Volume CV - Issue 5070 - Slovak Catholic Sokol

Transcription

For God and Nation
Za Boha a Národ
Slovensk¥ Katolícky Sokol
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL – MEMBERSHIP 28,000 – HOME OFFICE: 205 MADISON STREET, PASSAIC, N.J. 07055 – www.slovakcatholicsokol.org
Periodical Postage Paid at original entry of Passaic, N.J., 07055 and additional mailing offices
VOLUME CV
PASSAIC, N.J., JUNE 1,
1, 2016
NUMBER 5070
Re-Dedication Ceremonies of the Historic World War I Plaque Honoring
Veterans Restored by Assembly 59 held in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. on May 1
Supreme officers and principals at the re-dedication are shown above and include, from the left, Member
of the Supreme Physical Fitness Board Martin Degnan, Group 7 President Amy Blasco, Supreme President
Michael J. Horvath, Supreme Chaplain Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic, Honorary Supreme Officer and Assembly 59 President, Andrew J. “Butch” Hvozdovic and Assembly 59 secretary Nancy Fedor.
A slight drizzle and overcast
weather conditions could not
dampen the enthusiasm and spirit
of the Sokols, Sokolky, local Slovak fraternalists and local community leaders who gathered in
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. on Sunday, May
1 to participate in the re-dedication
ceremony of a historic World War
I Plaque. The plaque honors veterans of World War I, three of whom
made the supreme sacrifice. This
plaque formerly was erected on the
facade of the former Sacred Heart
of Jesus Slovak Church honoring
its parish sons who served in the
defense of our country in World
War I. Sacred Heart Parish is now
closed and the church and school
buildings have been sold. This
plaque was designed and executed
by the Rev. Joseph Murgas, pastor
of the parish and noted pioneer in
wireless telegraphy, in 1919. With
the permission of the Bishop of
Scranton and the pastor of Parish of
St. Andre Bessette, the plaque was
removed and entrusted to Assembly 59 of the Slovak Catholic So-
kol. The restored plaque was erected
on the front facade of the North End
Slovak Citizens Club, one of Pennsylvania’s oldest and largest ethnic
clubs. The North End Slovak Citizens Club is located just a few doors
away from the former Sacred Heart
Church.
The restoration of the plaque was
a community project of Assembly
59. The Sokol lodge was founded
in Sacred Heart Parish in 1910 and
has been active in the parish until its
closing six years ago. Sacred Heart
has been merged into the new Parish of St. Andre Bessette
using the former Polish
Church of St. Stanislaus
as its worship site located
just blocks from the former Sacred Heart Parish
plant.
Under the leadership of Assembly 59, a
drive was inaugurated
to raise funds to restore
this plaque which is an
important monument to the Slovak
presence in the North End of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Sufficient funds were
raises from our five national Slovak
fraternals, our umbrella organizations, the Slovak Catholic Federation and the Slovak League of
America, as well as from local Slovak Catholic Sokol fraternal lodges,
Group 7 and cultural groups such
as the Slovak Heritage Society of
Northeastern Pennsylvania. In addition, many individuals made generous donations to the drive. Assembly
59’s efforts were crowned with success as sufficient funds were raised
to beautifully restore the plaque to
its former splendor. The relief work
on the plaque which were the work
of Father Murgas have been beautifully restored to their original state.
The ceremony re-dedicating the
World War I Plaque began at 3 p.m.
out-of-doors. Honorary Supreme
Officer and president of Assembly
59, Andrew J. “Butch”
Hvozdovic extended a
warm welcome to the assembled members of the
community. The plaque
was solemnly blessed
and re-dedicated by our
Supreme Chaplain , Rev.
Andrew S. Hvozdovic.
Father Hvozdovic, a
member of Assembly 59
and priest son of Sacred
Heart of Jesus Slovak Parish, currently serves as the pastor of the Parish of the Epiphany in Sayre, Pa. He
is also the national president of the
Slovak Catholic Federation. In his
address, Father Hvozdovic recalled
the history of the plaque and the
role played by the Slovak community beginning with the immigrant
generation under the leadership of
Father Joseph Murgas in the growth
and development of the area’s community and in the defense of our
American way of life as exhibited
by the bravery of the individuals
named on the plaque who served
during World War I.
(Continued on page 8)
Supreme President Michael J. Horvath and Supreme Chaplain Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic flanking the
historic plaque, are shown with officers of Group 7 and Assembly 59.
PAGE 2
SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, JUNE 1, 2016
Our Sales & Marketing Director
Albert J. Suess, Jr. honored as 2016 Fraternalist
of the Year by the Fraternal Societies of Pittsburgh
A wonderful gathering of fraternalists turned out for the dinner
honoring Albert J. Suess, Jr. on
Saturday, May 7 at the South Hills
Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Brother Albert, who serves as our
Sales & Marketing Director, was
honored as the 2016 Fraternalist of
the Year of the Fraternal Societies
of Greater Pittsburgh(FSGP). The
organization is comprised of 16
fraternal benefit societies and 12
business-associated groups representing over 1 million members.
It has been serving the Western
Pennsylvania area for more than 70
years.
The evening began with a wonderful reception followed by the
dinner. The program opened with
a welcome by Michele King, vice
president - membership & marketing of the Loyal Christian Benefit
Association and president of the
FSGP who served as the very capable mistress of ceremonies during the evening’s program. She
thanked the assembled fraternalists for their cooperation and support of the Fraternalist of the Year
program of the FSGP. She then
introduced George E. Lopata of
the Greek Catholic Union who offered the invocation. The National
Anthem was then led by Cynthia
M. Maleski, Esq., national presi-
Supreme Secretary Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C., shown center, making a presentation to Brother Albert. Looking on are, l-r, Supreme Auditor Brian Suchy, Honorary Supreme Officer Larry M. Glugosh and his wife,
Suzanna; his wife, Paula Suess, Honorary Supreme Officer Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C., Chairperson of
Supreme Auditors James G. Jerek and Honorary Supreme Officer Michael J. Pjontek, Jr.
Brother Albert J. Suess, Jr., third from the left, is shown with some of the other Slovak fraternal leaders
who were present at the dinner given in his honor.
Brother Albert J. Suess, Jr., third from the right, is shown with family members who were present at the
dinner given in his honor, including, from the left, Frank and Judy, brother in law and sister, Hien and
Damian Suess, daughter in law and son; wife, Paula and daughter and son in law, Carmella and Brandon
Marzec.
dent of the First Catholic Slovak
Ladies Association and our Sokolka. A fraternal toast was offered
by our Honorary Supreme Officer
Larry M. Glugosh. A wonderful
dinner was then enjoyed featuring
a choice of entre of either Roasted
Tenderloin or Stuffed Salmon. Dinner music was provided by Jimmy
Young - Frank Sinatra Tribute.
After enjoying the wonderful
meal, the speakers program resumed with Larry Golofski, first
vice president of the FSGP and
national director of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association introducing the honored guests. The
proclamation of Allegheny County
Executive William McKain was
then presented. Remarks and greetings were offered by Trish Delbusse, president of the Pennsylvania
Fraternal Alliance and first vice
president of the Polish Falcons of
America and Joseph Annotti, president and CEO of the American Fraternal Alliance, the trade association of the fraternal benefit system
of the United States and Canada.
George E. Lopata, director of
new business and underwriting of
the Greek Catholic Union, then
presented the 2016 Fraternalist of
the Year plaque to this year’s honoree, Albert J. Suess, Jr. our director of sales and marketing. In his
response, Brother Suess expressed
thanks and gratitude to all who
had a hand in selecting him as the
fraternalist of the year. A life-long
member of the Slovak Catholic
Sokol, as well as enjoying membership in several other fraternal
societies, he had high praise for
the work of the fraternal benefit
Brother Albert J. Suess, Jr., the
2016 Fraternalist of the Year of
the Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh, is shown above acknowledging the tribute.
system. He recalled his years of
activity as a Sokol and a committed fraternalist and encouraged our
fraternal organizations to continue
to serve as models of outreach and
service in our local communities.
He also thanked his wife, Paula, his
children and grandchildren for their
continued love and support. He was
pleased that so many Sokols and
Sokolky from near and far were
present at this tribute.
The program closed with the
benediction offered by George
E. Lopata of the Greek Catholic
Union followed by the singing of
God Bless America led by Cynthia
M. Maleski, Esq., national president of the Zenska Jednota.
In selecting their Fraternalist of
Brother Albert, center, is shown flanked by well-known Group 14
Sokol fraternal activists, including, l-r Cliff Moeller,(aunt) Joan Yanosick, (uncle) Jack Yanosick and Veronica Moeller.
The Community Citation of Recognition of the County of Allegheny
presented to Brother Albert J. Suess, Jr. is shown above.
Thoughts from our Supreme Chaplain
Saint Joseph, Pray for us!
by Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic, V.F.
Joseph was “a just man”. This
praise bestowed by the Holy Spirit,
and the privilige of having been
chosen by God to be the fosterfather of Jesus
and the spouse
of the Virgin
Mother, are the
foundations of
the honor paid
to St. Joseph
by the Catholic Church. So
well-grounded
are these foundations that it is not a
little surprising that the cult of St. Joseph was so slow in winning recognition. Foremost among the causes
of this is the fact that, during the first
centuries of the Church’s existence,
it was only the martyrs who enjoyed
veneration”. Far from being ignored
or passed over in silence during the
early Christian ages, St. Joseph’s
prerogatives were occasionally descanted upon by the Fathers; even
such eulogies as cannot be attributed
to the writers among whose works
they found admittance bear witness
that the ideas and devotion therein
expressed were familiar, not only to
the theologians and preachers, and
must have been readily welcomed
by the people. The earliest traces
of public recognition of the sanctity of St. Joseph are to be found in
the East. His feast, was kept by the
Copts as early as the beginning of
the fourth century. Nicephorus Callistus tells likewise — on what authority we do not know — that in the
great basilica erected at Bethlehem
by St. Helena, there was a gorgeous
oratory dedicated to the honor of the
saint. Certain it is, at all events, that
the feast of “Joseph the Carpenter”
is entered, on 20 July, in one of the
old Coptic calendars.
In the west the name of the foster-father of Our Lord (Nutritor
Domini) appears in local martyrologies of the ninth and tenth centuries, and we find in 1129, for the
first time, a church dedicated to his
honor at Bologna. The devotion,
then merely private, as it seems,
gained a great impetus owing to the
influence and zeal of such saintly
persons as St. Bernard, St. Thomas
Aquinas, St. Gertrude. According to
Benedict XIV, the general opinion
of the learned is that the Fathers of
Carmel were the first to import from
the East into the west the laudable
practice of giving the fullest cultus
to St. Joseph”. His feast, introduced
towards the end shortly afterwards,
into the Dominican calendar, gradually gained a foothold in various
dioceses of the west. The Council of
Constance (1414), in promoting the
public recognition of the cult of St.
Joseph. Only under the pontificate
of Sixtus IV (1471-84), were the
efforts of these holy men rewarded
by Roman Calendar (19 March).
From that time the devotion acquired greater and greater popularity, the dignity of the feast keeping
pace with this steady growth. At first
only a festum simplex, it was soon
elevated to a double rite by Innocent
VIII (1484-92), declared by Gregory XV, in 1621, a festival of obligation, at the instance of the Emperors
Ferdinand III and Leopold I and of
King Charles II of Spain, and raised
to the rank of a double of the second class by Clement XI (1700-21).
Further, Benedict XIII, in 1726, inserted the name into the Litany of
the Saints.
This wonderful and unprecedented increase of popularity called
for a new lustre to be added to the
cult of the saint. Accordingly, one
of the first acts of the pontificate
of Pius IX, himself singularly devoted to St. Joseph, was to extend
to the whole Church the feast of
the Patronage (1847), and in December, 1870, according to the
wishes of the bishops and of all
the faithful, he solemnly declared
the Holy Patriarch Joseph, patron of
the Catholic Church, and enjoined
that his feast (19 March) should
henceforth be celebrated as a double
of the first class (but without octave,
on account of Lent). Following the
footsteps of their predecessor, Leo
XIII and Pius X have shown an equal
desire to add their own jewel to the
crown of St. Joseph: the former, by
permitting on certain days the reading of the votive Office of the saint;
and the latter by approving, on 18
March, 1909, a litany in honour of
him whose name he had received
in baptism.
Sokol Calendar
SUN.JUNE 5
Q Semi-annual meeting of Assembly 63 at Dorothy’s Place, Donora,
Pa. beginning at 1 p.m., light refreshments will be served, call Theresa
Gardner, 724-263-7289.
Q Annual meeting of Assembly 9
in the meeting room of Holy Name
of Jesus School, 1950 Barnum Ave.,
Stratford, Conn beginning at 1 p.m.
election of officers will take place.
MON.JUNE 6
Q Lecture on Juraj Janosik, the Slovak Robin Hood by Richard Kocur,
WPSCA president at Mount Lebanon Public Library, 16 Castle Shannon Blvd., Mt. Lebanon, Pa. beginning at 7 p.m. free of charge.
SAT.JUNE 11
Q Annual picnic hosted by the Slovak
American Society of Washington,
D.C. at the estate of the late Millie
Schoepe, 12910 Westbrook Ave.,
Fairfax, Va. 12 noon to 5 p.m., $15.00
for individuals, $25.00 for couples;
for reservations and information call
Raymond Luca 703 475-8356.
SUN.JUNE 12
Q Assembly 162 meeting in SS.
Cyril and Methodius Church Hall,
18 Ackerman Ave., Clifton, N.J. beginning at 12:30 p.m.
SAT.JUNE 18
Q Sokol Golf Tournament hosted by
Assembly 261 and Wreath 155 at the
Manor Golf Club, Reading, Pa. be-
SEZ YOU...
Letters to the Editor
(The following letter was addressed
to the editor)
Dear Dan
Thank you so much for the beautiful and moving obituary for my
father in the May 4, 2016 issue of
the Falcon I also am very grateful
that you published my eulogy for
my father. As I stated in my eulogy
the Slovak Catholic Sokol was a
very important part of my father’s
life. He was dedicated to the Sokol
organization as well as to its individual members and did so much
over the years for the benefit of Assembly ll So many of the memories
I carry with me of my father are
memories of the Slovak Catholic Sokol and of times together at
Slovak Catholic Sokol events and
activities.
I look forward to maintaining
my membership and involvement
in the Slovak Catholic Sokol as
well as in the Slovak-American
community more generally. Please
give my regards to everyone at
Headquarters. I look forward to remaining in contact and hope to see
you again very soon.
Zdar Boh!
Joseph Seliga
Chicago, Ill.
OUR NEXT ISSUE
IS JUNE 15TH
In keeping with our biweekly
publishing schedule, the next
issue of the Slovak Catholic
Falcon will be that of Wednesday, June 15th. Deadline for all
photos and information for this
issue will be Thursday, June 9th.
