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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 offi ces
VOLUME C PASSAIC, N.J., FEBRUARY 23, 2011 NUMBER 4932
Slovensk¥ Katolícky Sokol
Za Boha a Národ For God and Nation
(Continued on page 11)
Continuing a fraternal tradi-tion of several decades, members of
our organization joined their brother and sister Slovak Catho-lic
fraternalists in participating in the March for Life in Washington,
D.C. on Monday, January 24. The march marked the January 22
an-niversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade deci-sion
that legalized abortion na-tionwide. The date of this year’s march
was moved to the 24th, a Monday, to allow more people to visit with
their representatives on Capitol Hill. Billed as “Slovak Catholic
Fraternals for Life,” the group included members of the Slovak
Catholic Sokol, the First Catho-lic Slovak Ladies Association, the
Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union as well as the First
Catholic Slovak Union. Heading the delegation of Sokol members from
our organization was our Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S.
Hvozdovic. Many Sokol mem-bers from Group 7 journeyed with the bus
from Wilkes-Barre,
Affi rming our commitment to the sacredness of life
Sokol Members Journey to Our Nation’s Capital toparticipate in
38th Annual March for Life
Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic, third from the left,
is shown with some Sokol mem-bers in attendance including, l-r,
Suzanne Horvath, Msgr. Peter A. Polando, Danielle Zablotney, Kelly
Palchanis, and Heather Horvath. The Group 7 Sokolky came on the bus
from Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Pa. and members from Group 9 in Johnstown, Pa. also joined the
contingent. Upon seeing our so-ciety banners, the new Bishop of
Scranton, the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera stopped by and greet-ed
the assembled Slovak Catholic fraternalists. Many of our members
began their participation in this year’s pro-life events by
attending the opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at
the Ba-silica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
on Sunday evening, January 23. Car-dinal Daniel DiNardo, the
Arch-bishop of Galveston-Houston, Texas was principal celebrant and
homilist. Cardinal DiNardo is the Chairman of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activi-ties. A
large number of bishops and priests concelebrated the liturgy. They
also participated in the Rosary for Life in the shrine’s Crypt
Church. The vast basilica
An opportunity to honor one of our own
2011 Fraternalist of the Year programsalutes volunteerism and
outreach They are to be found in many communities across the United
States and Canada, in our Groups, our Assemblies and Wreaths. They
are sometimes behind the scenes individuals or they may be in
leadership roles. What they all have in common is that they are
individuals commit-ted to getting the job done. We’re speaking of
Sokol members who, through example and accomplishment, provide
outstanding volun-teer service to our organization and commu-nity
over the years. They may be devoted to a variety of outreach and
service projects which assist others in the best traditions of the
fraternal benefi t system. Without such individuals, our
organization would not have been so successful these past nearly
106 years. They are what makes the fraternal benefi t system
unique. Each year, we ask our membership to nominate an individual
who in their estimation refl ects such vol-unteerism and should be
considered as our Slovak Catholic Sokol Fraternalist of the Year.
Since 1985, we have annually honored an individual who is a mentor
and model for others, an individual who we are all very proud of.
There are a number of such individual members out there who should
be considered for this award. The individual selected as our 2011
Fraternalist of the Year will receive a plaque, along with a gift
of $200 as a small token of our gratitude for his/her fraternal
efforts. The individual selected as our organization’s candidate is
then recommended to the American Fra-ternal Alliance(formerly known
as the National Fraternal Congress of America) for consideration as
their 2011 Fraternalist of the Year. The 2011 Fraternalist of the
Year award will be presented to the honoree at the 125th American
Fraternal Alliance Annual Meeting
Past Slovak Catholic SokolFraternalist of the Year
Recipients
1985 - Anna E. Hletko*, Chicago, Ill.1986 - Deacon John C.
