Holyoke's Polish Heritage Historic district moves forward

Date: 11/14/2014

HOLYOKE – There are two more legislative steps before a Polish Heritage Historic District can become reality, according to the chair of the group advocating for its creation.

Attorney Victor Anop explained to Reminder Publications the Holyoke City Council’s ordinance Committee will vote in early January whether or not to recommend the district’s creation to the full City Council. The full council would then have the opportunity to vote on the district.

Anop and the district’s supporters and opponents met before the Ordinance Committee on Nov. 10.

“This is turning out to be a separation of the church and state issue,” Anop said.

The issue has come out of the effort to preserve the Mater Dolorosa Church, but Anop added that 21 property owners within the proposed district would benefit from the designation by being eligible for federal and historic grants.

 “The Mater Dolorosa Church can not be sold or destroyed because a Catholic Supreme Court ordered the Bishop of Springfield two years ago to refrain from doing so,” Anop said. “A designation as part of the Polish Heritage District will empower the true owner, the Bishop of Springfield, to seek funds to maintain the structure which needs to be cared for properly after being closed since June of 2012 devastating the area.”

According to Anop, opponents to the creation of the district include City Councilor Jennifer Chateauneuf, who is a member of the Our Lady of the Cross parish, which Anop characterized as a “competing” parish to the one once served by Mater Dolorosa.

Chateauneuf said that while she was not opposed to the historic district itself, she has received about 100 phone calls from constituents about the plan. About 95 percent of those callers oppose it, fearing the creation of the district and the up-keep of Mater Dolorosa Church would place a financial burden on the other parish.

“I feel on both sides, it’s all about the church. It has nothing to do with Polish heritage,” she said. 

Anop said closed church buildings such as this one require not only on-going maintenance but also security. He said the rectory at St. Patrick’s Church in Chicopee was vandalized by people who stole copper from the building

Anop charged the bureaucracy of the diocese has hindered the creation of the district.

Anop added the backers of the district will bring the proposal back through the process as many times as necessary in order to establish it.