View e-Falcon on our website:
www.slovakcatholicsokol.org.
Thanking you for your continued cooperation in this matter,
I remain Zdar Boh!
Daniel F. Tanzone, Editor
ginning with a 1 p.m. Shotgun Start,
food, drinks, cash prizes, $70.00 per
golfer, call the Sokol Club at 610
375-4500 or Nancy Webb at [email protected].
Q Simply Slavic Fest celebrating the culture and cuisine of the
various Slavic groups in downtown
Youngstown, Oh. from 12 noon to
6 p.m. For information call Loretta
Ekoniak at tel 330 549-3760.
SUN.JUNE 26
Q Slovak Day Picnic hosted by the
Cleveland Slovak Radio Club at the
Slovak Sokol Camp, 2069 Royalwood Rd.,between State and Broadview Rd., Broadview Heights, Oh.
12 noon to 8 p.m., admission $4.00
at the gate, music by The Frank
Moravcik Band, for info call: 440
886-4828.
Q Annual picnic of SS. Cyril and
Methodius Parish of Reading, Pa. at
St. Benedict’s Grove, 4541 Morgantown Rd, nine miles south of Reading on Route 10, Plowville, Pa. 12
noon to 6 p.m.
WED.JUNE 29
Q Annual Assembly 9 patronal feast
day observance honoring SS. Peter and Paul beginning with Mass
at 7:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus
PAGE 3
Message from our Supreme President
by Michael J. Horvath
The warmer weather of summer is starting to arrive and with the
warm up we start to think of outdoor activities and vacation. May your
Summer of 2016 be filled with fun, enjoyment and great memories. But,
most of all may it be a safe one for everyone.
Last November I decided it was time to replace the deck in the
backyard. Then in March the plans were put in
place with the timeline given and accepted by
the home decision maker, it would be finished by
Memorial Day. The first weekend went well then
the rains came and other delays which now put the
Memorial Day timeline in question. This weekend
I will be at the 70th International bowling Tournament so no work will be on the deck this weekend.
This again taught me to expect change because all
best plans do not all work out the way they were
designed too. Also, be flexible and find the way to
solve the setbacks. I will let you know if the timeline is met or had to be
extended.
I wish to congratulate our Director of Sales and Marketing, Mr. Albert J. Suess, F.I.C., for recently receiving the 2016 Fraternalist of the
Year Award from the Greater Pittsburgh Fraternal societies. We are all
proud of Brother Albert for being recognized by his peers as a fraternal
leader and receiving this well deserved Award. As we know Brother Albert has helped our Society grow since becoming our Director of Sales
and Marketing several years ago.
There is still time to submit an application for the Slovak Catholic
Sokol Fraternalist of the Year. Read the information on how to recommend member that is printed in the Falcon. To receive an application or if
you have any question contact our Editor, Mr. Daniel F. Tanzone for the
information. The deadline for submission is Friday, July 1, 2016.
The Scholarship Committee, chaired by our Supreme Vice-President, Mr Edward D. Moeller, conducted a meeting via phone conference
to review the scholarship applications that were submitted by our members. The Committee thanks all members who took the time to submit an
application for a scholarship. The applications that were received showed
the Committee our members are excelling in school as they prepare for
their future. Congratulations to all the Slovak Catholic Sokol Catholic
Grade and High Schools, as well as college and graduate school scholarship recipients. As you continue your education remember the Slovak
Catholic Sokol is so proud of our members’ accomplishments.
I also offer congratulations to all members who are graduating this
year. May your future endeavors prove to be successful as you move
forward in life. As Blessed, soon to be Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said
when asked to speak at a college graduation, “you are the pencils in the
hands of God”, so write your life’s story well.
Many bowlers from our Society gathered the weekend of May
20-22, 2016 in Buffalo, New York for our 70th International Bowling
Tournament. We were joined again this year by members from the Greek
Catholic Union for this fun filled weekend of fraternal activity. I am anticipating a very competitive tournament and hope my scores will help
my team place among the winner. We will have to wait for results to see
how well everyone did. Our Director of Sports and Athletic, Mr James
C. Matlon worked together with is counterparts from the Greek Catholic
Union to assure us a most successful tournament. Thank you for all your
hard work.
Flag Day, an American tradition, celebrated on June 14th recognizes the “Stars and Stripes” of our great nation, as the symbol of freedom
and bravery. Let all citizens of the United States display the American
flag on June 14th with dignity and pride.
Father’s Day is another great American holiday, celebrated on the
3rd Sunday in June. As we did the previous month in honoring our mothers both living and deceased we give special recognition to fathers. I am
very blessed to have the support of my wonderful and loving wife, Sue,
my three awesome daughters, my grand children, my “vnucka”, my two
future hockey players, my nieces and nephews and God children. God
has surely blessed me with a great family, as I am sure all fathers feel toward their family. I extend to all Fathers in our Society a Happy Father’s
Day.
Our next Slovak Catholic Sokol event will take place in a little more
than a month from now. This will be our International Softball Tournament, July 9 – 10, 2016 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, “the Diamond City”. The
first Softball tournament was held in 1987 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Many of
the original players still show up for this exciting tournament. Some still
play but most attend to watch the youth of organization take their place
on the field and continue on with the fraternalism this tournament creates.
Hope to see you in Wilkes-Barre.
Finally in July, your Supreme Board of Directors will be conducting
their 2nd Quarterly meeting of 2016 in conjunction with the 29th International Softball Tournament in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
As always be assured my willingness to address any and all concerns to the best of my ability that any member of our society might have,
please feel free to contact me through our home office or web site email.
With God’s blessings to all. Zdar Boh!
PAGE 4
REFLECTOR ...
The Word
of God...
Jotings from Sokol
and Slovak life
43rd Summer Festival in
Danville, Pa. set for July 16
The 43rd annual Summer Festival sponsored by
the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius on the grounds
of their Motherhouse, Villa Sacred Heart in Danville,
Pa. is scheduled for Saturday, July 16. Activities begin at 10:30 a.m.
The festival will feature a large Flea Market, a
silent auction, homemade baked goods, handcrafted
items, a book store, and religious and Slovak articles
and books. There will be a avariety of ethnic foods
such as Halusky and dinner. In addition, American
picnic favorites such as hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, ice cream and much more will be available.
There will be a variety of games for children and
adults plus special attractions such as raffles, bingo
and a cake-walk.
The Summer Festival has been a blessed opportunity for the Sisters to keep in touch with former students, their parents and family members; to reconnect
with friends they’ve made over the years, and to make
new friends. The day never seems long enough for visitors to see all the people they had really hoped to see.
Since this year’s Summer Festival coincides
with the Jubilee Year of Mercy, visitors will have the
opportunity to pass through the Holy Door located
at the Basilica of SS. Cyril and Methodius. and gain
the Holy Year indulgence. In the Diocese of Harrisburg, Bishop Ronald Gainer designated the Basilica
as a pilgrimage site. This Holy Door was officially
blessed and opened on December 15, 2015 and will
remain open until the close of the Jubilee Year of
Mercy in December.
In addition, festivalgoers will have the opportunity to visit the graves of Father Matthew Jankola,
founder of the congregation and Mother Mary Mihalik, the first general superior at the Sisters Cemetery
on the grounds of Villa Sacred Heart. This year marks
the centennial of both their deaths.
The Summer Festival concludes with the celebration of Mass, which satisfys the Sunday obligation
at 5 p.m. in the Basilica of SS. Cyril and Methodius.
There is plenty of parking available, including bus
parking. The festival will take place rain or shine. An
enjoyable afternoon is assured. For more information
on thise year’s festival, call Sister Barbara Sable at
570 275-3581, ext. 302.
Fr. Richard D. Baker to lead Pilgrimage
in the footsteps of SS. Cyril and Methodius
Our Group 1 chaplain, the Rev. Richard D. Baker, pastor of New York’s historic parish of St. John
Nepomucene, affectionately known as New York’s
Slovak basilica, will host a Holy Year of Mercy tour
to Slovakia titled a “Slovak Faith and Heritage Tour
in the Footsteps of SS. Cyril and Methodius.” In addition to Slovakia, the tour will visit Austria and Hungary. The tour departs from New York’s JFK International Airport on Friday, September 30 and returns on
Tuesday, October 11. The tour will include English
speaking guides in Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.
The pilgrimage will include a full day tour of
the Imperial Capital of Vienna, once the center of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire of which the Slovaks were
a part. Vienna is one of Europe’s most historic and
picturesque cities. The tour will then proceed to Slovakia’s sparkling capital city of Bratislava on the picturesque Danube River, visiting the historic castle, its
palaces and the Cathedral of St. Martin where Mass
will be celebrated. The tour will enjoy the area’s historic wine tour of the Small Carpathians, visiting cultural sites and visiting a pottery and ceramics factory.
Visits to Trnava, known as “The Rome of Slovakia”
due to its numerous churches; the great city of Nitra,
the center of the mission of SS. Cyril and Methodius
which is Slovakia’s oldest diocese as well as a visit to
the country’s national shrine dedicated to its Patroness, Our Mother of Sorrows at Sastin are also on
the program.
From western Slovakia, the tour will continue
east on to Levoca, Spisska Kapitula, Kezmarok and
Stara Lubovna. A highlight of the tour will be attending Mass celebrated by Father Baker in his
family’s ancestral church in the village of Starina,
a quaint hamlet near the Polish border. The group
will also visit the region of the High Tatras and will
include rafting on the Dunajec river, which forms
the natural boundary between Slovakia and Poland.
Visits will also be made to Presov and Kosice.
From Kosice, the tour will travel to the Hungarian city of Budapest on the Danube River. The
beauty and richness of the Hungarian capital with
its great artistic and cultural centers will be enjoyed.
A full day tour will include a visit to Buda hill - the
Royal Palace which houses a museum and art gallery, the Matthias Church, the royal coronation and
wedding church as well as a visit to Gellert Hill for
a panoramic view of the city.
The tour returns to New York on Tuesday, October 11. The cost of the tour is $2,899 all inclusive,
based on double occupancy. The single supplement
is $350. Tour includes round-trip air transportation
from New York, four star hotels, daily breakfasts
and dinners with visits to museums and guided tours
included. Plan to join Father Baker and be a part of
this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Slovakia, Austria and Hungary . For additional information on this historic tour, feel free to call the rectory
of St. John Nepomucene Church in New York City
at tel. 212 734-4613.
A Newly Updated Resource
for Slovak-related Topics
Interested in reading more about Slovakia?
Now, thanks to Fr. Gerald J. Sabo, S.J, of John Carroll University, a central list of publications with
Slovak-related topics has been newly updated for
2016.
This handy list includes ISBN numbers for
those books published in Slovakia -which makes for
easier identification when searching for them at the
library or online. Websites for locating remaindered
and used books, and where to purchase them, are
included at the end of the file, as well.
Go to www.fcsu.com and click on Slovakia &
The World tab to access this list.
Or, for more information, please contact Fr.
Gerald Sabo at [email protected].
Slovak language camp for
kids to begin in Pittsburgh
The Western Pennsylvania Slovak Cultural Association will offer a new program, a Summer Language Camp for kids. Classes begin on Saturday,
June 4 and continue on Saturdays through July 23.
These Slovak language classes are geared for beginners and are held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Mount
Lebanon Public Library, 16 Castle Shanon Boulevard, Mt. Lebanon, Pa. 15228, tel. 412 531-1912.
Children must be able to read to participate. Classes
are free of charge, however there may be a slight
charge for materials. Bozena Hilko will serve as the
instructor. Learning a new language is best achieved
when begun in childhood. Pittsburgh area parents
interested in this program are asked to contact Ms.
Hilko at [email protected].
This is yet another example of the creative
and interesting programs offered by the WPSCA
promoting a greater appreciation of our rich Slovak
culture, language and heritage. Check out their programs at: www.facebook.com/westernpaslovaks or
visit: www.wpsca.org.
Gospel for the Tenth Sunday
of the Year - June 5th
Luke 7:71-17
A reading from the holy Gospel
according to Luke
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd
accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had
died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he
was moved with pity for her and said’ to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped
forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said,
“Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified
God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God
has visited his people.” This report about him spread through the whole of
judea and in all the surrounding region.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Gospel for the Eleventh Sunday
of the Year - June 12th
Luke 7:36-8:3
A reading from the holy Gospel
according to Luke
A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Noe there was a Sinful woman in the city
who learned tha he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an
alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and
began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who
had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet he
would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that
she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say
to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of
them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one I suppose, whose
larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this
woman? When entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You
did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time
I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil but she anointed my feet with
ointment. So l tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she has
shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He
said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves,
”Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your
faith has saved you; go in peace.”
[Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil
spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons
had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and
many others who provided for them out of their resources.]
The Gospel of the Lord.
Did You Know....
With the exception of a resolution under Public Law establishing rules
of conduct and honor for the flag, Congress has not passed any significant
legislation governing the U.S. flag since 1818.
By Executive Order, in 1912, President Taft fixed
the proportions of the flag, and the position and size
of the 48 stars. Other Executive Orders have been
issued since 1912, but not until the administration
of Eisenhower, when Alaska and then Hawaii were
admitted as states, has the design been altered by
Executive Order or Act of Congress.
Honor the flag by letting it wave this Flag Day, June 14.
29th International Softball Tournament
set for Kirby Fields in Kingston, Pa.
by James C. Matlon
Supreme Director of Sports and Athletics
The annual international Softball Tournament is scheduled for
the weekend of July 9th through
the 10th. The site for the event
will be Kirby
Park Fields located at 280
Market Street,
Kingston, Pa.
Our 2016 tournament headquarters will be
at the Genetti
Hotel & Conference Center
in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania located just minutes from the fields.
New to this year’s competition,
we have included a co-ed division, which replaces the women’s
teams. We will continue the men’s
team division as usual and allow
each group to submit up to four (4)
teams.
Competition will begin at 8:30
a.m. on Saturday July 9th and
will continue throughout the day.
We will utilize up to three fields
throughout the day with the semifinal and final games scheduled for
Saturday evening. As in the past
we will use a double elimination
format.
Lodging will be the responsibility of each group. Rooms have been
reserved at the Genetti Hotel &
Conference Center; however, you
must contact me at (973) 647-8551
to secure your team’s lodging before June 10th. The hotel is located
at 77 Market Street, Wilkes-Barre,
PA 18701. The telephone number
at the hotel is (570) 825-6477. As
in the past, the Supreme Assembly
managed by the Tournament Director will cover the cost of the rooms
(4 participants per room). Plans are
in the works to have a Saturday
evening buffet dinner.
I am sure that the Group 1, Passaic, NJ, will all be prepared to defend their title from the last tournament. Arrangements will be made
to have a Holy Mass of Obligation
for Sunday held at Kirby Park on
Saturday afternoon, during a formal break in our tournament competition.