Matlon*, Minneapolis, Minn.1988 - Irene Matuschak*, Uniontown,
Pa.1989 - Mary T. Sterbinsky*, Kingston, Pa.1990 - Eleanor Macko*,
Baden, Pa.1991 - Amalia T. Burican*, Milwaukee, Wis.1992 - Julia M.
Misencik*, Bridgeport, Conn.1993 - Stephen C. Burican*, Milwaukee,
Wis.1994 - Dr. Stephen J. Hletko*, Chicago, Ill.1995 - Anne Z.
Sarosy, Colorado Springs, Co.1996 - John J. Pavlica*, Clifton,
N.J.1997 - Steve J. Hruska*, Youngstown, Oh.1998 - Andrew G.
Tomasko*, Pittsburgh, Pa.1999 - Frank M. Manca*, El Cajon, Ca.2000
- Rev. Jerome J. Pavlik, O.F.M.*, Pittsburgh, Pa.2001 - Joseph A.
Seliga, Chicago, Ill.2002 - Margaret A. Seman, Canton, Oh.2003 -
Tibor T. Kovalovsky, Boardman, Oh.2004 - Frank E. Macey,
Shillington, Pa.2005 - George W. Hizny, Pittston, Pa.2006 - George
J. Kostelnik, Bethlehem, Pa.2007 - Joseph V. Gebura, Middleburg
Heights, Oh.2008 - Rev. Msgr. Francis J. Beeda, Wilkes-Barre,
Pa.2009 - Eileen Salamon Wilson, Stratford, Conn.2010 - John E.
Jasenec, Toronto, Ontario, Canada * deceased
(Continued on page 6)
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PAGE 2 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011
SAT.FEB.26 Fraternal Insurance Seminar
hosted by Group 2 at Holy Name of Jesus Parish Center, 1950
Bar-num Ave., Stratford, Conn. begin-ning at 11 a.m.
SUN.FEB.27 Group 5 gymnastics classes in
preparation for the 45th Slet at the Perfect Balance facility in
Portage Lakes, 30 Forest Mill Lane, Akron, Oh. from 4-6 p.m., call
Steve Un-deration (216)570-6172.
14th annual Spaghetti Dinner hosted by Group 1 at SS. Cyril and
Methodius Church Hall, 218 Ackerman Ave., Clifton, N.J. be-ginning
at 4 p.m., adults $6.00, seniors $5.00 and children $3.00, call
Peter Walentowicz (973)432-8841.
SUN.FEB.27 Assembly 180 meeting at St.
Mary’s Social Hall, 1602 Market St.,. S, Canton, Oh. beginning
at 10:30 a.m.
THURS.MARCH 3 Wreath 39 meeting at the home
of Mary Ann Wells, 330 Harvest Ridge Road, Stratford, Conn.
be-ginning at 6:30 p.m.
SAT.MARCH 5 Annual Pre-Lenten celebration
Fasiangy at the Knights of Colum-bus Hall, 3200 South 103rd St.,
Greenfi eld, Wis. from 6 - 11 p.m.; advance tickets $4.50, at the
door $5.00; call Betty Valent (414)425-6137.
Rescheduled Group 12 annual meeting at the Slovak Catholic Sokol
Club, 411 Crestmont St., Reading, Pa. beginning at 11 a.m. hosted
by Assembly 261 and Wreath 155. Date changed due to remodeling at
the Sokol Club.
Slovak Mardi Gras Dinner-Dance hosted by the Slovak Heritage
Association of the Laurel Highlands at Christ the Saviour Education
Center, 307 Garfi eld St., Johnstown, Pa. from 4:30 -
Sokol Calendar
8:30 p.m., $25.00 adults, $15.00 children(ages 6-12); call
(814)255-5517.
SUN.MARCH 6 59th annual Florida Slovak Day
observance at The Slovak Gar-den, 4755 Howell Branch Road,
Winter Park, Fla. beginning with a Slovak Mass at 11 a.m. followed
by a traditional Slovak luncheon and cultural program; $25.00 per
person, for reservations and addi-tional information call The
Slovak Garden at (407)677-6894.
