* St. Josaphat Church

Step inside. Dedicated in 1916, the Roman Catholic Church was built to serve a Polish parish that was established in 1901. The building is Romanesque with a Byzantium influence evident in the arches, pillars and bell tower. The main altar held relics of St. Josaphat, a bishop and martyr born in Poland in 1580. In the rear, beneath the choir balcony, hung a picture of the Black Madonna. The consolidation of Catholic churches a few years ago had limited its usage to weddings and funerals. The church closed permanently after a section of ceiling collapsed about the casket of the last caretaker during his funeral mass. The church school was converted into multiple living units by a Slopes resident. The new church owners plan to turn the space into an event center. Many Polish descendants continue to inhabit this section of the Slopes. The names of relations and former residents who served in World Wars I & II are visible on the memorial tucked into the hillside across Mission St. from the church. Twice each year, former students, residents and parishioners clean and place flags at the memorial.