More information can be found
on the Slovak Catholic Sokol website. All tournament entry forms
must be mailed to me with the entry fee per team, no later than June
10th. Please make your checks payable to:
Slovak Catholic Sokol
- Sports Account
6 Academy Drive East
Whippany, NJ 07981
This year the cost of each team’s
entry is $400.00 before the deadline
date and $450.00 per team after the
June 10th date.
If you have further questions
or concerns please do not hesitate
to contact me directly on my cell
phone (973) 647 – 8551. Looking
forward to seeing you in WilkesBarre!
Zdar Boh!
Rules - 2016
1. Entrance Fee: Completed roster and $400.00 per team. ($450.00
after deadline)
2. Team Roster: Limited to 15 members who must be at least 14
years of age by the first day of the International Softball Tournament.
3. Double Elimination Tournament: Men and Co-Ed division with a
maximum total of four per Group. The four teams can be any combination.
(Men or Co-Ed)
4. Slow-Pitch: Amateur Softball Association rules will be used for
the tournament. Maximum of (10) ten players and a minimum of 8 in the
field per inning. A designated hitter and extra hitter can be used, a maximum line-up of 12 batters per team. Minimum Arc of 6 ft and maximum of
12 ft as listed in the ASA Rules.
All teams will play with a 12-inch flight restricted softball.
5. No metal cleats or “double wall” bats will be allowed on the
fields. All bats will once again be provided. Player misuse will result in
disqualification from the game.
6. A meeting with all captains and the head umpire will take place
on Friday evening or Saturday morning.
7. Drinking and Smoking: There will be no drinking or smoking on
the playing field during the game.
8. Accommodations: Teams will be responsible for their own hotel
accommodations. The Slovak Catholic Sokol will make arrangements for
reserving blocks of hotel rooms and securing reduced rates.
9. Meals: Meal arrangements will be based on game schedule and
number of participants.
10. Uniforms: The Tournament Committee recommends that all
teams have uniforms that display Slovak Catholic Sokol and proper numbering.
11. Mass: A Holy Mass will be attempted to be offered to the members on Saturday afternoon at the softball fields to fulfill your Sunday obligation. (weather permitting)
12. The Tournament will begin on Saturday morning and conclude
Saturday evening. The 10 run rule after 4 1/2 innings will be used in both
divisions. Once a team reaches a 10 run advantage, the game is immediately stopped. All round robin games will have a time limit based on number
of teams and number of fields available.
Group 6 meets in
Belle Vernon, Pa.
Group 6, “Msgr. Andrew Hlinka” of Perryopolis, Pa. hosted its
semi-annual meeting on Sunday,
May 15 at the Hoss Steak &
Seafood Restaurant in Belle Vernon, Pa. A total of 29 officers and
delegates were present for the
meeting. Group 6 President Anna
Mae Warnick called the meeting
to order at 1:30 p.m. and welcomed the assembled Sokols and
Sokolky. She thanked them for
their interest and support for the
work of the Group. Discussion
followed regarding upcoming
Sokol fraternal and sporting activities. Hopefully, Group 6 will
have teams compete at this year’s
international softball tournament
scheduled for July in WilkesBarre, Pa. Discussion of other
issues of importance were also
discussed. The delegates voted a
donation of $100.00 to the annual
SS. Cyril and Methodius Appeal
of the Slovak Catholic Federation which supports the Pontifical Slovak College in Rome as
well as religious communities
of men and women in Slovakia.
Our own Sokol Supreme Chap-
PAGE 5
Fraternalist of the Year
for NJ & NY members
The New Jersey - New York
Fraternal Alliance, which represents fraternalists in both the
Garden and Empire States will
host its traditional Fraternalist
of the Year program. Any member of the Slovak Catholic Sokol
residing in either New Jersey or
New York may be considered
for this program. Consideration
may be given any individual
member who through example
and accomplishment provides
outstanding volunteer service in
their local community. They are
individuals who beautifully mirror traditional fraternal outreach
in their parish, their local community center or other outreach
venues in which they are active.
Any Sokol member of either
New Jersey or New York may
nominate an individual who in
their estimation is worthy of recognition. A nomination form is
available by contacting our Editor Daniel F. Tanzone at the home
office. Deadline for the completed application is September 1,
2016. The individual selected as
the 2016 Fraternalist of the Year
will be honored during the annual meeting of the New Jersey
- New York Fraternal Alliance
scheduled for October 13-14 in
Atlantic City, N.J. Members of
the Fraternalist of the Year Award
Committee include Frederick M.
Durso, Theresa M. Kluchinski
and Charlotte L. Androckitis.
lain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic
serves as the national president
of the Slovak Catholic Federation and we in Group 6 want to
express our support for the work
of this fine organization. With no
further business, on a motion by
John Erdel, seconded by Dorothy
Rudinec, the semi-meeting was
adjourned.
Following the meeting Sister
Warnick offered grace before
enjoying a delicious luncheon. A
wonderful afternoon of traditional Sokol fellowship and camaraderie was had by all.
Zdar Boh!
Terri Gardner
Group 6 Secretary
PAGE 6
Albert J. Suess, Jr. honored as 2016 Fraternalist
of the Year by the Fraternal Societies of Pittsburgh
(Continued from page 2)
the Year, the Fraternal Societies of
Greater Pittsburgh selects a member who displays active leadership
in promoting a fraternal spirit and
has made valuable contributions to
the fraternal community. Brother
Albert J. Suess, a native of Pittsburgh’s historic South Side, has
spent many years in various leadership positions on the local, Group
and national levels not only in the
Slovak Catholic Sokol but has devoted years of service in the Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh
in various outreach projects.
Supreme Secretary Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C., headed the delegation
representing our organization at the
tribute to Brother Suess. Joining
him were area Supreme Officers,
Honorary Supreme Officers, and
representatives of Group 14 and Sokols and Sokolky from local Assembly 16 and Wreath 22 of Pittsburgh.
The Slovak Catholic Sokol is
indeed proud of the efforts and accomplishments of Brother Albert.
We pray that God will continue
to bless him with good health and
happiness in the years ahead. May
he continue to be a model and mentor in the best traditions of our organization’s ageless motto of “For
God and Nation” and our slogan of
“A sound mind in a sound body.”
Congratulations Brother Albert and
Zdar Boh!
93rd Pittsburgh Slovak Day on July 21 at Kennywood Park
The oldest Slovak day observance
in the United States is set for Thursday, July 21 at Kennywood Park in
West Mifflin, Pa. This year’s 93rd
annual Slovak Day of Western Pennsylvania will be an exciting opportunity to celebrate Slovak pride and
traditions. Since 1923, the Slovak
community in the Pittsburgh area
has gathered in the best traditions of
American summer activities at Kennywood, a popular amusement park,
for a day of fun and entertainment
celebrating Slovak culture, heritage
and culinary traditions. This year’s
observance will continue that timehonored tradition.
Slovak Day at Kennywood is
sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania Slovak Day Association under
the leadership of Dolores Sakal, Rev.
Joseph A. Grosko and the Rev. Greg
Majda. Kennywood Park was selected as the venue for the annual Slovak Day observance due to its easy
access via the streetcar line from all
regions of western Pennsylvania.
Over the years, the event continues
to support various non-profit Slovak
organizations.
Slovak Day includes music, food,
dancing, displays and children’s activities beginning at 12:30 p.m. by
the Main Pavilion. Every child participating will enjoy a free treat. Also
beginning at 2 p.m., entertainment
for children will be provided on the
Main Stage by the “PAS” Jr. and
Maly Ensembles and the “Pittsburgh
Jr. Slovakians.” A concelebrated Slovak liturgy will be offered at the Main
Pavilion at 4 p.m. with priests of Slovak ancestry from the Pittsburgh,
Greensburg and Altoona-Johnstown
dioceses participating. Following
the liturgy, a vibrant repertoire of
Slovak music, songs and dance will
be presented by the “Pittsburgh Area
Slovak Folk Ensemble”(PAS) and
the “Pittsburgh Slovakians.” Slovak
culinary specialities will be available
throughout the day. At the Main Pavilion #5 an array of interesting and
cultural displays will be provided
by our Slovak fraternals, as well as
the popular “Kroj” Slovak National
Costumes Exhibit.
The cost of tickets are $25 for Fun
Day General Admission, $15 for
those age 55 and older, plus a coupon
will be available for those 70 years of
age and older to be paid at the gate.
For additional information on this
year’s 93rd Annual Slovak Day, contact the Chairwoman Dolores Sakal
at 412 243-0438.
Sokol Calendar
Church, 1950 Barnum Ave., Stratford, Conn., breakfast to follow in
the parish center, for additional information call John Tkacik, recording
secretary at tel. 203 336-9703.
FRI.JULY 1
Q Sokol USA men’s and women’s
indoor volleyball tournament celebrating 120 years of Physical Fitness
at Baldwin High School, Pittsburgh,
Pa. contact [email protected]
Q Opening of the art exhibit “Krasy
Slovenska”(beauties of Slovakia) at
the office of Slovak Consul General in
New York, 801 Second Avenue, 12th
Floor, New York City; exhibit open to
the public daily, call for exhibit hours
212 286-8434, email: cg.newyork@
mzv.sk/www.mzv.sk/nyc.
JUNE 29-JULY 2
Q 27th Sokolfest and 120th anniversary of the founding of Sokol USA
- Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol at
Kennywood Park and the Twentieth
Century Club, Pittsburgh, Pa. for information call 973 676-0280, www.
sokolusa.org.
JULY 8-9
Q Quarterly meeting of the Supreme Board of Directors in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
JULY 8-10
Q 29th International Softball Tournament at Kirby Park Fields, WilkesBarre, Pa.
SAT.JULY 16
Q 43rd annual Summer Festival
hosted by the Sisters of SS. Cyril
and Methodius at their Motherhouse,
Villa Sacred Heart, Danville, Pa. beginning at 10:30 a.m. concludes with
5 p.m. Mass in the Basilica of SS.
Cyril and Methodius.
THURS.JULY 21
Q 93rd annual Pittsburgh Slovak
Group 10 fraternal
outing set for Aug. 5
Group 10, “Rev. Francis Sasinek”
will host its annual summer sports
and fraternal outing on Friday, August 5. Members of local Assemblies
belonging to Group 10 in the Lehigh
Valley are invited to participate. The
evening of baseball will include attending an Iron Pigs game beginning
at 7 p.m. The Iron Pigs will be playing the Rochester Red Wings which
is the top minor league affiliate of the
Minnesota Twins. Group 10 Sokols
and Sokolky interested in attending
the game should contact their local
Assembly. Refreshments will be
available.
Come join us for what looks to
be an enjoyable summer evening
celebrating good sportsmanship and
Sokol fellowship. A good time is assured.
Zdar Boh!
Susan Knoblauh
Group 10
Recording Secretary
Summer Day Camp for
children in New York
Czech and Slovak Day Camp for
children will be held in New York
City, weekdays, Monday, August 22
to Friday, September 2 from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. This unique summer opportunity for children of Slovak and
Czech heritage will be held at Bohemian Hall located at 29-19 24th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, N.Y. The
camp’s theme is Playful and Creative Czech & Slovak Customs and
Traditions. The camp offers exciting
and immersive Czech or Slovak language instruction for children of all
skill levels, including complete beginners. Children will be immersed
in the language, culture and pure fun
from the moment he or she enters
the camp with different themes each
day.
Cost of the two week program
is $250.00 per child. The camp is
sponsored by the Czech and Slovak
Cultural Center, 29-19 24th Avenue,
Astoria, N.Y. 11102. For more information, call 201 496-4393, web:
www.czechslovakculturalcenter.org
or email: [email protected].
Day observance at Kennywood
Park, West Mifflin, Pa. beginning
with children’s games and treats at
12:30 p.m., Mass at 4 p.m., music for
dancing begins at 6 p.m.
SUN.JULY 24
Q 86th annual Slovak American Day
hosted by the Federated Slovak Societies of Milwaukee at Croatian Park,
9140 South 76th St., Franklin, Wis.
beginning with Mass celebrated at
12 noon, cultural program at 2:30
p.m., Slovak culinary specialities,
games and entertainment, free admission, for information call Betty
Valent 414-425-6137.
JULY 29-31
Q Annual Pierogi-Pirohy Fest, hosted
by the Whiting Robertsdale Chamber
of Commerce in downtown Whiting, Ind. featuring Polish and Slovak
folk ensembles, culinary specialities,
games and exhibits, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. for additional information visit www.pierogifest.net or call
toll free 800 659-0292.
SKS 2020 Committee- Seeking
Interested Members
NOTE- in an attempt to meet the guidelines for membership of the SKS 2020 Committee, within the restrictions set
forth by the convention, the deadline for application has been
extended until June 30, 2016.
During the 32nd Quadrennial Convention held in Pittsburgh,
PA this past summer, the convention attendees endorsed the creation of a SKS 2020
Committee to make recommendations in
regards to the Slovak Catholic Sokol governing structure for the 2019 33rd Convention.
Over the next four years, the committees will
investigate fraternal organization best practices, review and compare similar fraternal
governing bodies , identify legal and regulatory requirements and open dialogue with
you, the members of our organization. Each committee member
will participate in investigative meetings, engage the membership
at large and assist in developing the recommendation report for the
convention delegates. Per the 32nd Convention, the nine member
SKS 2020 Committee consists of the following individuals:
Chairperson- Julie Ann Dobbs
Members• Supreme President
• Supreme Secretary
• Three group presidents
• Three members at large
The convention set the committee member guidelines to limit
membership to no more than one member per group and prohibits
any additional Supreme Officers or employees of the Slovak Catholic Sokol from membership.
In collaboration with the Supreme President, he and I will appoint the additional 6 members to the committee by July 15, 2016.
If you are interested in participating as a committee member, please
submit a signed letter of application to me by June 30, 2016. The
committee membership request letter must include the following
information:
• Applicable experience
• Slovak Catholic Sokol involvement at the following
levels: Wreath/Assembly/Group/National
• Convention participation- number of conventions
attended/last one attended
• A brief description of why you would like to be a member
of the SKS 2020 Committee
Letters of interest may be sent to:
Julie Ann Dobbs
5314 Agatha Turn
Racine, WI 53402
Or via email attachment to [email protected]
I am looking forward to chairing this committee and working
closely with you the members to ensure the success and longevity
of the Slovak Catholic Sokol. Feel free to connect with me via email
if you have any questions related to this process. Zdar Boh!
Fraternally yours,
Julie Ann Dobbs
SKS 2020 Committee Chairperson
Washington, D.C. Slovak picnic set for June 11
The annual picnic of the Slovak
American Society of Washington,
D.C.(SASW) will be held at the
estate of the late Millie Schoepe located at 12910 Westbrook Avenue
in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday,
June 11th from 12 noon to 5 p.m.
This Slovak style picnic is jointly
hosted with the Washington Slovak
Meet-Up Group. All members and
area Sokol members are invited to
participate.
