St. Ladislaus Church (South Norwalk, Connecticut)

St.Ladislaus is a Roman Catholic church in South Norwalk, Connecticut, part of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

For other churches of the same name, see St. Ladislaus Church (disambiguation).
St. Ladislaus Church
Location25 Cliff St
South Norwalk, Connecticut
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic
Architecture
Architect(s)Ödön Lechner
Administration
DioceseBridgeport
ProvinceHartford
Clergy
Bishop(s)Most Rev. Frank J. Caggiano
Pastor(s)Rev. Juan Gabriel Acosta

History

St. Ladislaus Church was established in 1907 to serve a Hungarian congregation. Many immigrants from Hungary had arrived in South Norwalk in the late 19th century. The church still conducts some Hungarian language services in addition to services in English and Spanish .[1]

Buildings

The church building, which was completed in 1912, is patterned after a church in the Kőbánya district of Budapest that is dedicated to St. Ladislaus.[2] [3] The Romanesque Revival-style church was designed by distinguished Hungarian architect Ödön Lechner,[4] marking one of the few times that an American Roman Catholic church was designed by a European architect. The sanctuary features stained glass windows made in Germany. One of the windows adjacent to the altar depicts St. Ladislaus leading his armies during the Crusades. The image in the window on the opposite side of the altar shows St. Stephen of Hungary handing the crown of Hungary to Mary and baby Jesus.[2] The church's steeple, which has a distinctive octagonal base, is a local landmark that has been a reference point for fishermen on Long Island Sound and for World War II aviators.[5]

The church's interior was renovated in 1977 and 1983.[4] The steeple was toppled during a storm in March 2010, but was taken to a restoration company for repairs and was expected to be replaced.[5][6]

References
  1. http://www.stladislaus.com/mass.htm
  2. Rob Wright, Two Churches Serve Hungarian Residents, The Hour, January 25, 1985
  3. Paul Soos, Lechner in America, Magyar News Online, October 2007. Page 8.
  4. Our History, St. Ladislaus Catholic Church website, accessed January 24, 2011
  5. Schools closed today as region cleans up from weekend storm, The Hour, March 15, 2010
  6. St. Ladislaus, which lost its steeple in recent nor'easter, prays for those that have lost much more this year, The Hour, March 29, 2010

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