MON.MARCH 7 Annual meeting of The Slovak
Garden at its social hall, 3110 Howell Branch Road, Winter Park,
Fla. beginning at 10 a.m.
Wreath 22 meeting at the Slo-vak Catholic Sokol Club, 2912 East
Carson St., South Side, Pitts-burgh, Pa. beginning at 7 p.m.
Assembly 16 meeting at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Club, 2912 East
Carson St., South Side, Pitts-burgh, Pa. beginning at 7:30 p.m.
TUES.MARCH 8 Wreath 1 annual meeting and
luncheon at Stella’s Restaurant, Stratford, Conn. beginning at
12 noon, call Eileen S. Wilson (203)378-8837.
WED.MARCH 9 Patronal feast day observance
of Wreath 1 beginning with 7:30 a.m. Mass at Holy Name of Je-sus
Church, 1950 Barnum Ave., Stratford, Conn.; breakfast and
gift-bearing visits to home-bound members to follow.
SUN.MARCH 13 Assembly 78 meeting in the
social hall of Incarnation of Our Lord Parish, 617 Pierce St.,
South Side, Bethlehem, Pa. beginning at 1 p.m. to select delegates
to the 31st national convention.
MON.MARCH 14 Wreath 93 meeting at the May-
fair North Tower meeting room in Wauwatosa, Wis. from 6-8
p.m.
Assembly 9 annual meeting in the meeting room of Holy Name of
Jesus School, 1950 Barnum Ave., Stratford, Conn. beginning at 7
p.m.
Wreath 111 meeting at the
OUR NEXT ISSUE IS MARCH 9
In keeping with our bi- week ly publishing sched ule, the next
is sue of the Slovak Cath o lic Fal con will be that of Wednes day,
March 9th. Dead line for all pho tos and in for ma tion for this is
sue will be Thurs day, March 3rd. View e-Falcon on our website:
www.slovakcatho-licsokol.org. Thank ing you for your con tin ued co
op er a tion in this mat ter, I re main Zdar Boh! Daniel F. Tanzone
Editor
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American Slovak Club, 2540 Broadway, Lorain, Oh. beginning at
6:30 p.m.
SAT.MARCH 19 19th annual bowling tournament
hosted by Group 9 at the Lakev-iew Bowling Lanes, Ebensburg, Pa.
beginning at 10 a.m., dinner to follow at the Slovak Catholic Sokol
Club, Railroad St., Lilly, Pa. begin-ning at 6 p.m.
SUN.MARCH 20 Assembly 182 St. Joseph pa-
tronal feast day observance be-ginning with Mass in Slovak at 11
a.m. at the Church of St. John Nepomucene, 66th St. and First Ave.,
New York City followed by luncheon and fraternal program in the
parish social hall, 406 East 67th St.
Group 2 Centennial Duckpin Bowling Tournament at Bar-num Duckpin
Lanes, Barnum Ave.,Stratford, Conn. beginning at 11 a.m., call
Eileen S. Wilson (203)378-8837.
MARCH 22-24 Annual audit of the Supreme
Auditors at the home offi ce in Pas-saic, N.J.
WED.MARCH 23 Lenten Fish & Chips dinner
hosted by the Marian Rosary So-ciety of SS. Cyril and Methodius
in the church hall, 218 Ackerman Ave., Clifton, N.J. beginning at
5:30 p.m.; $15.00, takeout orders available; call Dot
(973)772-3448.
MARCH 25-26 Annual meeting of the Supreme
Board of Directors at the home of-fi ce in Passaic, N.J.
SAT.MARCH 26 Eastern District Basketball &
Volleyball Tournament at Reading High School, Reading, Pa.
hosted by Group 12.
SUN.MARCH 27 Group 1 Bowling Tournament
at Paul’s Bowling Academy, 377 Crooks Ave., Paterson, N.J.
be-ginning at 12 noon. Call Eric Top-czij (973)985-0134.
