The Rev. Nicodemus Kolasinski and his brother, the Rev. Dominic Kolasinski were briefly touched upon in the story about Fr. Simon Wieczorek. While Rev. Dominic was not involved in the Toledo Polish community, his brother Nicodemus was. Fr. Wieczorek’s life was touched by both of these men in odd coincidences, and both of the brothers dealt with the blows suffered by serious charges each were accused of. Fr. Nicodemus was the pastor of St. Anthony’s in the late 1880s and early 1890s. Fr. Nicodemus immediately preceded Fr. Motulewski as pastor, and was for a short period, Fr. Motulewski was his assistant at St. Anthony’s.

We could discuss Fr. Nicodemus without his brother. But that disregards an important side to his history. It also discloses a dark side to men who were trusted and well-liked in their communities.

The Northern Ohio and in the Diocese of Cleveland Biographical, Volume II, published in 1903 and written by the President of the Catholic Historical Society, Michael W. Carr, presents a brief autobiography on Fr. Nicodemus. It states that Fr. Nicodemus was

a native of Galicia, Austria, was born September 14, 1846 ; ordained at Bologna, Italy, September 18, 1875; came to this country and diocese in July, 1884, and was appointed temporary pastor of St. Adalbert’s, Berea (Ohio). In March, 1889, he was transferred to St. Anthony’s church, Toledo, where he remained till he left the diocese, in June, 1893.

What this official biography does not say is that Fr. Nicodemus Kolasinski was removed from the parish following his arrest, charges, and subsequent court case regarding abuse of a young girl. While the court case was reportedly decided in Fr. Kolasinski’s favor in Ameryka w Toledo Kuryer Clevelandski on 20 February 1892, the diocese quietly removed him the following year. Fr. Nicodemus seemed to be a polarizing figure: either the public loved him or despised him. The Ameryka newspaper certainly took his side in the court case, even to the point of attempting to blame young Frances Dzikowski for the abuse she suffered. The newspaper seemed to be able to convince a large number in the Toledo Polish community to believe Frances was to blame.

Fr. Nicodemus, upon his dismissal in 1893, was reported in the press that he had joined his brother, Dominic in Detroit. I’ve found no trace of him in Detroit; and his obituary states he had died in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Fr. Dominic’s history in Detroit is quite noteworthy. The Catholic Telegraph, dated 4 January, 1894, provides a fairly comprehensive history of Fr. Dominic’s time in Detroit. He arrived in Detroit from Europe about 1882, and was admitted to the Diocese of Detroit and placed in charge of St. Albertus Church. At the time, St. Albertus was the only Polish Catholic church in Detroit. Fr. Dominic built the church and all seemed well for a short time. In 1885, morality charges were filed with the Bishop of Detroit, Bishop Borgess. The Bishop suspended the priest. The St. Albertus parish was polarized from this dismissal and two factions were created–one faction was strongly supportive of Fr. Dominic, the other faction was strongly against Fr. Dominic. The Detroit Free press reported on 28 December 1885 that he dissension did grow violent: a John Levitski was shot and killed at the corner of St. Aubin Rd. and and Georgia St. and a large police force was used to maintain the peace in the Polish neighborhood overnight around St. Albertus. A day or so later, a mob broke into the saloon of Thomas Zoltowski on Hastings Street of Detroit. Zoltowski was a principle mover against Fr. Dominic and was vocal about his desire to have Fr. Dominic removed from the parish. A riot ensued, bricks were thrown, and shots were fired in the air in an attempt to quiet the masses. Police had to intervene again and they guarded Zoltowski’s home overnight.

Tensions were high in the St. Albertus neighborhood: armed guards patrolled the area, claiming to protect Fr. Dombrowski, who was another priest at St. Albertus. Meanwhile, police conducted a search for evidence so they could identify Levitski’s shooter and Bishop Borgess quietly conducted his own investigation into Fr. Dominic’s past.

It came to light that Fr. Dominic came from the Diocese of Cracow and he came under an exeat¹ that was in question. A morality case was pending against Fr. Dominic in Poland. This case was thrown out of the ecclesiastical court due to the death of the Bishop of Cracow. When a new bishop was to be installed, a new case and hearing for Fr. Dominic was to begin. Fr. Dominic ultimately pleaded for penance and asked that he be given an exeat under the condition that he would leave the diocese and Poland.