Food, featuring Slovak culinary
specialities along with drinks(beer,
wine and soft drinks) will be provided. Games will be included for
both adults and children. Cost for
members is $15.00 for individuals
and$25.00 for couples. Non mem-
bers and guests will be charged
$20.00 for individuals and $30.00
for couples. Non-members who
sign up at the picnic to join SASW
will receive a $10.00 discount on
their annual membership. Children
age 12 and younger are welcome to
the picnic free of charge.
For reservations: send check
payable to SASW, to SASW, P.O.
Box 2502, Springfield, VA 21522502. Directions: Rt. 29 Lee Hwy.
West(preferred) - turn right on
Stringfellow and right on Westbrook; Rt. 50 Lee Jackson West
- turn left on Stringfellow and left
on Silverbrook. For additional information, call Raymond Luca, 703
474-8356.
PAGE 7
The 120th Anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church
of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Youngstown, Ohio
by T. L. Wagner
On Saturday, April 16, 2016, the
historic church of Saints Cyril and
Methodius in Youngstown, Ohio
was filled with past and present
parishioners, along with many family and friends as the Bishop of the
Diocese of Youngstown, the Most
Reverend George V. Murry, S.J.
presided at the Mass celebrating
the 120th anniversary of this Slovak congregation. Founded in May,
1896 by members of St. Martin’s
Lodge, the parish of Saints Cyril
and Methodius was established
to serve the needs of the growing Slovak Catholic community in
Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley. Through the diligent efforts of
these hard-working men and women, the Romanesque style church
was completed by February, 1901.
As was typical of so many “ethnic”
churches, the building became the
hub of activity for these families and
individuals. The church not only
served the religious needs of the Slovak community, but also fostered its
educational, cultural and social advancement. A school, which opened
in 1907, was staffed by the Ursuline
Sisters who helped innumerable immigrant and first generation Slovaks
successfully integrate into American
society. The facility continued this
tradition of Catholic education for
many subsequent generations until
1985. The church, although updated
with an entrance ramp, elevator and
handicap accessible rest rooms as
well as new lighting and mosaic tile,
maintains the traditional appearance
of the era in which it was built. The
ornate stained glass windows, fabricated in Slovakia with leaded glass,
are a legacy of the vision, sacrifice,
commitment and faith of the early
members. The treasure the building
represents with its towering dome,
life-size statuary, numerous frescos
and murals, windows and beauti-
fully painted interior design is only
a small testament of the gift bequeathed to the future generations,
up to the present day. The most significant contribution is undoubtedly
the ongoing opportunity to share the
Catholic faith and cultural heritage
of the Slovak forebears who journeyed to Youngstown and established a strong, vibrant community.
Now as part of Our Lady of Sorrows
Parish since 2012, which includes
Holy Name of Jesus and Saint Matthias, Saints Cyril and Methodius
proudly maintains its Slovak Catholic identity.
The Mass was celebrated by the
Most Reverend George V, Murry,
S. J., Bishop of Youngstown, with
Reverend George Franko, Reverend
Melvin Rusnak, Reverend Monsignor Peter Polando and Reverend
Marian Babjak concelebrating. The
pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows,
Reverend Martin Celuch, hosted his
brother priests and a contingent from
the Knights of Columbus as the
large number of congregants joined
in the liturgy which featured the
musical accompaniment of a string
quartet, a piano and the impressive
church pipe organ with hymns in
Slovak, Latin and English. Father
George Franko, a son of the parish
who at 91 has been a priest for more
than 66 years, was the homilist. In
addition to presenting a lesson from
the Gospel of Good Shepherd Sunday, Father Franko shared interesting – and amusing – stories about
the challenges faced by early pastors. The demands of maintaining
the structure and sealing water leaks
in the roof that led to the redirection
of funds meant to install “marble”
altars in the church seemed to be especially appreciated by former pastors, Father Rusnak and Monsignor
Polando. Father Franko also used
his sharp memory to highlight de-
tails related to the various saints and
biblical accounts depicted in stained
glass windows. It was through the
efforts of Father Franko that the
Youngstown Chapter of the Slovak
Catholic Federation began almost
25 years ago. He recently stepped
down as chaplain, a role now filled
by Father Rusnak. Both Father Martin Celuch, the pastor, and Father
Marian Babjak, who serves the parishioners of Saint Charles Borromeo in Boardman, OH are natives
of Slovakia. They are both actively
engaged with the Slovak Catholic
community in the diocese. Deacon
Robert Friedman was the Master of
Ceremonies. Representatives of the
various church organizations made
the presentation of the gifts including Mary Lou Hluchan of the Altar
and Rosary Society, Tom Rovnak
of the Cy-Me Men’s Club, Paulette
Chiarello with the Infant Jesus of
Prague Guild and Kay Kalischak
representing the Our Lady of Sorrows Seniors Club.
A dinner followed at the Father
Snock Center which is located at
the Saint Matthias campus of Our
Lady of Sorrows Parish. Almost
300 people attended. The gathering
represented members of all three
churches in the parish, as well as
individuals from numerous other
congregations, many of which had
their early start in Saints Cyril and
Methodius, such as the Hungarians
of Saint Stephen of Hungary, Italians of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
and Croatians of Saints Peter and
Paul. An abundant array of cookies
and baked goods, made by volunteer bakers of the parish, provided
a sweet ending to the evening. A
commemorative mug with an image of the church was given to many
of those in attendance. Additionally,
the National President of Slovak
Posing in front of the main altar of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church are (L - R) Reverend Monsignor
Peter Polando, first pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish established in 2012 and current rector of the
Cathedral of Saint Columba of the Diocese of Youngstown, Reverend Marian Babjak, a native of Slovakia
assigned to Saint Charles Borromeo Church, Reverend George Franko, a son of SSCM and the founder
of the Youngstown Chapter of the Slovak Catholic Federation, The Most Reverend George V. Murry, S. J.,
Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown who presided at the Mass, Reverend Martin Celuch, the pastor of Our
Lady of Sorrows Parish and a native of Slovakia, and Reverend Melvin Rusnak, former pastor of SSCM
and the chaplain of the Youngstown Chapter of SCF.
The Most Reverend George V. Murry, S. J., Bishop of the Diocese of
Youngstown concludes the opening prayer of the Mass celebrating the
120th Anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church. Also pictured is Reverend Martin Celuch, a native of Slovakia, who is the current pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish of which SSCM is one of
three member congregations since 2012, when the only parish with a
Slovak identity in the Youngstown Diocese was created.
Reverend George Franko, who at 91 has been a priest for more than
66 years, was the homilist. Father Franko, a son of Saints Cyril and
Methodius Church, is the founder of the Youngstown Chapter of
the Slovak Catholic Federation and a strong advocate for the promotion and preservation of Slovak Catholic traditions and heritage.
With a view of some of the statuary and murals in the background,
much of which date to the early days of the church, Reverend Marian
Babjak,(L) a native of Slovakia, and Reverend Melvin Rusnak, (R) the
current chaplain of the Youngstown Chapter of the SCF and a former
pastor of SSCM, listen attentively,
As presider, The Most Reverend George V. Murry, S. J., Bishop of
the Diocese of Youngstown, intones the Eucharistic Prayer during the
Mass. Concelebrating (L - R) are Reverend Melvin Rusnak, a former
pastor of SSCM and current chaplain of the Youngstown Chapter of
the Slovak Catholic Federation, Reverend Martin Celuch, pastor of
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish and a native of Slovakia, and Reverend
Monsignor Peter Polando, the first pastor of OLOS Parish and the
rector of the Cathedral of Saint Columba of the Youngstown Diocese.
PAGE 8
Re-dedication Ceremonies of the Historic World War I Plaque Honoring
Veterans Restored by Assembly 59 held in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. on May 1
Following the blessing, a moment of silence was observed during
which Taps was played in memory
of all those Wilkes-Barre sons and
daughters who served in defense of
our country beginning with World
War I and continuing until the present. Three of the individuals listed
on the plaque, George Ihnat, George
Hudak and Andrew Sofranko made
the supreme sacrifice during World
War I. The American Legion Brookside Post 837 and Veterans of For-
eign Wars Shawnee/Plymouth Post
1425 and their members and Auxiliary members participated in the rededication ceremony.
Supreme President Michael J.
Horvath then offered remarks. He
had high praise for the efforts of
Assembly 59 and their dedication
to local community activities. He
thanked all the officers and members of the lodge as well as those of
Group 7, “Rev. Joseph Murgas” for
their efforts in the plaque restoration
project, a true labor of love in the
best traditions of Sokol fraternal outreach and service to the community.
Brother Horvath is the first WilkesBarre native who was raised in the
former Sacred Heart Slovak Parish
to be elected as the national president of one of our five national Slovak fraternal organizations. Not only
the Sokols, but the entire area’s Slovak fraternal community are proud
of his efforts and extend best wishes
to him at this time.
Also speaking was Editor Daniel F. Tanzone in his capacity as
president of the Slovak League of
America. He recalled the rich history of the area’s Slovak community
and the role played by Father Joseph Murgas in helping to liberate
the Slovaks in their homeland from
the oppression and domination of
the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
Through his efforts, as well as the
support of the American Slovak
and Czech communities, the first
Republic of Czecho-Slovakia was
established with the blessing of
President Woodrow Wilson and his
administration following World War
I. He noted the important role of
the Wilkes-Barre area Slovak community in helping preserve Slovak
culture and heritage over the generations. He commended the efforts
of the local Slovak community for
promoting the high ideals of the fraternal benefit system in general and
of Slovak fraternalism in particular.
Following the civic portion of the
re-dedication, the participants had
the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful
buffet supper at the North End Slovak Citizens Club where traditional
Sokol fellowship and camaraderie
was much in evidence. Assembly
59 along with the cooperation of the
North End Slovak Citizens Club are
to be commended for their efforts
in helping preserve an important
monument in the Slovak community. Thanks and gratitude go out to
all who donated generously in helping restore the World War I plaque
which now has a permanent presence on the facade of the North End
Slovak Citizens Club.
Editor Daniel F. Tanzone, far left, is shown addressing the assembled fraternalists gathered at the re-dedication of the World War I Plaque.
Representatives of Branch 172 of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association who were present and supported the effort to restore the World War I plaque are shown with Sokol directors.
Supreme President Michael J. Horvath is shown with well-known Slovak cultural philanthropist, Magdalen Benish at the plaque re-dedication. A member of Assembly 59, Maggie has actively promoted the
cause of recognition of Father Joseph Murgas. Maggie was awarded
an honorary doctorate “honoris causa” from King’s College at its 67th
annual commencement on Sunday, May 22.
Our Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic, a native son of the
former Sacred Heart of Jesus Slovak Parish in Wilkes-Barre, poses
in front of the restored World War I Plaque and memorabilia at the
North End Slovak Citizens Club on May 1.
Our Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic is shown blessing
and re-dedicating the World War I Plaque. Looking on is his dad,
Assembly 59 President and Honorary Supreme Officer, Andrew J.
“Butch” Hvozdovic.
Some of the assembled fraternalists pause during the playing of Taps at the re-dedication.
Do Honor Dad’s Day
The Ancient Egyptians believed that disrespect to a father was
one of the seven deadly sins.
The Bible says, “Honor thy father....”
Mrs. John Dodd of Spokane, Wash. said in 1910, “I believe
young people are still fundamentally appreciative of the role their
fathers play in their lives, and Father’s Day gives them a real opportunity to express their feelings.”
To that end, Mrs. Dodd persuaded the ministers of Spokane to
preach a Father’s Day message in June, which they did on the third
Sunday. Orator William Jennings Bryan, the YMCA, presidents
Coolidge and Wilson, and others heartily endorsed setting aside a
day to honor fathers.
In 1972, Congressional resolution and residential proclamation declared Father’s
Day a national holiday.
Today, according to
research done by the Father’s Day Council, 95%
of Americans observe it.
In addition, dads actually
do better in the receiving
department than they do
at Christmas. They average 2 1/2 gifts. Over 120
million greeting cards go to fathers each year while short and longdistance telephone calls are up.
Father’s Day has caught on overseas, too, with over sixty other
countries celebrating the holiday.
So remember your Dad this June 19. If you can, do his chores
and run his errands for once. And let him decide what he wants to
do with his day - even if it’s just relaxing.
PAGE 9
Officers of the North End Slovak Citizens Club and representatives of the local Post
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars are shown above.
Celebrate Flag Day on June 14
The History of the Flag
The United States flag is the third
oldest of the national standards of
the world - older than the Union
Jack of Britain or the Tricolor of
France.
The flag was first authorized by
the Second Continental Congress
in Philadelphia on June 14, 1777.
This date is now observed as “Flag
Day” throughout America.
The flag was first flown from Fort
Stanwix, on the site of the present
city of Rome, New York, on August
3, 1777. It was first under fire three
days later in the battle of Oriskany,
August 6, 1777.
It was first decreed that there
should be a star and a stripe for each
state, making thirteen of both; for
the states at that time had just been
erected from the original thirteen
colonies.
The colors of the flag may be thus
explained - the red is for valor, zeal
and fervency; the white for hope,
purity, cleanliness of life, and rectitude of conduct; the blue, the color
of heaven, for reverence to God,
loyalty, sincerity, justice and truth.
The star(an ancient symbol of
India, Persia and Egypt) symbolizes
dominion and sovereignty, as well
as lofty aspiration. The constellation
of the stars within the union, one
star for each state, is emblematic of
our federal constitution which reserves to the states, their individual
sovereignty except as to the rights
delegated by them to the federal
government.
The symbolism of the flag was
thus interpreted by Washington:
“We take the stars from heaven, the
red from our mother country, separating it by the white stripes, thus
showing that we have separated
from her, and the white stripes shall
go down to posterity representing
liberty.”
In 1795 after Vermont and Kentucky were admitted to the Union,
the number of stars and stripes was
increased to fifteen. As other states
came into the Union it became
evident there would be too many
stripes. In 1818 Congress enacted
that the number of stripes be reduced and restricted henceforth to
thirteen, representing the thirteen
original states; while a star should
be added for each succeeding state.
That law is the law of today.
The name “Old Glory” was given
to our national flag on August 10,
1831 by William Driver, a sea captain of Salem, Massachusetts. One
legend has it that when he raised the
flag on his brig, the Charles Doggett,
he said: “I name thee Old Glory.”
The flag was first carried in the
battle of Brandywine, September
11, 1777. It first flew over foreign
territory January 28, 1778, at Nassau, Bahama Islands; Fort Nassau having been captured by the
Americans in the course of the war
for independence. The first foreign
salute to the flag was rendered by
the French Admiral LaMotte Piquet, off Quiberon Bay, February
13, 1778.
The United States flag is unique
in the deep and noble significance
of its message to the entire world - a
message of national independence,
of individual liberty, of idealism, of
patriotism.
