Polish Pioneer Settlements
An immigration movement from Poland to Alberta was initiated in 1895. Polish people were exclusively Roman Catholics and came mostly from Galicia that use to be a province of ancient Poland. They came mainly for economic reason from a country which politically did not exist and was partitioned between Russia, Prussia and Austria.
The early Polish settlers were mostly farmers hungry for land. They braved the harsh climate of Alberta and accepted whatever land was offered to them for homesteading and farming. They were frequently visited by missionaries that provided religious guidance and were for them a source of consolation and remembrance of their fatherland. They were also interpreters, advisors, educators and organizers of schools.
The Kulawy brothers were the first Oblate missionaries to work among Polish immigrants. The first Catholic priest to visit the Polish settlement was Fr. Wojciech (Adalbert) Kulawy, a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate from Winnipeg. He came for a pastoral visit to Alberta in 1898. His brother, Fr. Jan (John) William Kulawy also visited occasionally in 1898 and 1899, and had services in private homes but the youngest brother, Pawel (Paul) Kulawy spent 18 years from 1903 to 1921 serving Polish settlers of Alberta. At that time, according to the 1911 census, there were 2,243 Polish people in Alberta.
The first Polish priest resident in Alberta was Fr. Franciszek (Francis) Olszewski who served Polish settlers of all the regions of Alberta between 1900 and 1910. He made his headquarters in Krakow, located approximately 55 miles from Edmonton. In 1902, with the help of Polish settlers, Fr. Olszewski managed to built a building that contain a chapel and a boarding school. It was probably the first Polish chapel in Alberta. Fr. Franciszek Olszewski was the only Polish priest in Alberta until arrival of Fr. Pawel (Paul) Kulawy.
Fr. Pawel Kulawy was placed in charge of all Polish immigrants south of Edmonton in 1903 with his headquarters at St. Mary's in Calgary and later, in 1907, he took up a permanent residence in Round Hill at Demay Lake, about 12 miles from Camrose, where in 1907 a new church was blessed. Because this small chapel could not accommodate the growing congregation, a more solid church was built in 1915. When it burned down in 1930 the church was replaced in 1934 and dedicated as the Church of the Holy Trinity.
Shortly after building a chapel in Krakow, Father Olszewski was successful in obtaining land and with the help of other farmers built another chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel near Skaro in 1904 that was replaced by a bigger church in 1918. In 1919, under the guidance of Fr. Antoni Silla, a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes was built near the church and became a well known site of annual pilgrimages. After building the chapel in Krakow, a bigger church named St. John
of Kent Church was built in 1906 in Krakow and later, chapels in the little Vermilion and Kopernik were built.
In 1913 the first Polish church was built in Edmonton under the title of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. In the beginning, the Holy Rosary Church was served by Fr. Pawel Kulawy from Round Hill and later in 1915, he made his headquarters at Holy Rosary and tended to Edmonton and all the Polish missions in the Edmonton district. In 1917, Fr. Anthony Sylla joint Fr. Paul Kulawy giving services to the Polish people in Edmonton twice a month. He also visited the Polish missions. especially the existing organized missions at Krakow, Wostok (St. Michael), Skaro, Waugh and Opal, where he had services on a
regular basis. Fr. Anthony Silla assumed the responsibility for the parish of Holy Rosary and some of the Polish missions in 1921, after Fr. Paul Kulawy left for Poland.
After the First World War, the number of Polish immigrants arriving in Alberta increased greatly and grew from around 7,000 people in 1921 to 21,000 in 1931. The new immigrants were predominantly from villages but there were also ex-soldiers, merchants and miners among them. Many of these immigrants were better educated then those who preceded them and preferred cities where they could find jobs at packing plants, railway constructions and in small mines or established small businesses. They all brought their unrecorded share to the building of Canada, their new country.
The early Polish settlers were mostly farmers hungry for land. They braved the harsh climate of Alberta and accepted whatever land was offered to them for homesteading and farming. They were frequently visited by missionaries that provided religious guidance and were for them a source of consolation and remembrance of their fatherland. They were also interpreters, advisors, educators and organizers of schools.
The Kulawy brothers were the first Oblate missionaries to work among Polish immigrants. The first Catholic priest to visit the Polish settlement was Fr. Wojciech (Adalbert) Kulawy, a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate from Winnipeg. He came for a pastoral visit to Alberta in 1898. His brother, Fr. Jan (John) William Kulawy also visited occasionally in 1898 and 1899, and had services in private homes but the youngest brother, Pawel (Paul) Kulawy spent 18 years from 1903 to 1921 serving Polish settlers of Alberta. At that time, according to the 1911 census, there were 2,243 Polish people in Alberta.
The first Polish priest resident in Alberta was Fr. Franciszek (Francis) Olszewski who served Polish settlers of all the regions of Alberta between 1900 and 1910. He made his headquarters in Krakow, located approximately 55 miles from Edmonton. In 1902, with the help of Polish settlers, Fr. Olszewski managed to built a building that contain a chapel and a boarding school. It was probably the first Polish chapel in Alberta. Fr. Franciszek Olszewski was the only Polish priest in Alberta until arrival of Fr. Pawel (Paul) Kulawy.
Fr. Pawel Kulawy was placed in charge of all Polish immigrants south of Edmonton in 1903 with his headquarters at St. Mary's in Calgary and later, in 1907, he took up a permanent residence in Round Hill at Demay Lake, about 12 miles from Camrose, where in 1907 a new church was blessed. Because this small chapel could not accommodate the growing congregation, a more solid church was built in 1915. When it burned down in 1930 the church was replaced in 1934 and dedicated as the Church of the Holy Trinity.
Shortly after building a chapel in Krakow, Father Olszewski was successful in obtaining land and with the help of other farmers built another chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel near Skaro in 1904 that was replaced by a bigger church in 1918. In 1919, under the guidance of Fr. Antoni Silla, a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes was built near the church and became a well known site of annual pilgrimages. After building the chapel in Krakow, a bigger church named St. John
of Kent Church was built in 1906 in Krakow and later, chapels in the little Vermilion and Kopernik were built.
In 1913 the first Polish church was built in Edmonton under the title of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. In the beginning, the Holy Rosary Church was served by Fr. Pawel Kulawy from Round Hill and later in 1915, he made his headquarters at Holy Rosary and tended to Edmonton and all the Polish missions in the Edmonton district. In 1917, Fr. Anthony Sylla joint Fr. Paul Kulawy giving services to the Polish people in Edmonton twice a month. He also visited the Polish missions. especially the existing organized missions at Krakow, Wostok (St. Michael), Skaro, Waugh and Opal, where he had services on a
regular basis. Fr. Anthony Silla assumed the responsibility for the parish of Holy Rosary and some of the Polish missions in 1921, after Fr. Paul Kulawy left for Poland.
After the First World War, the number of Polish immigrants arriving in Alberta increased greatly and grew from around 7,000 people in 1921 to 21,000 in 1931. The new immigrants were predominantly from villages but there were also ex-soldiers, merchants and miners among them. Many of these immigrants were better educated then those who preceded them and preferred cities where they could find jobs at packing plants, railway constructions and in small mines or established small businesses. They all brought their unrecorded share to the building of Canada, their new country.