The Detroit Free Press on 31 December 1885 ran an interview between an unidentified reporter and a Father Domagalski, the pastor of the Catholic Mission in Parisville, Michigan. Fr. Domagalski, like previous priests assigned to Parisville, would travel occasionally into Detroit for miscellaneous duties and to conduct personal business affairs. Fr. Domagalski was staying at the Franciscan Convent across the street from St. Albert’s church. Fr. Domagalski spoke guardedly. The interview was conducted immediately after the dismission of Fr. Dominic was announced (but before he left the city–he was sent to North Dakota).

Fr. Domagalski emphasized his disappointment over the rioting and that the affair in St. Albertus parish was a disgrace. He also noted that

…a good illustration of the bitter feeling which is prevailing… A number of people saw me enter the convent and immediately a rumor was set afloat that a new priest had arrived to take charge of the church and would open the edifice this morning ². A large crowd gathered, which was made to move by the police. I do not know what would have happened if the church had been opened as rumored…

The priest believed there was much rumor and gossip fueling the situation, he feared that if he spoke out about Fr. Dominic in any manner that it could inflame the situation. So he spoke only to the general facts and did not provide details of the matter. However, the facts that Fr. Domagalski brought to light that Fr. Dominic was asked to step down due to the morality charges brought against him and he refused, this was seen as disobedience. Fr. Domagalski refused to say anything in reference to Fr. Dominic’s character and informed the report that he was acting in an official capacity as a notary under the Bishop of Cracow and in 1879, was the Bishop of Cracow’s private secretary while Fr. Dominic was a priest in Cracow.

Despite Fr. Domagalski’s reticence regarding Fr. Dominic Kolasinski’s character, news of the charges and circumstances were leaked to the press. In fact, the Buffalo Morning Express published the following on 16 January 1886:

Father Domagalski, Polish priest at Parisville, Mich., has repeatedly said he had it in his power to make Father Kolasiniski leave Detroit if he disclosed what he knew of the latter’s record. He stated that in 1879 he was notary of an ecclesiastical court convened by Bishop Dunajewske in Cracow, Poland, to try Father Kolasinski on charges of immorality. Father Kolasinski took up the fight through the German papers of the city and branded the Parisville priest as an unmitigated liar, and used several other equally uncomplimentary expressions.

The Buffalo Morning Express article went on to detail a story that was supposedly given by Father Dominic that he was a Polish Count. Father Domalgaski claimed that Father Dominic was not a Count, nor was he a doctor of divinity as was also claimed by Father Dominic. Additionally, the Morning Express provided details of Fr. Kolasinski’s background on the charges of immorality:

Young Kolasanski spent but two years at the Catholic seminary at Warsaw, after which he was made assistant priest of Cracow. After he had been there about a year, Kolasinski became intimate with a handsome Polish girl of good family named Sophia Czamara and it was not long before charges of immorality were prferred. He was tried by the Bishop’s Court but without waiting for the result, Kolasinski disappeared, taking the girl with him.

At the end of a year, it is alleged that Kolasinski returned to Cracow, gained an audience with the Bishop, pleaded repentance, and begged the Bishop to give him priestly papers and allow him to go to America. The Bishop was glad to get rid of him and gave him credentials, but refused to testify to his character. Domogalski says that when Kolasinski left Poland he took Sophia Czamara with him. In New York, he made out the necessary character papers and got a place as an assistant in a Polish church. He then got an opportunity to come to Detroit. The girl did not come with him, but followed after, and when she arrived, lived at his house for nearly a year as his sister. Some questions being raised as to the relationship of the woman to the priest, she suddently disappeared, no one knowing whither she went.

Before Christmas 1885, Father Dominic was deposed of the Detroit diocese and became outwardly defiant towards the Bishop of Detroit. He remained in the St. Albertus rectory despite being instructed to leave by Bishop Borgess. Those in the parish of St. Albertus to opposed him stood ready to forcibly remove the priest. Police seemed unable to intervene–because the parish was private property and the matter was within the church itself, police were hesitant to step in unless there was a disturbance of the peace. Poles in the community were also angry for Bishop Borgess refusing to provide Fr. Dominic a trial and because Fr. Dominic was deposed, the church was closed and no Christmas Masses were said. A substitute priest was found for the parish, Father Dombrowski, but he was reluctant and did not care to hold Christmas Day services because he was afraid of Father Dominic and what he knew of his character.

Fr. Dominic eventually left Detroit in March of 1886, sent to Minot in the Dakota Territory (now North Dakota), following a judgement in civil court on 19 March 1886 in his disfavor. In Minot, he became pastor of a rural Polish parish comprised of Polish and Kashubian families.