It symbolizes national independence and popular sovereignty. It is
not the flag of a reigning family or
royal house, but of more than 325
million free people welded into a
nation, one and inseparable, united
not only by community of interest
but by vital unity of sentiment and
purpose; a nation distinguished for
the clear, individual conception of
its citizens alike, of their duties and
their privileges, their obligations
and their rights.
It incarnates for all mankind the
spirit of liberty and the glorious
ideal of human freedom - not the
freedom of unrestraint or the liberty of license - but an unique ideal
of equal opportunity for life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness, safeguarded by the stern and lofty principles of duty, of righteousness and
of justice, and attainable by obedience to self-imposed laws.
Floating from the lofty pinnacle
of American idealism, it is a beacon
of enduring hope to the pressed of
all lands. It floats over a wondrous
assemblage of people from every
racial stock of the earth whose united hearts constitute an indivisible
and invincible force for the defense
and succor of the down-trodden.
It embodies the essence of patriotism. Its spirit is the spirit of the
American nation. Its history is the
history of the American people.
Emblazoned upon its folds in letters
of living light are the names and
fame of our heroic dead, the fathers
of the republic who offered upon its
altars their lives, their fortunes and
their sacred honor. Tales of national
honor and glory cluster thickly
about it. Ever victorious it has
emerged triumphant from many
great national conflicts. It flew at
Saratoga, at Yorktown, at Gettysburg, at Manila Bay, at ChateauThierry, at Iwo Jima, Normandy
Beaches, Ichon Landing and many
others. It bears witness to the immense expansion of our national
boundaries, the development of our
national resources, and the splendid structure of our civilization. It
prophesies the triumph of popular
government, of civic and religious
liberty and of national righteousness throughout the world. - Compliments of the Knights of Columbus
PAGE 10
What's making headlines in our ancestral homeland
$1,000, stated Ondrova.
The average monthly gross salaries in Poland and the
Czech Republic were almost $120 higher than those in Slovakia, while people in Austria earned four times more than
Slovaks, noted the analysis.
Lajcak: candidacy for UN Secretary
General is wonderful opportunity
News and Views from Slovakia...
Slovak missionary shot in South
Sudan dies of her wounds
Slovak missionary and doctor, Sister Veronika Terezia Rackova, who was shot in South Sudan on May
16, died of her injuries on May 20, the Slovak Bishops
Conference(KBS) press office reported on the same day.
According to the KBS press office, the nun was driving a care after taking a patient to a different hospital
from her own on the evening of May 16 when she was
ambushed by gunmen. Among other injuries, she suffered
multiple fractures of the pelvis during the shooting. After
undergoing two operations at the local hospital, she was
taken by helicopter to Kenya for further surgery.
The media in South Sudan repored that the authorities have already detained three suspects - soldiers from
the ‘Joint Operation Unit’, which is deployed in the area
to provide security for civilians at night.
A member of the Holy Spirit Missionary
Sisters(SSpS), Sister Veronika Terezia Rackova was head
of the St. Bakhita’s Medical Center in Yei, South Sudan.
She earlier served in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany.
Austria, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Indonesia and
Ghana.
Foreign Ministry launches official
website for Slovak EU Presidency
Slovakia’s Foreign and European Affairs Ministry
lunched a key communication channel on May 9 for the Slovak Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2016
- the official website www.eu2016.sk.
“Every presiding country communicates via a website
comprehensive, well arranged, dynamic and intuitive. We
want our website to serve as the first choice for everyone interested in Slovakia’s first EU Council presidency ever,” said
minister Miroslav Lajcak.
Apart from news, the website will also bring information on the presidency’s agenda and priorities, budgetary issues and key events. All elements will be fully functioning as
of July 1, when Slovakia assumes the EU Council presidency.
“We want to see Slovakia’s EU Council presidency
contribute towards the presentation of the country. It’s important to offer relevant information and interesting content to
visitors. They’ll learn all key issues on our presidency and
Slovakia as such from this website,” said State Secretary of
the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry and Plenipotentiary of the Government for Presidency in the Council
of the European Union Ivan Korcok.
The website is available in four languages - Slovak,
English, French and German. It’s designed to serve journalists, politicians and other officials, experts, NGOs and the
general public.
Cabinet Oks protocol on
Montenegro’s NATO accession
The Slovak cabinet at its session of May 11 approved
the accession protocol for Montenegro’s accession to NATO.
Montenegro received an invitation for NATO membership on December 2, 2015, with the first round of the accession talks launched on February 15, 2016. Montenegro’s potential NATO membership will allow for its integration into
the Euro Atlantic community, thus significantly contributing
towards security and expanding the sphere of stability and
freedom in the Western Balkans, stated the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry.
In order for Monenegro to become the 29th NATO
member the accession protocol has to be ratified by the parliaments, governments and presidents of all NATO-member
states. When all obligations necessary for membership were
confirmed, Montenegro signed the accession protocol during a session of NATO foreign affairs ministers held May
19-20. At present, Slovakia and Montenegro along with the
United States are NATO members.
Prime Minister’s recovery: Fico
attends cabinet session again
After attending last week’s meeting of the Cabinet,
Prime Minister Robert Fico(Smer-SD) also came to the cabinet’s meeting on May 11, TASR learned on the same day.
Interior Minister Robert Kalinak(Smer-SD) was surprised to see Fico, who is gradually increasing his working
hours following his recent heart operation.
“I’m not completely satisfied with this, as he deserves
more rest. Unfortunately, he’s speaking less and less about
recuperation and this worries me,” said Kalinak.
The interior minister stressed that the prime minister
is following doctors’ instructions regarding work as well as
recuperation. Fico’s full comback can be expected in a few
weeks, said Kalinak.
On May 9, the prime minister attended a commemorative event dedicated to fallen soldiers to mark the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II at Bratislava’s Slavin
memorial.
The May 11 cabinet session is Fico’s third appearance
in public since his release from the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases(NUSCH) in Bratislava on May 1.
Fico was admitted into NUSCH on April 14, eventually
undergoing an unspecified heart operation on April 22.
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak
before the Government session on May 4 said that standing
for the position of secretary-general of the United Nations is
an opportunity from which one doesn’t run away.
Lajcak hasn’t ruled out the possibility that he will run
for this position, however he didn’t say when he will announce his decision.
The Slovak chief of diplomacy explained that he’s currently preoccupied with preparations for Slovakia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU which begins on July 1st.
“I can’t dispute the attractiveness of this opportunity.
It’s a challenge for a professional diplomat, and one doesn’t
run away from opportunities....I’ll express my position when
I feel like doing so,” stated Lajcak.
“The principle we’ve all agreed on is that we’d like to
have the best possible candidate,” added Lajcak, who rejected the opinion that the job will definitely to a representative
Minimum wage in Luxembourg is
double average salary in Slovakia
The minimum wage in Luxembourg is more than double the average monthly salary in Slovakia, according to an
analysis issued by Postova banka on May 9.
While the minimum wage in Luxembourg is $2,200 per
month, its equivalent in Slovakia has increased to $500 per
month this year.
“Thus, the minimum wage in Slovakia represents 46
percent of the average monthly gross salary. In other European countries, the minimum wage represents between 35 and
53 percent of the average gross salary,” said Postova banka
analyst Dominika Ondrova.
The bank analyzed salary developments in all EU countries last year. It turned out that, as shown by previous statistics, the highest salaries are found on the payroll slips of
employees in northern and western Europe.
People in Luxembourg have enjoyed the highest salaries in the EU over the long term, with the average monthly
gross salary reaching $5,300 last year. In Slovakia, the figure
was $1, 100. The average monthly gross salaries in Denmark, Great Britain and the Netherlands were all slightly
above $5,000, while in Germany the figure was $4,250, said
Ondrova.
The bank analysis showed that employees in more than
13 EU countries earned more than an average of $2,200 per
month. “Slovaks were far from this category, however. They
couldn’t compete with the Maltese, Greeks, Slovenians, Portuguese, Estonians or Croats either. The all earned more than
$1,100 per month,” said Ondrova.
Conversely, the lowest salaries were recorded in Bulgaria, Romania, and the Baltic States. People in Latvia earned
around $70 less per month than Slovaks, while in Lithuania
the figure was $220 lower than in Slovakia. People in Bulgaria earned only $450 per month. The average monthly gross
salary in Hungary was also lower than in Slovakia, reaching
Selected stories are provided by TASR-Slovakia, the
Slovak Republic’s official News Agency.
Banska Bystrica, located in the heart of central Slovakia,
ranks as the country’s sixth largest city with a population
of 84,000. It is the seat of the administration of the Banska Bystrica Region, one of the eight regions of the Slovak
Republic. It is scenically located on the river Hron in the
Zvolenska Lowland, close to the Kremnicke Mountains,
Velka Fatra and the low Tatras. First written mention of
the city dates from the year 1255. Its own coat of arms in
the 13th century. It became the center of mining towns.
Gold and silver were first mined and by the 14th century
it was the center of the cooper, quicksilver and lead industries. Many of the bells of great european churches were
cast in the city’s foundries. Its center city includes a number of impressive structures. Its oldest church, dedicated to
Our Lady, originally built in the Romanesque style, dates
from the 13th century with additions added in the 14th,
15th and 16th centuries. Following a fire in 1761, its interior was rebuilt in the baroque style. Its altar dedicated to
St. Barbara, patroness of miners, is the work of the noted
Master Paul of Levoca. In 1776, it became the seat of a
Roman Catholic Diocese. Its Cathedral, dedicated to St.
Francis Xavier, is located on the main square. The episcopal residence, built through the benevolence of Empress
Maria Teresa, contains many outstanding works of art including paintings done by Father Joseph Murgas. Father
Murgas was ordained a priest of the diocese on November
10, 1888. The city also contains many other outstanding
buildings including gothic and renaissance townhouses, an
impressive city hall and the J. G. Tajovsky Theatre. The
city is also the home of the Matej Bel University.
Sokol Birthdays
JUNE 13
Donald J. Koval, Wilkes-Barre,
Pa., a member of Assembly 59,
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
JUNE 14
David J.Antoniuk, Phoenixville,
Clifton, N.J.
Matthew R. Kubej, Renton,
Wash., a member of Wreath 14,
Johnstown, Pa.
Devin Patrick O’Sullivan, Pelham Manor, N.Y., a member of Assembly 162, Clifton, N.J.
Emely Pogorelec, Wayne, N.J.,
a member of Assembly 162, Clifton, N.J., belated wishes.
JUNE 16
C. J. Fogle, Webster, N.Y., a
member of Assembly 96 in Niagara
Falls, N.Y.
David Kelly, Moosic, Pa., a
member of Assembly 59, WilkesBarre, Pa.
Cheryl Kopchak, Park Ridge,
N.J., a member of Wreath 2, Passaic, N.J.
Lisa Petruska, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.,
a member of Assembly 59, WilkesBarre, Pa.
JUNE 17
Ronald F. Duska, Jr., Villanova, Pa., a member of Assembly
64, Erie, Pa.
Moira Kathleen Honohan, Fairfield, Conn., a member of Assembly
219, Yonkers, N.Y.
Michelle S. Kolodzej, Lansing,
Ill., a member of Assembly 11,
Chicago, Ill.
Thomas J. Krack, Garfield,
N.J., a member of Assembly 162,
Clifton, N.J.
Mark Malshefski, Nanticoke,
Nanticoke, Pa.
JUNE 18
Elizabeth Kowatch, Yonkers,
N.Y., a member of Assembly 219,
Yonkers, N.Y.
Olivia Pizzella, Plains, Pa., a
member of Assembly 59, WilkesBarre, Pa.
Brooke Ansley Macurak, Kennesaw, Ga., a member of Wreath 22,
Pittsbugh, Pa.
Albert O. Neudeck, III, Bridgeport, Conn., Group 2 Physical
Director and Financial Secretary of
Wreath 39, Bridgeport, Conn.
Jason P. Pogorelec, Chesnut
Hill, Ma., a member Assembly 162,
Clifton, N.J.
Anne Yarina, Chicago, Ill., a
member of Assemby 219, Yonkers,
N.Y.
JUNE 19
James Thomas Maron, Fairfield, Conn., a member of Assembly
219, Yonkers, N.Y.
Robert Alexander Maron, Fairfield, Conn., a member of Assembly
219, Yonkers, N.Y.
Andrew J. Palchanis, Plymouth,
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
JUNE 20
Robert A. Kopco, Johnstown,
Pa., a member of Wreath 14,
Johnstown,Pa.
JUNE 21
Elaine Babusik Roditis, Phildelphia, Pa., a member of Wreath
13, Philadelphia, Pa.
Kerrian Amara Dorans, Branchville, N.J., a member of Wreath 2,
Passaic, N.J.
Mary Ruth Romagnoli, Yonkers,
N.Y., a member of Assembly 219,
Yonkers, N.Y.
Reading parish to reprint new
edition of popular cook book
SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Reading, Pa. is pleased to announce that due to many requests, it
has decided to publish a new edition
of its popular cookbook “Cooking
with Baba.” The parish committee is
pleased to publish a new edition of the
cookbook which contains more than
300 recipes dedicated to the Slovak
culinary art. Over the years, many parishioners contributed their recipes to
this book which is a tribute to the parish’s elder generations. Parishioners
have written down the popular recipes
of their parents and grandparents and
compiled it in one of the best cookbooks ever produced by a Slovak
parish. The cost of the cookbook is
$10.00 per copy. For information on
the cookbook, call Tessie at tel. 610
777-7464 or Marge at 610 375-3515.
The cookbook will be available
for sale at this year’s annual parish
picnic which is scheduled for Sunday,
June 26. The annual event is held at
the scenic St. Benedict’s Grove, located at 4541 Morgantown Road,
nine miles south of Reading on Route
10 in Plowville, Pa. Festivities begin
at 12 noon and continue until 6 p.m.
There will be plenty of delicious Slovak culinary specialities available
throughout the afternoon. A bakesale
will feature homemade pastries and
breads. There will be games for children and adults alike. Music for dancing and listening pleasure will be enjoyed from 2 to 6 p.m. Admission to
the picnic is $2.00 for adults. Area Sokols and Sokolky are invited to spend
an enjoyable summer afternoon at this
year’s picnic.
SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish
has enjoyed an active ministry among
Slovaks from its beginnings in 1895.
Our Assembly 261 and Wreath 155
were founded in the parish and have
been active ever since. The current administrator of the parish is our Sokol
of Assembly 188 in his native Lansford, Pa. Monsignor Thomas Orsulak
who hails from a well-known Sokol
family.
