Background
He was born on September 20, 1838, at Sulislawice near Sandomierz, Poland, was the son of Joseph Barzynski and Mary Sroczynska.
He was born on September 20, 1838, at Sulislawice near Sandomierz, Poland, was the son of Joseph Barzynski and Mary Sroczynska.
His earlier education was private. He began his studies for the priesthood at the diocesan seminary of Lublin in 1856. He was ordained in 1861.
He was engaged in active ministry at Tómaszów when the Polish insurrection broke out in 1863. Owing to his aiding the revolutionists he was obliged to flee after the collapse of the uprising. After a sojourn of more than a year in Austria he went to Paris in 1865. There he met Fathers Semenenko and Kajsiewicz, the founders of the new Congregation of the Resurrection, who invited him to join them.
About this time the bishop of Galveston, was in search of priests for the recent Polish settlements in his diocese. The superior of the Congregation agreed to send him a few priests. Thus Barzynski, in the company of Fathers Bakanowski and Zwiardowski came to Texas in 1866. Here he labored strenuously, attending the religious needs of the poor Polish farmers, until he was called to Chicago in 1874. He became pastor of the church of St. Stanislaus Kostka, the first Polish congregation in Chicago. He now began the busiest and most constructive period of his career.
His work among the ever increasing Polish immigrants in Chicago was beset with many difficulties. He was obliged to contend with the liberal and irreligious elements among the laity as well as with the ill will of many of the Polish clergy. The clergy opposed to him effected his recall by his superiors in Europe. He expressed his willingness to leave, but pleaded to be permitted to extricate his parish from its financial straits. Hence he was allowed to continue his work in Chicago. During his incumbency the large St. Stanislaus Church was erected, and also the largest parochial school in the city. His activities increased with the growing population. It became imperative repeatedly to divide his parish and to organize new ones. Despite the founding of new congregations his own grew by leaps and bounds, so that during his lifetime its membership exceeded 50, 000.
The labors of Barzynski were not confined to his own parish. He was instrumental in founding an orphanage, establishing Polish newspapers, and introducing and organizing the teaching sisterhoods. He was very active in establishing religious confraternities in his congregation as well as mutual benefit societies.
In January 1899 he suffered an attack of pneumonia. He recovered, but his forces were spent; he fell ill again and died in the Alexian Brothers Hospital.