KASHUBIANS AND THE CHURCH IN THREE WISCONSIN SETTLEMENTS: JONES ISLAND MILWAUKEE, STEVENS POINT, AND PINE CREEK/DODGE WISCONSIN

Abstract

This paper will discuss the historic connections between three Kashubs settlements and Catholic churches in Milwaukee, Stevens Point, and Pine Creek/Dodge Wisconsin. These churches from the 1800’s served as important links to these communities. The Kashubian immigrants were loyal and important contributors to founding, growth and development of these fervent communities in abundant ways. This article will address these links and activities that existed in the 1800’s following the arrival of Polish/Kashubs immigrants. Polish immigrants have celebrated many loyalties to various institutions, but the connection they established to Catholic churches stands out as particularly vigorous. Much has been written about their relationship to religion, but less attention has been focused on that of Kashubian Poles. Kashubian Poles exerted back breaking efforts to build stunning churches and religious communities as vital components of their “native realm” or ethnic self-definition process. (Milosz, 1968). This paper will highlight the significant contributions to churches in three Kashubian settlements including Jones Island, Milwaukee, Stevens Point, and Pine Creek, Dodge Wisconsin. This paper will address three questions: Who are the Kashubs? Where did they come from and why? What are the major Kashubian settlements in Wisconsin and their connections to Catholic Churches? How were these settlements alike and how were they different?