Father Dominic would return to Detroit at the end of 1888. In Fr. Dominic’s absence, his followers established a school for their children, which was the beginnings of a new Polish parish in Detroit, the Sweetest Heart of Mary Parish. Additionally, during his absence, the Archdiocese of Detroit would have a new bishop when Father Dominic returned: John Foley. Bishop Foley was installed on 24 November 1888, and this gave hope to Father Dominic that his case would be reviewed by a new bishop and he would receive a favorable judgement. This did not happen but Father Dominic remained in Detroit–he officially began the Parish of the Sweetest Heart of Mary outside the jurisdiction of the church. In 1889, he incorporated it under the title of the Sacred Heart of Mary Parish and he began construction of a combined church and school building on Canfield Avenue in Detroit. This church was consider a schismatic church, and it was consecrated on Sunday 24 December, 1893.

On 8 June 1893, it was reported in the Sumner County Standard (Wellington, Kansas) that Father Dominic’s brother, Father Nicodemus Kolasinski was removed in from St. Anthony’s parish and would join his brother in Detroit. The article specifically stated that “Kolasinski has concluded to join his brother, who is in control of an independent church in Detroit. He will then be free from the restrictions of the bishop or the church rules.”

On 18 February 1894, the Detroit Free Press reported that

Today Rev. Dominic Kolasinski will be formally taken back into the Roman Catholic church. It will be a big day for him and his flock, who believe this to be a complete vindication of the pastor. Late last night Rev. Kolasinski returned from Chicago, where he has made a five days’ retreat, according to the conditions mutual agreed upon for his his reinstatement, and today he will publicly apologize to his congregation.

Kolasinski, for himself and his parishioners, agrees to fulfill these conditions: Kolasinski will, as directed, perform a spiritual retreat; he will acknowledge that for five years he has pursued a course in open opposition to the authority of the church, this acknowledgement and apology to be as dictated by Mgr. Sbaretti and Bishop Foley; the title of the church shall remain as at present until such time, and no longer, as the church debts shall be paid, when, or when the bishop thinks fit, the title shall pass to the bishop.

Fr. Dominic did proceed with the public apology and actions to become re-instated as a priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit. However, this was not the end of his difficulties. Fr. Dominic’s health eventually took a toll from the stress of the situations he found himself in and the economic depression that follow the financial panic of 1893 took its toll on the parish. The parish was unable to keep its financial obligations. The church was sold at auction. A court case that claimed the auction was unjust resulted in a new auction at which the parishioners repurchased the church, with aid of the loan that was procured in Canada. This saved the church; but it was not yet blessed or yet not within the fold of the diocese. This occurred in 1897 once Fr. Dominic had fulfilled all of his reconciliatory actions. ³

However, Fr. Dominic’s health did not permit him to see the parish history beyond 1898. He died on 11 April 1898. As reported in the Detroit Free Press on 12 April 1898, Bishop Foley of the Archdiocese of Detroit would be present at the priest’s funeral and pronounce the Fr. Dominic’s final absolution.

Although Fr. Dominic’s obituary in the Free Press did not state any survivors, his brother, Fr. Nicodemus Kolasinski did survive him. Fr. Nicodemus died on 17 May 1903. Fr. Nicodemus’ death was reported in the Green Bay Press Gazette on 18 May 1903. Per this article, it seems as if he never did join his brother at the Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit. At the time of his death, he was at a parish in Wausau, Wisconsin for 3 or 4 years, and worked in the Green Bay diocese since 1893.

Both brothers were enmired in scandals that charged them with immorality, both faced financial challenges because of the financial panic that occurred in 1893. Both are examples of the high regard Polish communities placed on their priests–and how divisive priests could be in the community. No one can say if either priest was guilty of the immorality charges they fought–evidence is lacking. In the case of Fr. Nicodemus, we did have testimony of Frances Dzikowski. However, in the case of Fr. Dominic, we have hearsay about a woman he was involved with in Poland and the lack of a credible exeat from Poland.

¹ An exeat in the Roman Catholic church is a permission that is granted by a bishop to a diocesan priest to leave the diocese. The priest receives absolute and perpetual release from one diocese and can receive acceptance by the bishop of another diocese.

² St. Albertus was placed under interdiction, or closing, of the parish after Fr. Dominic’s dismissal. There had been too many upheavals due to the warring factions within the church. Priests who attempted to say Mass would encounter attempts to prevent them from entering the church, have mud thrown at them, or deal with interruptions during the Masses. An excellent history of the interdictments of St. Albertus Parish is contained within Detroit’s Oldest Polish Parish: St. Albertus 1872-1973 Centennial Book, available for download from Michigan Polonia.

³ The history of the Sweetest Heart of Mary is chronicled via their Jubilee Books for 1890 -1940 and 1890 – 1965. The books are available for download from Michigan Polonia.