CLIFTON, NJ
Assembly 162
ISSN: 0897-8107
Established April 15, 1911
Official Publication of the Slovak Catholic Sokol
Issued Bi-Weekly
Daniel F. Tanzone, Editor
Editorial office: (973) 777-4010
Annual Subscription Rates
United States $40.00 – All others countries $45.00
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Slovak Catholic Falcon,
P.O. Box 899, 205 Madison Street,
Passaic, New Jersey 07055
Member of the Catholic Press
Association and the Slovak Newspapermen's
Association of America
Proprietor and Publisher
SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL
P.O. Box 899
205 Madison Street, Passaic, N.J. 07055
Home Office: (973) 777-2605-06
WEB SITE –www.slovakcatholicsokol.org
The regular monthly meeting of
our Assembly is scheduled for Sunday, June 12 in SS. Cyril and Methodius Church Hall, Ackerman Avenue
beginning at 12:30 p.m. All members are invited to attend.
On our meeting agenda will be a
recap of 70th International Bowling
Tournament held in Buffalo, May
20-21. A number of our members
competed in this annual fraternal
competition. We will also discuss
upcoming sporting and fraternal activities during the upcoming summer
season, including the 29th International Softball Tournament scheduled for Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the weekend of July 8-10. Looking ahead,
we ask our members to mark their
calendars for Sunday, October 16
when we will observe the 100th anniversary of the founding of Assembly 162. Looking forward to seeing a
good turnout at our June 12 meeting,
may we remain Zdar Boh!
John D. Pogorelec, Jr.,
President
David Bulwin,
Recording Secretary
PAGE 11
Slovak Catholic Federation Seeks Contributors for the
2016 Good Shepherd/Dobry Pastier Annual
Dobry Pastier (The Good Shepherd), published annually by the Slovak Catholic Federation, is a compilation of articles which are of interest to
Slovak-American Catholics. The Federation is seeking material for inclusion in the 2016 edition. While the scope of the annual is broad, encompassing the areas of heritage, history, religion, traditions, travel and personal experience, items of a solely political nature cannot be accepted. The
deadline for all articles is August 1, 2016. Due to the publication schedule,
items received after the deadline cannot be considered for this year’s edition. The annual will be available for distribution in the latter part of 2016.
To facilitate the editing and printing of the Dobry Pastier/The Good
Shepherd, the following guidelines are established for authors who would
like their work to be considered for inclusion in the annual. Submissions
and any questions can be sent to the editor, T. L. Wagner, at [email protected].
General Information:
• All articles must be type-written, double-spaced, preferably in Microsoft WORD format in 12 point, Times New Roman font, or a similarly
easy to read type. For the sake of ease in editing, please avoid capitalizing words or entire sentences needlessly, the excessive use of exclamation points, unnecessary quotation marks, etc. The article layout should be
similar to that of pieces printed in daily newspapers and magazines.
•It is strongly preferred that English articles be e-mailed to T. L. Wagner, Editor, at [email protected]. With current technology, it is
faster and more cost effective to work from a digitally submitted text than
having to re-type an entire hard copy.
• DO NOT SUBMIT SCANNED COPIES. It is virtually impossible for the editor or publisher to effectively modify scanned material to
conform to the annual’s printed format.
• If it is not possible for an article to be e-mailed, an original
“hard copy” can be mailed to T. L. Wagner, 2215 Coronado Avenue,
Youngstown, Ohio 44504-1308. The “hard copy” should either be typed
or legibly hand-written by the author. Please do NOT send photo copies
or any photographs. If photos are essential to the story and cannot be sent
digitally, the editor will determine the most effective manner to obtain
them and assure their proper handling.
• To be accepted for publication, articles should be between three
and ten typewritten pages. Articles with less than three pages or more than
ten pages will not be accepted.
Use of Photographs:
• If using photographs within the article, they must be included at
the same time the article is e-mailed to the Editor. When sending images
digitally, same them as separate JPGs to accompany the article. Please indicate where the photos are to be placed within the body of the article. It is
absolutely essential that all persons, places and/or situations depicted in the
photograph be clearly identified. It is helpful to provide more information
than may seem necessary although it captions may be edited down.
• In the event that an article is e-mailed, but the photos are not included as attachments, please make the editor aware of the situation. The
editor will contact the sender to determine the most effective manner to
handle the photos. Again, it is necessary that the photos are properly identified and where they are to be placed within the article. Photos should
always accompany the article for which they are intended if at all possible.
• Captions must be included with the photographs. Additional explanatory information may also be submitted. This allows the editor and
subsequently the reader to better understand the relationship of the photo
to the content of the article.
Articles in Slovak:
• Slovak articles can be e-mailed to T. L. Wagner, but a hard copy,
which includes all accents and appropriate punctuation, MUST also be
mailed to editor’s address. (Please indicate that the article was both mailed
and e-mailed.) Frequently, accent marks, diacritical characters, and other
special characters do not come through properly when e-mailed, including
the punctuation format common to the Slovak language. Having a hard
copy of the article, with the proper marks, will save valuable time and
minimize errors.
As Editor, T. L. Wagner retains the right to correct grammatical errors, delete repetitious text, rearrange material for the sake of clarity, etc.
The Editor also retains the right to determine the appropriateness of articles for the publication. Be assured that the Editor will NOT substantially
change the author’s idea and concept without first consulting the author.
The Communications/Membership Committee on behalf of the
entire Slovak Catholic Federation National Board expresses our sincere
thanks to all of the faithful contributors to The Good Shepherd. These contributions, year after year, ensure that the Slovak Catholic Federation is
able to provide a quality annual that celebrates and preserves our Catholic
faith, Slovak heritage, and sense of community. It allows our readers to
stay in touch with what is happening within the Catholic Church, Slovakia
and the Slovak-American community. Thank you.
Prepared and submitted by: T. L. Wagner, Editor, The Good Shepherd/Dobry Pastier, [email protected], Office: 330.747.3777,
Cell: 724.967.1539
PAGE 12
News and Views from Slovakia...
from eastern Europe even though no one from this region has headed the
UN yet. Some degree of positive discrimination in favor of eastern Europe
might come into play, but the same could apply to gender, as no woman
has ever stood at the helm of the UN.
Current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s term in office will
expire at the end of this year. The UN secretary-general is appointed by
the General Assembly for a five year term, following approval from the
UN Security Council(UNSC). According to unwritten rules, the secretarygeneral should never come from any of the five permanent members of the
UNSC - the United States, the United Kingdom, China, France and Russia.
There’s also a tradition of rotation between regions, and so it’s expected
that the next holder of the position ma well come from the eastern European group, which includes Slovakia.
EFFECTIVE DATE: APRIL 1, 2016
Slovakia has trained 1,092 employees
for its Presidency of the EU
Civil servants are well prepared for Slovakia’s Presidency of the
Council of the EU, states Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav
Lajcak’s report that was discussed by the Cabinet at its session on May 4.
Lajcak said that all goals aimed at improving the performance of civil
servants in the field of the EU agenda have been met. Slovakia trained
1,092 employees from 27 central bodies of state administration between
March 1, 2014 - December 31, 2015 for the purpose of dealing with its EU
Presidency in the second half of this year. This number is 20 percent higher
than the one envisioned in the original national project.
The staff concerned underwent an institutional-procedural course in
which they improved their knowledge of the functioning of the Council
as well as of other EU institutions and bodies. They also received training in communication and negotiating skills and took English and French
language courses.
Sensible management of financial resources has made it possible for
future chairs and vice-chairs of working groups to attend vocational internships directly in Brussels.
The training courses were financed via a grant worth $2 million from
the European Social Fund. Slovakia has spent $1.4 million of this sum to
date.
Kissova: U.S. Steel should
explain lay-offs to MPs
Parliament’s Economy Committee chair Jana Kissova(SaS) will initiate a meeting between the committee members and U.S. Steel Kosice
representatives, TASR learned on May 13.
Continued scrapping of jobs over the past two years as well as rumors
about selling the metallurgical giant to Chinese investors are the crucial
reasons for Kissova to convene the meeting.
“We understand that a company is a living organism and in order to
survive in tough international competition, it must adapt to changes,” said
Kissova.
However, the state has been quite helpful towards the US investor
during its business activities in Slovakia over the past 15 years, according to Kissova. Most recently it was the 2013 Memorandum on Cooperation inked between the Slovak Government and U.S. Steel, which yields
various concessions for the steelmaker in exchange for certain employment
stability.
“For this reason, we’re extremely interested in the situation in the steel
company. We’d like to be informed about its plans directly from the management rather than indirectly from the media,” said Kissova.
MPs get children’s corner,
but no kids at sessions
A special children’s corner will be set up in Parliament for legislators
with small children, but MPs won’t be allowed to take their kids into parliamentary sessions, said Parliamentary Vice-Chair and Most-Hid leader Bela
Bugar after a premium session of legislators on May 5.
“Imagine that you had a six-month-old baby and you went to an assembly full of 150 legislators from all over Slovakia. One of them may
have the flu, another one I don’t know what else, and your baby hasn’t been
inoculated yet,” said Bugar. A child could also disturb an MP who is about
to cast a vote. Bugar also pointed out that most mothers aren’t allowed to
have their babies with them at their workplaces.
MPs have agreed that the children’s corner will be set up in the
office of Parliamentary Vice-Chair Lucia Nicholsonova(Freedom and Solidarity/SaS), who has volunteered her workplace. Nicholsonova is expecting a baby herself. The creation of a children’s corner has come in reaction
to an incident a week ago involving Independent MP Sinona Petrik, who
was prevented from entering a parliamentary session with her baby.
The panel also discussed access for OLaNO-NOVA MP Silvia
Petruchova’s medical assistant to parliamentary sessions. Petruchova, who
is disabled, requested that her assistant should be exempt from security
checks. “We can’t arrange for this to happen,” said Bugar, adding that Petruchova has several medical assistants and that they can’t all be treated on
an individual basis.
Our Ever-Popular, 304-Page
Sokol Cook Book
is Now in its Fourth Edition
✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄
Just $15.50 which includes postage and handling
Sokol Assemblies and Wreaths can order a case of
12 cook books for just $170.00 – Place your order today!
Make check or money order payable to:
Slovak Catholic Sokol
P.O. Box 899 – 205 Madison Street
Passaic, N.J. 07055
(Canadian orders kindly add an additional $15.00 for postage)
NAME______________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS__________________________________________________________________________
CITY, STATE & ZIP___________________________________________________________________
NUMBER OF BOOKS____________________________________________________________________
(Effective January 1, 2015)
PAGE 13
KIDS’ CORNER “Detský kútik ”
ANNOUNCING THE KIDS’ CORNER SUMMER READING PROGRAM!!!!
If you love to read…..this is just the program for you. From June 13th-August 26th keep track of the name and author of
each book that you read, and have your parents verify each with a signature. If you are not reading on your own yet, it is
perfectly OK to have a parent, grandparent, babysitter….etc. read to you. Try to read books that not only interest you,
but challenge you as well. I will need the completed reading lists returned to me no later than September 16th. Include
your name, address, Group number and age so that I can recognize you in the paper.
Notice that I have divided the groups based on reading ability….I did this as I anticipate the non-readers to achieve higher
book totals as they may have books read to them on a more regular basis. The following is the breakdown of award
levels…..keep in mind that those that reach higher levels will receive better prizes.
Do me a favor and highlight your favorite books on the list!!! I love to share the titles with other children….Good luck and have fun reading!!!!
Non-Readers
Early Readers (sounding out most
Intermediate Readers
Advanced Readers (100+ pages each)
(40+ pages each)
x
Level 1
16 books
words)
4 books
24 books
x
8 books
Level 1
Level 2
Level 1
x
x
x
Level 1
8 books
8 books
Level 3
32 or more books
x
16 books
Level 2
x
Level 2
x
x
Level 2
12 books
Level 3
24 or more books
x
Level 3
12 or more books
x
x
Level 3
16 or more books
Please send your completed reading lists to:
Edward Moeller– 2821 Waterman Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15227. If you prefer to do it on-line...you can e-mail it to me at [email protected]
Yes, sometimes Dad gets stressed out!
Make him a BALLOON STRESS BALL to squeeze! They're also good for exercising hands after too much time at the computer keyboard.
Cover a table with newspapers -- this project gets a bit messy.
Have a canister of flour ready (how much you need depends on how many balls you
make). You might want a helper with this project to make it easier.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
YOU!!!!!
Alexander Roman
6/5
Timothy Romagnoli
6/7
John Yanosick
6/17
Abram Wadle 6/18
Materials:
Phillip Yuhas
6/19
Flour, 16 oz. plastic bottle or funnel, small paper cup or measuring cup, medium round
Daniel Fesko
6/20
latex balloons, pencil or straw- or chopstick or dowel, permanent marker if desired.
1. Make a funnel out of plastic bottle by cutting 4 inches off the bottle--or use a purchased funnel.
2. Blow up the balloon and then let the air out. This is to stretch the balloon some.
Skylar Manyak
6/25
Noah Romine 6/27
Audrey Peretin
6/28
Aiden Raechel 6/28
3. Fit the balloon over the funnel or bottle spout.
By Dr. Michael Kopanic
Detský kútik [dyet-ski ] [kooteek ] = Kid's corner
Slovenské slová [Slow-venskeh slow-vaah ]
flag - vlajka [vly -kah]
banner - zástava [zaah-sta-va]
Flag Day - DeĖ vlajky [Den vly kee] (soft "n")
patriotic - vlastenecký [vlas-teh-netskee]
4. Fill the balloon with flour by using the cup. Use a pencil, straw,spoon or dowel to
Fathers' Day - DeĖ octov [ Den ot tsow ] (soft "n")
push the flour down into the balloon.
5. Keep filling until your balloon is palm-sized. Twist the top of the balloon and tie it.
Happy Fathers' Day = ŠĢastný deĖ
otcov [Shtyawst-nee Den ot - tsow ]
6. For stability, the sample balloon was made by pulling a second cut balloon over the first filled balloon--however, you do not need to add a second
balloon--this is only for stability.
7. Optional: draw on a face or decorate your ball.
Note: Other fillings like SAND or RICE can be used, but most people
like the feeling of the flour-filled balloons best.
SEND YOUR BIRTHDAY DATES
TO ME
[email protected]
PAGE 14
Obituaries...
In Memoriam
Slovak Catholic Sokol extends sincere sympathy to
the bereaved families of deceased members
Marilyn S. Becker, 76
Yonkers, N.Y. activist
Marilyn S. Becker passed away
peacefully at her home on May 8
in Yonkers, N.Y. following an extended illness. She was 76. A native
of Yonkers, she
was born there
October
23,
1939 daughter
of the late John
Shemeta and
the former Helen Susko. She
was educated
locally and was
a graduate of
the High School of Commerce. She
served as a legal secretary for many
years at the firm of Cuddy & Feder
in Yonkers, retiring in 2008.
Marilyn was active in the local community and was a life-long
member of the former Most Holy
Trinity Parish. She was active in the
work of the Trinity Parents Association during the years her children
were students at the former Most
Holy Trinity School. She was our
Sokol member of Assembly 219 for
many years and participated in many
Sokol gatherings over the years. She
represented her lodge at our Slovak
Catholic Sokol national conventions. She was also active in the
parish chapter of the Slovak Catholic Federation where she served as
recording secretary for many years.
She also enjoyed membership in the
First Catholic Slovak Union and the
In Memory of....
National Slovak Society.
Marilyn is survived by her children, son, Christopher J. Becker of
Acworth, GA, daughters, Cynthia
M. Becker and Tracey Meszaros of
King,N.C. as well as grandchildren,
Alyssa, Ryan, Aria and Ashley. Also
surviving is a sister, Nancy and her
husband Harvey Weiner, as well as
the love of her life, Lenny.
Family, friends and fellow fraternalists paid their final respects to
Sister Marilyn as the Whalen and
Ball Funeral Home. On May 13,
a concelebrated Mass of Christian
burial was celebrated at the Church
of the Most Holy Trinity, recently
reopened as a parish of the SyroMalankara Catholic Diocese. Principal celebrant and homilist at the
liturgy was the Rev. Msgr. Thomas
J. Shelley. Concelebrants included
the Rev. Richard D. Baker, Group
1 chaplain and pastor of the parish
of St. John Nepomucene-St. Francis Xavier in Manhattan and the
Rev. John T. Monaghan of Cardinal
Spellman High School in the Bronx.
Interment to follow at Oakland
Cemetery in Yonkers.
Marilyn was a unique individual,
one filled with the gift of faith and a
spirit of optimism. She was always
willing to assist and serve others in
the best traditions of fraternalism.
She was a wonderful ambassador of
the Slovak Catholic Sokol and will be
sorely missed. May she rest in peace.
Announcing the Memorial
Scholarship Fund!!!
Michael J. Horvath
Supreme Vice-President
Have you found yourself looking for a way to memorialize a lost loved one or fellow Group/Wreath/Assembly member?
Why not make a donation in their honor to the newly developed
Memorial Scholarship fund? Your donation will assure that an annual scholarship be given out to a college age student who best
exemplifies the meaning of fraternalism and volunteerism. Here’s
how it works:
Send a check or money order to the Memorial Scholarship
Fund clearly indicating the name to be memorialized. You can
find a donation form on line at
http://slovakcatholicsokol.org/members/memorialfrmframe.htm
or simply send your donation to:
Dennis J. Zifcak
Museum Treasurer
Memorial Scholarship Fund
205 Madison St.
Passaic, NJ 07055

Your bequest will be recognized in the Falcon as well
as permanently added to the Memorial Scholarship
Donation Log which will be kept at the Sokol Museum.
Depending on the amount of funds collected, we will
be able to award at least two $1,000 scholarships annually. The hope is that the donated funds will begin a
self-perpetuating interest bearing scholarship account.
Have you recently lost a loved one? You might consider earmarking donations to this fund in their memory. Keep the spirit of
your fellow Sokol alive by investing in a way that their fraternal
dedication will not be forgotten.
MARCH 2016
Assembly/Wreath
Assembly 9
Assembly 11
Assembly 11
Assembly 25
Assembly 36
Assembly 36
Assembly 78
Assembly 78
Assembly 78
Assembly 108
Assembly 136
Assembly 162
Assembly 162
Assembly 162
Assembly 167
Assembly 180
Assembly 186
Assembly 188
Assembly 219
Assembly 224
Assembly 257
Assembly 312
Wreath 13
Wreath 14
Wreath 14
Wreath 14
Wreath 15
Wreath 22
Wreath 29
Wreath 29
Wreath 54
Wreath 54
Wreath 54
Wreath 54
Wreath 54
Wreath 81
Wreath 81
Wreath 85
Wreath 93
Wreath 93
Wreath 107
Wreath 111
Wreath 111
Wreath 153
Wreath 153
Wreath 157
Member
John Mino, Bridgeport, CT
Francis James Budz, Chicago, IL
Leonard O. Unzicker, Chicago, IL
Albert J. Griglak, Perryopolis, PA
John A. Kachman, Detroit, MI
Cecilia Kiefuik, Detroit, MI
Helen R. Kostelnik, Bethlehem, PA
Helen Shuey, Bethlehem, PA
Edward M. Bolcar, Bethlehem, PA
Josephine E. Bigley, Youngstown, OH
Irene Kubasek, Nanticoke, PA
William F. Heidtman, Clifton, NJ
Mary Schiller, Clifton, NJ
Zofia Jurkowski, Clifton, NJ
Michael David Macko, Barberton, OH
Joseph Stranan, Canton, OH
John A. Grovola, Drexel Hill, PA
Theresa J. Sackette, Binghamton, NY
Margaret Muraik, Yonkers, NY
Pauline C. Sawchuk, Jersey City, NJ
Pauline P. Kubiniec, Chicago, IL
Andrew Risko, Passaic, NJ
Victoria T. Tomecsko, Philadelphia, PA
Margaret Zapp, Johnstown, PA
Michael Batko, Johnstown, PA
Margaret Prebola, Johnstown, PA
Maxine L. Hamilton, Perryopolis, PA
Judith Ann Hovanec, Pittsburgh, PA
Helen Ann Knapik, Farrell, PA
Paul Duda, Farrell, PA
Janet Marie Kopsic, Youngstown, OH
Margaret E. Klucher, Youngstown, OH
Margaret B. Bielecki, Youngstown, OH
Martha Horvat, Youngstown, OH
Verna H, Jakupcin, Youngstown, OH
Helen M. Jandura, Whiting, IN
Paul Jankauskas, Whiting, IN
Anna Walko, Mc Kees Rocks, PA
Ann Theresa Filo, Milwaukee, WI
Layton Thompson, Milwaukee, WI
Matilda Blasko, Youngstown, OH
George L. Knisely Jr., Lorain, OH
Anna C. Zuffa, Lorain, OH
Robert R. Dzurilla, Parma, OH
George S. Tomcko, Parma, OH
Stephen T. Koomar, Nesquehoning, PA
Age
89
62
90
74
96
77
96
88
58
71
88
83
95
79
63
86
85
86
85
81
86
88
89
92
86
76
61
70
89
88
60
98
86
87
93
90
61
100
92
90
92
88
94
85
86
86
Date of Death
March 17, 2016
March 16, 2016
February 19, 2016
December 27, 2015
January 31, 2016
August 3, 2015
February 13, 2016
February 28, 2016
February 11, 2016
March 23, 2016
February 21, 2016
February 4, 2016
October 28, 2015
October 13, 2015
February 26, 2016
February 9, 2016
February 17, 2016
February 17, 2016
February 4, 2016
February 3, 2016
March 1, 2016
February 27, 2016
March 3, 2016
February 7, 2016
March 7, 2016
February 15, 2016
February 27, 2016
March 10, 2016
February 19, 2016
November 23, 2015
February 7, 2016
March 2, 2016
September 26, 2015
February 13, 2016
February 23, 2016
February 2, 2016
February 22, 2016
February 19, 2016
February 23, 2016
March 5, 2016
February 14, 2016
February 6, 2016
February 22, 2016
February 25, 2016
November 5, 2015
March 7, 2016
The 120th Anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church
of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Youngstown, Ohio
Catholic Federation, Father Andrew
Hvozdovic, sent prayer cards depicting the Chapel of Our Mother
of Sorrows at the Basilica of the
National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception in Washington, DC with
a Prayer to Our Lady on the reverse
as a keepsake for everyone. Photographer Joseph Rudinec, through his
company, Rudinec & Associates,
printed bookmarks with a photograph of the main altar of Saints
Cyril and Methodius Church with
a Prayer to Saints Cyril and Methodius on the back, which were distributed at the Mass and dinner.
Saint Cyril and Methodius remains an integral component of the
Diocese of Youngstown, an important part of Our Lady of Sorrows
Parish and an inspiring element of
the local Slovak Catholic community. The congregation continues
to serve the broader community
as a member of the St Vincent de
Paul Society parish conference.
The Our Lady of Sorrows Seniors
Club consists of 102 dues paying
members from 24 different parishes and churches. With a monthly
luncheon and various day trips and
activities the group brings a sense
of camaraderie and engagement
to the lives of many. The Cy-Me
Men’s Club, which dates back to the
1930’s, continues to meet monthly,
with the specific mission of providing practical and financial support
to the parish through various work
projects and fundraising efforts.
The church is also blessed with the
dedication of the Altar and Rosary
Society, The Infant Jesus of Prague
Guild, and the various branches and
chapters of the Slovak Catholic fraternal organizations. As the church
moves into the future, its members
continue to strive to preserve the
beauty of the church and the traditions of their shared Slovak Catholic
heritage. The almost life-size indoor
Nativity remains a central feature
of the church’s décor at Christmas.
A monthly social following Sunday Mass reinforces the bonds of
friendship that are a hallmark of the
congregation, many of whom are
long-time, if not life-time, members.
Various Slovak customs, such as the
blessing of Easter baskets, a monthly Mass in Slovak at Saint Matthias
Church, and such “special events”
as holubky dinners and the Mahoning Valley Slovak Fest help promote
and preserve the faith and heritage
which can be traced back to the
formative years of Saints Cyril and
Methodius, the “Mother Church”
of the Slovak Catholic community
in Youngstown and the Mahoning
Valley.
SLOVENSKÝ KATOLÍCKY SOKOL, 1. JÚNA 2016
Fyzik Fahrenheit sa narodil pred 330 rokmi
Holandsko-nemecký
fyzik
Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit je
známy v súvislosti s ortuťovým
teplomerom. Narodil sa pred
330 rokmi 24.
mája 1686 v
dnešnom poľskom Gdansku. Zanechal
nám teplotnú
stupnicu nazvanú jeho menom, doteraz
používanú napríklad v USA.
Keď náhle ešte v detstve
osirel, poslali ho do holandského Amsterdamu, kde sa
mal učiť obchodovať. Vyrastal
v rodine bohatého nemeckého
obchodníka. Biznis ho však nenadchýnal, po štyroch rokoch
sa začal naplno venovať fyzike
a najmä vyrábaniu prístrojov
na meranie fyzikálnych veličín.
Hoci do smrti žil v Amsterdame,
v mladosti cestoval, navštívil
viacero vedcov v Dánsku a v
Nemecku a v Anglicku sa stal
členom Kráľovskej spoločnosti
napriek tomu, že nedisponoval
akademickým vzdelaním.
Svoj prvý teplomer vyrobil v
roku 1714. Použil v ňom ortuť,
ktorá sa vyznačuje vysokou tepelnou vodivosťou. Kľúčom k
presnosti jeho teplomeru bol
nový spôsob čistenia ortuti. Ten
zabezpečil, že ortuť uložená v
cylindricky rozšírenej spodnej
časti sa neprichytávala na steny
sklenenej rúrky. Na tenkostennej sklenenej trubici označil dva
body podľa vtedy zaužívaného
stanovenia teploty. Jedným
bola teplota zmesi ľadu a soli,
najnižšia teplota, aká sa vtedy
dala dosiahnuť v laboratórnych
podmienkach a druhým bola
teplota ľudského tela. Ortuťový
stĺpec umožnil podrobnejšie
delenie teplotnej škály a teplota
mohla byť odmeraná presnejšie.
Bod mrazu určil Fahrenheit na 30. stupni ním zvolenej
stupnice a teplotu ľudského tela
na 90. stupni. Po korekciách stanovil v roku 1717 tieto hodnoty
na 32 a 96 stupňov. Fahrenheit
pri experimentoch s varom vody
vypozoroval aj závislosť varu
vody od atmosférického tlaku a
stanovil bod varu vody na 212.
stupni svojej škály.
Invenčného fyzika, ktorého
menom sa označuje aj stupeň
teploty, nepriamo pripomínajú
aj diela kinematografie, sci-fi
snímka 451 stupňov Fahrenheita a dokumentárny film Fahrenheit 11/9.
Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit
zomrel 16. septembra 1736 v
holandskom Haagu vo veku 50
rokov. - TASR
ACH, TÁ NAŠA SLOVENČINA!
Slovensko má jeden z top 7
najromantickejších
hotelov
Európy - pravda.sk
Oranžové cherry rajčiaky chutili
skvele - zahradkar
Game over! Slováci zdolali USA
3:2... - sport.pravda.sk
Dokáže napodobniť akýkoľvek
look z minulého storočia. ...
jeden z jej obľúbených lookov je
naozaj romantický. - emma.sk
Zelené smoothie... - sme.sk
Zahraniční politici, ktorým by
sa zišiel štylista - pluska.sk
...už nie je single. - pluska.sk
...užite si chic pohodlie ... všetky
fashion maniačky!... Nechajte
sa aj vy zviesť týmto pohodlným fashion kúskom, ktorý
okamžite premení váš outfit na
niečo výnimočné. - emma.sk
Tipy na last minute dovolenku
- sme.sk
...po tom, čo pripustila, že benefity získala... - topky.sk
Fitness koláč s proteínom
- varech.sk
...nám prezradila, akého beauty
prešľapu... - emma.sk
...tento outfit a styling jej pridával niekoľko rokov.
- emma.sk
Svieži citrónový cheesecake
- dobrejedlo.sk
Krátke správy
zo Slovenska
ISSN: 0897-8107
Majitel« a vydavatel«:
SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL
Daniel F. Tanzone, redaktor
Telefónne ™íslo: (973) 777-4010
V£etky ™lánky, príspevky a správy treba posielat« na adresu:
Editor, Slovak Catholic Sokol, P.O. Box 899
205 Madison Street, Passaic, New Jersey 07055
Slovenská púť do West Haverstraw, NY
(Pokračovanie zo str. 20)
T Miera evidovanej nezamestnanosti na Slovensku dosiahla na
konci apríla tohto roka 9,64 %.
Miera nezamestnanosti tak klesla
na najnižšiu úroveň od januára
2009, kedy predstavovala 9,03 %.
Úrady práce evidovali na konci
apríla 261 914 disponibilných
uchádzačov o zamestnanie. Oproti koncu marca tohto roku ide o
pokles o 6 645 ľudí. Medziročne
množstvo uchádzačov, ktorí
mohli okamžite nastúpiť do
práce, kleslo o 53 176 osôb.
T Na Slovensku sa najviac oplatí
podnikať v automobilovom a
farmaceutickom priemysle či
hazarde. Tieto odvetvia dosahujú
najvyšší priemerný zisk. Vyplýva
to z aktuálnej analýzy portálu
indexpodnikatela.sk, ktorý vychádzal z údajov po zdanení za
minulý rok a skúmal viac ako
110.000 právnických subjektov.
Na Slovensku zmrzlo
ovocie za milióny eur
Na zasadnutí Rady Európskej
únie pre poľnohospodárstvo
v Bruseli rezonovala 19. mája
téma kompenzácií pre ovocinárov, ktorých na jar postihli
nečakane silné mrazy. Uviedla
to ministerka pôdohospodárstva Slovenskej republiky Gabriela
Matečná.
Ministerka po skončení rokovaní pripomenula, že Slovensko sa pridalo k ďalším krajinám,
ktoré boli postihnuté touto “klimatickou katastrofou”.
“Ide o mrazy, ktoré neboli na
Slovensku 65 rokov. V našom
prípade bolo postihnutých 50
až 70 % ovocných sadov, 50 %
vinohradov, ale boli ohrozené
aj ostatné plodiny,” zdôraznila
Matečná.
Škody spôsobené mrazmi pre
slovenský agrosektor predstavujú sumu okolo 35 miliónov eur,
pričom zatiaľ nie je známe, do
akej výšky budú prípadné kompenzácie zo strany exekutívy
Európskej únie.
MLÁDEŽNÍCKA SV. OMŠA
A DISKOTÉKA V NYC
Úradn¥ ™asopis
SLOVENSKÉHO KATOLÍCKEHO SOKOLA
Zalo¢en¥ 15. apríla 1911 – Vychádza ka¢dú druhú stredu
PAGE 15
Slovenská svätá omša pre
mladých bude v sobotu 11. júna
o 7.00 hodine večer (s platnosťou
za nedeľu) v slovenskom kostole
sv. Jána Nepomuckého na Manhattane (St. John Nepomucene
Church, 411 East 66th Street /
at 1st Avenue/, New York, NY
10065). Hlavným celebrantom bude o. František Čonka,
C.O. z Tappan, NY. Na záver sv.
omše bude eucharistická adorácia a požehnanie s Najsvätejšou
Sviatosťou Oltárnou. Po sv. omši
bude pohostenie a posedenie spojené s diskotékou slovenských a
českých piesní 80. a 90. rokov.
Spolok sv. Štefana č. 716 Prvej Katolíckej Slovenskej Jednoty
v New York City usporiada slovenskú púť v nedeľu 14. augusta do
Marian Shrine vo West Haverstraw, New York. Spoveď bude pred
slovenskou svätou omšou, ktorá bude o 11.00 hodine dopoludnia.
Obed bude o 12.30 hodine odpoludnia. Ružencová procesia začne o
2.30 hodine. Bližšie informácie záujemcom podajú: Jozef Bilik, tel. č.
(718)353-6541 alebo Henrieta Daitová, tel. č. (201)641-8922.
Kto má záujem na púť cestovať autobusom, ktorý bude
odchádzať od kostola sv. Jána Nepomuckého v New Yorku, má sa
prihlásiť u Márii Božekovej na tel. č. (347)612-1934. Autobus bude k
dispozícii v prípade, ak bude dostatočný počet záujemcov.
Výstava “Krásy Slovenska” v NYC
Pri príležitosti nadchádzajúceho slovenského predsedníctva
Slovenskej republiky v Rade Európskej únie pripravil generálny konzulát v New Yorku výstavu „Krásy Slovenska“. Návštevníci generálneho konzulátu budú mať možnosť vzhliadnuť túto výstavu od 1.
júla 2016 v priestoroch Generálneho konzulátu SR na adrese 801
Second Avenue počas úradných hodín.
Slovenský deň vo Franklin, WI
V nedeľu 24. júla usporiadajú Slovenské spolky v Milwaukee 86.
Slovenský deň v Croatian Park, 9140 South 76th Street vo Franklin,
WI. O 12.00 hodine bude sv. omša.
O 2.30 začne bohatý kultúrny program, v ktorom sa krátkym
programom predstavia mladí športovci 4. župy Slovenského katolíckeho sokola a bohatým programom slovenských ľudových tancov sa prestaví skupina Tatra Slovak Dancers. O 6.00 hodine bude
hrať hudba do tanca. Počas dňa budú pripravené hry pre deti.
Na predaj budú slovenské a americké jedlá a domáce koláče.
Vstupné je bezplatné.
Ceny nehnuteľností v Nitre výrazne stúpli
Oznámenie príchodu britskej
automobilky Jaguar Land Rover výrazne otriaslo realitným
trhom v nitrianskom regióne.
Od ohlásenia investície vzrástli
ceny nehnuteľností v okolí Nitry
priemerne o 20 percent. Portál
topreality.sk dokonca upozornil
na prípady niektorých garsónok, ktoré zdraželi za rok až o
58 percent. Atraktívna lokalita
láka do kraja aj záujemcov, ktorí
kupujú byty s cieľom ďalšieho
prenájmu.
V závode, ktorý má byť postavený do roku 2018, má spolu
pracovať takmer 3-tisíc ľudí.
Celkovo aj s dodávateľmi a vyvolanými pracovnými pozíciami v
iných sektoroch vytvorí investícia takmer 15-tisíc pracovných
miest. Priemerná mzda vo fabrike má podľa očakávaní Jaguara
dosiahnuť 1.225 eur mesačne v
hrubom. Už teraz sa pritom prihlásilo asi 25-tisíc záujemcov o
prácu. Len minulý týždeň denník Pravda informoval o tom, že
spolu s Jaguarom mieri do Nitry
ďalší investor. Ide o nadnárodnú
spoločnosť, ktorá plánuje na
Slovensku preinvestovať viac ako
100 miliónov eur a zamestnať
najmenej 1 200 ľudí.
Podľa TOPREALITY.SK sa
najviac zvýšili ceny garsoniek
(58 percent), 4-izbových bytov
(33 percent). Zároveň sa zvýšili
ceny aj za prenájom. Za prenajatie garsónky súpla cena o 25
percent a 4-izbové byty o 33 percent.
VIETE, ŽE...
...prvé sedmorčatá vo svete,
ktoré zostali na žive, ukončili
strednú školu v Carlisle, Iowa.
Štyria chlapci a tri dievčatá.
Sedmorčatá sa narodili 19.
novembra 1997 s pôrodnou
hmotnosťou od 1,048 do 1,474
kilogramov.
For God and Nation
Za Boha a národ
SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON
ÚRADNÝ ČASOPIS SLOVENSKÉHO KATOLÍCKEHO SOKOLA - 28 000 ČLENOV - HLAVNÁ ÚRADOVŇA: 205 MADISON STREET, PASSAIC, NJ 07055 – www.slovakcatholicsokol.org
VOLUME CV
PASSAIC, N.J., 1. JÚNA 2016
Miroslav Lajčák bude kandidovať na
post generálneho tajomníka OSN
Slovenský minister zahraničných vecí Miroslav Lajčák bude
oficiálne kandidovať na funkciu
generálneho tajomníka Organizácie spojených národov.
Slovenská vláda 25.
mája schválila
nomináciu
ministra
zahraničných
vecí na post
generálneho tajomníka OSN.
Ide o historickú vec, Slovensko
ešte nikdy nenominovalo kandidáta do takejto medzinárodnej pozície, vyhlásil po rokovaní
vlády premiér Robert Fico.
Materiál s týmto návrhom
predložil Robert Fico. Ako
sa zdôrazňuje v predkladacej
správe, kandidát „Slovenskej
republiky Miroslav Lajčák
z hľadiska svojej odbornej
kvalifikácie, politických, diplomatických a manažérskych
skúseností spĺňa všetky kritériá
pre kandidátov na post generálneho tajomníka OSN“.
Minister Lajčák pred rokovaním vlády povedal, že
„neskáče do vody po hlave, aby
som si neoveril, čo ho čaká“.
Veľa času venoval tomu, aby si
vyhodnotil situáciu a konzultoval to. „Ak by som si myslel,
že nemám šancu, tak do toho
nejdem,“ dodal. Rozhodnutie,
ktoré by malo dnes padnúť na
vláde, je odrazom konzultácií.
Zdôraznil, že teraz je proces
výberu generálneho tajomníka
OSN úplne iný ako v minulosti.
Verejné vypočutie, ktoré kandidáti po prvýkrát absolvujú,
vnáša transparentnosť do celého
procesu. Vysvetlil, že jedny volajú po tom, aby nový generálny
tajomník bol z východoeurópskej regionálnej skupiny, druhý,
aby to bola žena. Obe skupiny
sa ale zhodujú v tom, že treba
zvoliť najlepšieho kandidáta.
„Uvidíme, čo vyhrá. Jeden z tých-
to dvoch faktorov, môže byť nápomocný,“ dodal. Z doterajších
kandidátov až sedem pochádza
z východnej Európy, čo vyplýva
zo skutočnosti, že tento región
ešte nikdy neobsadil hlavné kreslo Spojených národov, a tak sa
predpokladá, že teraz prišiel rad
naň. Nie je to však nárok, len
značné očakávanie.
Viaceré zahraničné médiá
tvrdia, že nikto spomedzi uchádzačov, ktorí sa dosiaľ predstavili na pôde OSN, výrazne
nepresvedčil o schopnosti riadiť
túto celosvetovú organizáciu.
Prvé hlasovanie o kandidátoch
sa očakáva na newyorskej pôde
OSN začiatkom júla.
Lajčák, ktorý má 53 rokov, je
kariérny diplomat. Mal iba 31
rokov, keď sa stal slovenským
veľvyslancom v Japonsku. V
medzinárodných službách sa
prvý raz výrazne predstavil v roku
2006, keď bol osobitným vyslancom EÚ pre organizáciu referenda o nezávislosti Čiernej Hory.
V júni 2007 prevzal funkciu
vysokého predstaviteľa medzinárodného spoločenstva a
osobitného predstaviteľa EÚ v
Bosne a Hercegovine. Ohlas na
jeho prácu bol v oboch prípadoch výborný.
Zo Sarajeva sa Lajčák vrátil
do Bratislavy v januári 2009, aby
nastúpil do kresla šéfa slovenskej
diplomacie v prvej vláde Roberta Fica. Do rovnakej funkcie
sa vrátil na jar 2012, keď Smer
vytvoril jednofarebnú vládu
po politickom páde niekdajšej
premiérky Ivety Radičovej.
Ministerstvo si udržal aj v
súčasnej vláde, v ktorej naďalej
pôsobí ako nestraník nominovaný Smerom. Nedá sa
vylúčiť, že o kreslo šéfa OSN
prejaví záujem ešte ďalší Slovák.
Niekdajší šéf diplomacie Ján
Kubiš nedávno pre Pravdu
povedal, že sa pravdepodobne
rozhodne do konca mája.
Budúci generálny tajomník
OSN sa posadí do kresla v New
Yorku 1. januára 2017. Nahradí
dosluhujúceho Pan Ki-muna,
Juhokórejčana, ktorému sa blíži
koniec druhého funkčného
obdobia. Tretíkrát už nemôže
kandidovať.
Generálneho tajomníka vymenúva na päť rokov Valné
zhromaždenie OSN. Deje
sa tak po predchádzajúcom
odporúčaní Bezpečnostnej rady
OSN, takže päť stálych členov
rady má v tejto otázke prakticky
právo veta.
Premiér Fico hneď po zasadnutí vlády zaslal nominačný list
do New Yorku, kde by kandidatúru mali prijať a informovať
o nej ostatné členské štáty OSN.
Slovenský minister zahraničných vecí by sa tak mal stať 11
oficiálnym kandidátom uchádzajúcim sa o tento post.
Premiér zároveň dodal, že
nech súťaž o post šéfa OSN dopadne akokoľvek, Lajčákova
účasť v nej zvýši renomé Slovenska, ale aj jeho osobné renomé.
Je zároveň potvrdením faktu, že
Slovensko vychovalo celú generáciu vynikajúcich diplomatov,
ktorí pôsobia na rôznych úrovniach a nepochybne na vrchole
tejto pyramídy diplomatov je
minister zahraničných vecí Miroslav Lajčák.
„Má obrovské renomé nielen
na Slovensku, ale aj v zahraničí,“
zdôraznil Fico. Premiér uviedol,
že hneď, ako sa začalo hovoriť o
novom generálnom tajomníkovi, prirodzene sa v medzinárodných kruhoch začalo objavovať
Lajčákovo meno. Keďže by
tento post mal prvýkrát v histórii obsadiť kandidát východoeurópskej skupiny, Lajčákove
šance „sú nie teoretické, ale
skutočné a praktické“. Aj keď sa
hovorí o tom, že novým generálnym tajomníkom by mala byť
žena, v prvom rade musí platiť
kritérium kvality, podčiarkol
slovenský premiér.- pravda.sk
ČÍSLO 50670
Krátke správy
zo Slovenska
T Slovenská misionárka Veronika Terézia Racková, ktorá pôsobila ako lekárka v Južnom
Sudáne, zomrela. Pracovala
ako vedúca
zdravotného
strediska sv.
Bakhity v meste Yei v Južnom
Sudáne. 16. mája keď sa vracala
po odvoze pacienta do inej nemocnice, na jej auto zaútočili
ozbrojenci, ktorí ju postrelili.
Absolvovala sériu operácii v
miestnej nemocnici a v Keni. Ako
páchateľov útoku zadržali troch
armádnych vojakov.
T Ku koncu marca pracovalo
na Slovensku viac ako 27 000
cudzincov, a to hlavne Rumunov,
Čechov a Maďarov. V porovnaní
s rovnakým obdobím minulého
roka to predstavuje nárast o viac
ako štvrtinu. Najčastejšie cudzinci
pracujú na pozíciách operátorov a
montérov strojov a zariadení ale-
bo vykonávajú pomocné práce.
T Slovákov trápi obezita.
Nadhmotnosť má podľa štatistík
každá šiesta žena a každý siedmy muž z desiatich. Trpí ňou i
nemálo detí. Nie vždy je to však
len otázkou životného štýlu. Ide
o chronické ochorenie, ktoré
potrebuje liečbu.
T Nová vlna investícií v slovenskom automobilovom sektore v
roku 2016 až 2020 podporí rast
hrubého domáceho produktu
(HDP), ked’že tieto investície
podporia súkromnú spotrebu a
export. Uviedla to medzinárodná ratingová agentúra Moody’s
v správe o Slovensku, ktorú
zverejnila 16. mája.
T Vzhľadom na to, že automobilky Jaguár Land Rover Automotive, Volkswagen a PSA Peugeot
Citroen plánujú vybudovať nové
alebo rozšíriť existujúce závoay,
výroba áut v rokoch 218 až 2020
v krajine vzrastie až o 500-tisíc
ročne.
(Pokračovanie na str. 19)
Vo štvrtok 19. mája v Bratislave slávnostne znova otvorili Starý most,
ktorý spája centrum mesta s Petržalkou. Prestavba Starého mosta
začala 2. decembra 2013 a nová konštrukcia Starého mosta bola kompletne dokončená 1. decembra 2015. Starý most meria 465 metrov a váži
približne 10-tisíc ton. Jeho súčasťou je okrem električkovej trate aj chodník
pre peších a cyklistov i štyri vyhliadkové balkóny s lavičkami. Pri výstavbe
Starého mosta zbúrali pôvodné piliere číslo tri a štyri, ktoré nahradil jeden
pilier s číslom 34. V Dunaji sa tak rozšírila plavebná dráha na 140 metrov,
čo umožní popod most preplávať aj lodiam európskych parametrov.
- Foto: Pravda