History of Saginaw County, Michigan; historical, commercial, biographical, profusely illustrated with portraits of early pioneers, rare pictures and scenes of olden times, and portraits of representative citizens of today, [Vol. 2]

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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY

Mathias Grochowski; from September 7, 1889, the Reverend Victor Zaleski;
from April 3, 1892, the Reverend Charles Votypka, assistant pastor of St.
Stanislaus Church, Bay City; from September 25, 1892, the Reverend Alexander Lipinski; from October 4, 1907, the Reverend Simon Ponganis; and
from July 13, 1913, the present pastor.
Reverend Kaczmarek was born at Brodowo,
Province of Posen, Poland, on April 2, 1878. His
parents were Andrew and Mary Wendrowicz
Kaczmarek, who emigrated to America in 1881
and settled in Bay City, M ichigan. The father
died April 24, 1899, at Minonk, Illinois.
The schooling of Francis was received at St.
Stanislaus School, Bay City, and he took a
classical course at St. Cyril's and Methodius
Seminary, Detroit, and studies in philosophy and
theology at St. Francis Seminary, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was ordained to the priesthcod on June 29, 1901, by Right Reverend
Henry J. Richter, at the Cathedral, Grand
Rapids; and celebrated his first Holy Mass at St.
Stanislaus Church, Bay City, on July 7, 1901.
On July i2, 1901, he was appointed assisREV. F. A. KACZMAREK tant pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Manistee,
Michigan, where he remained until September
15, 1905, when he was transferred as assistant-pastor of St. Adalbert's Church,
Grand Rapids. On June 15, 1906, he was advanced to the pastorship of St.
Dominic's Church, Metz, Michigan; and soon after started a building fund
for a Catholic School, which is now open. At this time he also had charge
of St. Ignatius' parish, Rogers City. He was again advanced on October 4,
1907, to the pastorship of St. Mary's Church, Gaylord, Michigan, and he also
administered to the Catholics of Lewiston and Johannesburg. In the following January he started a building fund for a new solid-brick parsonage, which
was constructed the same year under his direction. In September, 1909, he
procured the Dominican Sisters (a teaching order of Grand Rapids) for the
parochial school.
An important event in the pastorate of Reverend Kaszmarek was his
advancement on July 15, 1913, to the charge of Holy Rosary congregation
of this city. Besides his parochial duties here, he opened services and
started schools, with Dominican Sisters in charge, in two other city parishes,
St. Casimir's, on South Jefferson Avenue, in October, 1913, and St. Josaphat's,
on Shattuck street, Carrollton, in November of the same year. At that time
he also had charge of Assumption parish, Bridgeport. On May 15, 1915, the
Reverend W. Szymanski took charge of St. Casimir's parish; and on April
9, 1916, the Reverend James Czachorski took charge of St. Josaphat's and
Assumption parishes.
Francis A. Kaczmarek, whose activity and sincere interest in the welfare
of his parishioners is very pronounced, holds two records in the Diocese.
The first is the opening of services in two churches within one month, opening two parochial schools within the same time and procuring Dominican
Sisters to teach in them-both St. Casimir's and St. Josaphat's, while the
other is having in charge three city parishes-Holy Rosary, St. Casimir's and
St. Josaphat's, besides the mission church of Assumption, at Bridgeport, at
one time. He is untiring in the cause of righteousness and in promoting
the religious life of the parish, and is much beloved by all his people.