SUN.APRIL 3 Group 5 bowling tournament
at Yorktown Bowling Lanes, Parma Heights, Oh. beginning at 12:30
p.m., call Marty Zemanek (440)233-6021.
MON.APRIL 11 Wreath 93 meeting at the May-
fair North Tower meeting room in Wauwatosa, Wis. from 6-8
p.m.
SUN.APRIL 17 Assembly 34, St. George patro-
nal feast day observance begin-ning with Mass at 9 a.m. at
the
The highest governing body of our organization
The 31st Quadrennial Convention ofthe Slovak Catholic Sokol
Dates: July 30 - August 3, 2011
Where: Radisson Hotel Pittsburgh Green Tree 101 Radisson
Drive
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaMark your calendars and plan to
participate. Plan to
become a delegate by regularly attending your local Assembly or
Wreath meetings.
Church of SS. Cyril and Metho-dius, Second Street and 13th Ave.
N.E., Minneapolis, Minn., full breakfast to follow in the Father
George Dargay Memorial Hall; call James Genosky (763)789-9196.
SAT.APRIL 30 Meeting of the Group 2 conven-
tion delegates at Holy Name of Jesus School meeting room, 1950
Barnum Ave., Stratford, Conn. be-ginning at 9:30 p.m.
SUN.MAY 1 5th annual Singles Bowling
Tournament hosted by Assembly 78 at the National Sokol Bowling
Lanes, 613 Hillside Ave., Bethle-hem, Pa., showup time 12 noon,
competition begins at 1 p.m., call Fran Blanar (610)866-8381.
A Sokol Annuity: Plan for Your Future It is no surprise that
selling life insurance has become diffi cult during these tough
economic times, especially to the bulk of our mem-bership base
which are ages 35-55. Even though it is a necessary asset to
possess, people fi nd it diffi cult to put money into something
that will not take effect until, hopefully, many years from now.
Does the Slovak Catholic Sokol offer another option, perhaps a
product that can save your hard-earned money and secure your
post-retirement benefi ts? The answer is yes. The Slovak Catholic
Sokol offers two outstanding annuity op-tions. The fi rst is our
Single Premium Deferred Annuity, in which there is one deposit due
on the issue date. The minimum deposit is $2,000 and the age of the
annuitant can be between 16-80. The second is our Flexible Annual
Premium Deferred Annuity, in which the initial de-posit is due on
the issue date and any additional deposits can be made anytime
thereafter. The minimum deposit is $200.00 and the issue age can be
between 16-80. Both annuities are currently paying a very
com-petitive 4% interest rate annually. These annuities can help
you meet some of your mid and long range goals, such as planning
for your re-tirement or paying for a child’s college education.
What are some of the advantages of owning a Sokol Annuity? Buying
an annuity helps the investor enjoy a tax-free contract and the fl
exibility of choosing the investment amount. The earnings that
occur during the term of the annuity are tax-deferred. This simply
means you are not taxed on them until they are paid out. Because of
the tax defer-ral, your funds have the chance to grow more quickly
than they would in a taxable investment. Another advantage of a
Sokol Annuity is there are no sales charges or annual fees incurred
during the ownership period. Most of the other post retirement
programs charge various fees that seem to “just show up”, such as a
morality fee or a maintenance fee. The Slovak Catholic Sokol incurs
no such fees. Lastly, and probably the most important advantage of
purchasing a Sokol Annuity, is the ability for those new to the
Slovak Catholic Sokol, to be “Sokol Members”. They will be able to
enjoy the same benefi ts that many of our members have enjoyed over
the years, such as our various sporting events. Do not just work
for your money; make your money work for you! Call the Home Offi ce
today at 1-800-886-7656 for more informa-tion and I will be glad to
assist you. Thank you and Zdar Boh!
Scott T. