My first visit to Lackawanna after moving to Buffalo in 2009 was to parade with Mark Poloncarz when he was running for re-election as Erie County Comptroller. One of the things that struck me about Buffalo’s southern neighbor was how many people along the parade route seemed to know Poloncarz personally. And vice-versa.
Visiting Our Lady of Bistrica Church recently in preparation for Buffalo Mass Mob XLII revived the memory of that day. Sunday’s Mass Mob comes at a critical juncture for Poloncarz’ political career, as Lackawanna’s favorite son must decide whether to seek an unprecedented fourth term or choose another path.
Another thing that struck me about Lackawanna on that first visit in 2009 was just how much this city, which I had previously thought had been built around a steel plant, was actually built around faith. Yes, the steel mills once ran hot and loud and…aromatic…and the smoke from their stacks was ever-present — until, suddenly, it wasn’t. But the ornate Our Lady of Victory Basilica and the complex surrounding it, built by the faithful, have proved far more enduring than the industrial behemoth built by, then quickly abandoned by, the capitalists.
Yet the campus built by Father Nelson Baker was never the only faith game in town. As many Lackawannans who worshiped at the enormous basilica, just as many spent holy days at smaller places tucked into neighborhoods, along with others who shared their language and ethnicity and traditions from homelands far away.
Our Lady of Bistrica Church embodies that. A Croatian congregation originally located on Ridge Road in the shadow of the steel plant, as postwar prosperity allowed parishioners to live farther away from the smoke, fumes, and noise of their livelihoods, the church sold their land to industry and moved into what was then the “suburbs” of Lackawanna. Ironically in light of later, tragic events in their homeland, they moved next door to St. Stephen’s Serbian Orthodox Church (I’ve been assured there is no animosity whatsoever between the congregations).
But instead of the usual pattern of first building a church and then other facilities as funds allowed, the church’s first step was to build a substantial new parish hall. It was named after Cardinal Stepinac, whose imprisonment by the Tito regime made him a hero to Croatian Catholics and martyr, beatified after his death under house arrest. In hindsight, some have questioned whether Stepinac did enough to oppose a pro-Nazi Croatian regime, which persecuted Jews and Orthodox Serbs alike. But another view is presented by this author, who defends Stepinac and credits his actions with saving her Jewish family.
In addition to its dedication to Cardinal Stepinac, the parish hall is full of other symbols of Croatian identity and culture. The Croation national anthem is displayed prominently, as is the poem “Ode to Freedom” by Dživo Franov Gundulić, which Croatian friend and fellow blogger Alan Bedenko translated for me:
Oh beautiful, oh dear, oh sweet freedom,
gift in which all fortune God gave us.
The true cause to all our glory,
the only adornment of these woods.
Every bit of silver, every bit of gold
all human lives,
cannot repay your pure beauty.
Five years ago, the hall was also the site for the parish’s 100th-anniversary events with Croatian culture on full display, including songs with children in traditional dress. Photos and videos of the anniversary are here. To see them you need to enter the password “go” (lowercase).
The church itself is very modernist in design, with a semi-circular layout inside, a reflection of the era in which it was built. The full history of the church is here. I was fortunate to visit during the Advent season, and got to see the Christmas decorations on full display.
On my first visit to Lackawanna in 2009, the other thing that struck me about the city is just how much nature there is, which I hadn’t expected in a place so strongly associated with industry. After our parade, to return to the starting place, we didn’t retrace the parade route. Instead, Mark Poloncarz took the literal “scenic route,” the first segment of which was a hike along Smoke’s Creek. He seemed to be in his element in his hometown, and some of the group had a hard time keeping up with him. As a long-time advocate for greenways and trails, I loved it.
Since then I have returned to Lackawanna several times to explore nature along Smoke’s Creek and several abandoned rail corridors. One of my favorite spots is behind the Lake Erie Italian Club, where I have seen deer, turkeys, and snapping turtles. Since Our Lady of Bistrica is built on the south bank of Smoke’s Creek, I decided to do some exploring afterward, proceeding upstream. It was a beautiful afternoon, spent almost entirely in nature. At dusk I wrapped up a fine day with a couple of outstanding slices of pizza.
But whether you stay in Lackawanna after to make a day of it or not, all are welcome to this Sunday’s Mass Mob at Our Lady of Bistrica Church!
Get connected:
Buffalo Mass Mob XLII at Our Lady of Bistrica Church
Our Lady of Bistrica Church website
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