Western New York. In 1926, at the request of the chancery, Father Anthony Majewski began looking into a new church building for St. Casimir’s to replace the original wooden complex. Inspired by the churches he saw in Europe, Majewski hired architect Chester Oakley to design a Byzantine-style church resembling the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. Much of the stained glass was imported from Munich and many of the murals found inside were done by Buffalo artist Joseph Mazur. Once completed, the current St. Casimir Church seen today cost $450K in total. One of the most significant events in St. Casimir’s history occurred in August of 1976, when future Pope and Saint, John Paul the Great celebrated a Mass here.
Walking through the inside of the Church, one cannot help but be in awe of the level of details found throughout. Outside the front entrance along Cable Street are two small cupolas with a terra cotta mural depicting Christ the King, St. Casimir, St. Stanislaus, and St. Hyacinth, with symbolic plaques bearing inscriptions. Inside, one can look up 65 feet to view the center cupola dome and beautiful stained glass windows, or walk the aisles to see the hand-carved oak statues, Stations of the Cross, and oak pew decorations. The marble alter is a must see in person, words wont do it justice. The Crowning of Mary mural behind the alter is simply wonderful.
For more information about St. Casimir Church or to get involved, please visit their website - http://www.stcasimirbuffalo.com/
