September 8, 1913 was the day the cornerstone of St. Mary’s Polish Church was officially blessed. Just a covered basement, it was a place of worship the entire community had helped build. Using picks and shovels, they had done the excavation, and mixed the cement themselves.

The only Polish church in Canada east of Montréal, the church was completed in 1918. It is of modified gothic design, with pointed windows and a steeple supported by tapered buttresses. The simple, dignified exterior features greatly influenced the interior design and decoration. There are no supporting pillars, and the main focus is the large, ornate altar painted white and accented with simulated marble. The pulpit is adorned with a Polish eagle.

Although there is a traditional statuary, the most striking religious art may be the painting of the Black Madonna by local artist John Tynski, and the numerous stained glass windows of his design. Mr. Tynski also repainted the Stations of the Cross, which appear in full relief.

The church serves an active community, and hosts a number of fundraising festivals and food events each year, including the Polish Festival in July.

For more information:
Contact: Father Ted
11 Wesley Street, Sydney, NS, B1N 2M5
Phone (902) 564-4847
Web site: http://collections.ic.gc.ca/virtualtours/wpindex.html

See:
From the Pier, dear! Images of a multicultural community. Sydney: Whitney Pier Historical Society, 1993.

St. Mary's Polish Church Sydney, N.S. 75th anniversary booklet. 1813-1988. Sydney, NS: [n.p.], 1988.