On George Street in Plainfield, New Jersey, St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Stanislaus Kostka Church opens its doors to a congregation that hears the Gospel in three languages every Sunday. The parish is a Roman Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Newark, and its Sunday schedule reflects the cultures that built it: a 9:00 AM Mass in English, a 10:30 AM Mass in Polish, and a 12:30 PM Mass in Spanish. For more than a century the buildings on George Street have served Polish families, Italian immigrants, English-speaking Catholics, and a growing Hispanic population, and the merged parish that resulted still carries both patron names with pride.
A Parish Forged from Two Communities
The story begins in May 1915, when St. Mary's in Plainfield opened a mission church on the east end of town to serve the growing Catholic population. The mission was named for the mother church's pastor, Fr. Bernard Bogan, and the first Mass was celebrated on Sunday, May 16, 1915. In 1921 Bishop John J. O'Connor established the community as a new parish, and on Sunday, June 5, 1921, the new pastor Joseph M. Kelly celebrated its first Mass. A combination school and parish center was started in 1925 and completed in 1927, and the current church building was consecrated in 1952. A rectory, convent, and an addition to the school followed soon after.
By the early 2000s the Plainfield area had changed, the parish school had closed, and the convent was sold. In 2002 the school building was rented to The Newmark School, which specialized in the education of children with behavioral and learning disabilities, and the parish shared the building with them. Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, a smaller Polish parish had its own history to tell. St. Stanislaus Kostka was established in 1920 for the Polish families of Plainfield, with the first church built in 1922 and a larger church completed in 1972. By the 1980s the parish had shrunk from more than 500 families to just over 100, most living outside the immediate area.
To preserve the Polish heritage and ensure a viable future for both communities, the Archdiocese merged the two parishes. On Sunday, November 20, 2005, a bilingual Mass in English and Polish was celebrated to inaugurate the new parish of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Stanislaus Kostka. The Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Frank Rose, the pastor, and Fr. Jan Krzysztof Lebdowicz, the parochial vicar. The parish has continued to welcome new arrivals, and today members come from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Asia.
Mass in Three Languages Every Sunday
Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 9:00 AM in English. Saturday brings the additional Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM in English, and Sunday offers three liturgies: 9:00 AM in English, 10:30 AM in Polish, and 12:30 PM in Spanish. Reconciliation is heard on Saturday at 4:30 PM and on Sunday after every Mass, with seasonal Penance Services offered in English and Polish. The Sacrament of the Sick and communion for the homebound are arranged through the Ministry to the Sick.
Mass is livestreamed online for those who cannot attend in person. The parish also livestreams a daily Mass through its online platform, so family members and friends far from Plainfield can still pray with the community.
The Polish Heart of St. Stanislaus Kostka
Polish is not a relic in this parish. Polish-language Sunday Mass continues at 10:30 AM, and Polish Masses are also offered on Holy Days and First Fridays, along with a Liturgy of the Word for children. The Polish Supplementary School, Polska Szkoła Dokształcająca, meets on Mondays from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM during the school year for children ages three and up. The school teaches Polish language, history, geography, culture, and heritage to children who already speak the language at home. The director is Marysia Marchwinska, and the program can be reached at polskaszkolaplainfield@outlook.com or 732-261-4276.
Polish traditions remain part of the liturgical year. The parish celebrates the Stations of the Cross in Polish, an annual Polish Lenten Retreat, and Gorzkie Żale, the traditional Polish Lenten devotions. The Religious Education Coordinator, Iveth Parada, provides Empowering God's Children materials in English and Spanish; Polish-speaking parents work through the lessons with their children using the English materials.
Religious Education from Pre-K through Confirmation
The parish religious education program welcomes children from Pre-K through eighth grade, with classes meeting on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM from October through April. Registration runs from May through early September, with online sign-up and three in-person registration days at the parish office at 1232 George Street. Fees are tiered: $90 for one child, $150 for two, and $190 for three. Sacramental fees are $35 for First Communion and $45 for Confirmation. No family is turned away for financial reasons.
Children in Pre-K4 through second grade are called from the pews during Sunday Mass to gather in the Chapel for the Liturgy of the Word, where they experience the Scripture of the day through creative projects and conversation before returning to their families for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. First Reconciliation is celebrated in January and First Eucharist in May, and the two-year Confirmation program begins in seventh grade. Parents of First Communicants are asked to attend a retreat with their children. Catechist formation, Virtus Protecting God's Children training, and the Archdiocesan Code of Ethics are required for all parish volunteers who work with young people.
Ministries That Wrap Around the Parish
The parish sponsors nearly two dozen lay ministries. Liturgical roles include Altar Servers (open to anyone entering fourth grade or older), Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, the Music Ministry with its Adult English Choir rehearsing on Thursdays at 7:00 PM, and the Cantor program. Devotional groups include the Rosary Society, the Divine Mercy/Rosary Group (which prays each morning before daily Mass), the Prayer Shawl Ministry, and Our Lady Rosary Makers, a group that makes rosaries for hospitals, mission fields, and the parish's own religious education students.
Pastoral care comes through several channels. The Ministry to the Sick brings the Eucharist and the Sacrament of the Sick to those who are hospitalized or homebound; the parish asks families to notify the office directly, since hospitals cannot do so on their own. The Catechumenate (OCIA) walks adults who seek full initiation into the Catholic Church. Marriage preparation begins with a meeting with a priest at least a year before the wedding, and engaged or civilly married couples can join Pre-Cana sessions on Friday evenings at 8:00 PM in the office building, led by Fr. Marcin and Fr. Bernardo. The parish also issues Sponsor Certificates for baptism and confirmation godparents during regular office hours.
Faith and Fellowship for Women, Seniors, and Knights
The BEST Women's Group is the parish's faith and fellowship circle for women of all ages, with monthly gatherings on Tuesdays from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the Parish Center that include prayer, faith-sharing, discussion, and a meal. The group is coordinated by Mary Landriau. The parish's senior group, nicknamed the "Bestchurch" Seniors, meets monthly on the third Thursday, prays together, hosts speakers and entertainment, and takes occasional excursions around the area. The St. Anne Society, the St. Stanislaus Rosary Society, and the Knights of Columbus Council #552 (which meets on the second Sunday of the month from September through June, after the 9:00 AM Mass) round out the community organizations.
The parish's stewardship teaching is straightforward: tithe ten percent of gross income, with five percent to the parish and five percent to other charities. Giving is accepted online through Parish Giving, by mail, or in person at the parish office. Mass intentions, religious education fees, and sacramental offerings can all be handled through the same online system.
Parish Mission and Welcome
The parish mission statement sums up what members strive to be: "a living Christian community, who through worship, education and service, proclaim our faith in God and pursue this as our mission." Members are called to strengthen parish life through prayer, education, charity, and outreach, and to share the promise of eternal life with everyone they meet. Fr. Marcin Fuks, who has served as administrator since July 2022 after arriving as parochial vicar in March 2022, leads the parish alongside Fr. Bernardo Garcia, the vicar.
The parish office at 1232 George Street is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM and closed on weekends. The church itself stands at 1235 George Street, with a third address on record at 368 Sumner Avenue. New parishioners are encouraged to call the office to make an appointment to register, and anyone whose contact information has changed is asked to fill out the Parishioner Update Form online so that the parish can keep its records current. Anyone discerning a call to the priesthood, diaconate, or religious life is invited to speak with a priest or to contact the Archdiocesan Vocations Office at 973-497-4365.