The Bridgeport Times And Evening Farmer

St. Michael's R. C. Church Building School For Thousand
Structure Will Cost $160,000 of Which $40,000 Is in Treasury, and Parish is Debt Free--Fr. Figlewski Tells Proudly of 700 Polish Young Men Who Went From Parish to War.
St. Michael's Roman Catholic church is to have a new parochial school. The ground was broken Saturday afternoon at the corner of Sterling and Kossuth streets by Rev. Alfonso Figlewski in the presence of a large number of his parishioners, among whom were many in the uniform of Uncle Sam.
The school which it is expected will be completed by next Christmas is to be built of the same kind of brick as that used in the construction of the church. It will have a frontage of 150 feet on Sterling street and will run back 90 feet on Kossuth street.
The plans of the architect, Mr. Bruno Wozny, of Springfield, Mass., call for a three story building with 16 class rooms which will occupy the whole of the lower part of the building and an auditorium having a seating capacity of 1,000 will take up the second and third stories. The basement of the school is to be fitted up with pool tables and bowling alleys for the use of the young men of the parish.
The present parish school, which is located in the basement of the church and reaches up to the eighth grade, is attended by 550 children of the parish who are taught by the Franciscan nuns. Father Figlewski anticipates that the roll of the school will be increased to 1,000 or more when the new school is ready for occupancy.
Dr. Rudolph Stawowczyk, a prominent member of the parish, has donated his services, and will have one of the rooms of the new school fitted up at his own expense, where he will give dental treatment to the pupils free of charge.
REV. FR. ALFONSE FIGLEWSKI PASTOR ST. MICHAEL'S R. C. CHURCH
St. Michael's parish was organized in 1898 by the Rev. Felix Baran. He was followed by the Rev. W. Becker as pastor, who bought the church property on Sterling street. In 1908, the Franciscan Fathers, under Father Culkowski, were given charge of the parish and built the present church. Father Figlewski, the present pastor, is assisted by Rev. John Kaplinski and Rev. Michael Drzewucki. About three years ago Father Figlewski bought the property on which the school is to be built, on which then stood three commodious frame houses. One of these has been moved close to the convent, in which the sisters reside, and connected with it to make more room for the sisters. The other two houses were moved away, leaving a grand corner for the school house site.
The parish is now free from debt, and there is $40,000 in the treasury towards paying for the new school, which will cost $160,000 complete. It will be built by James H. Johnston, of the Dorchester district, Boston, Mass. Father Figlewski tells with pride that 700 young men of the parish enlisted for the war: 500 in the United States army and 200 in Poland's army.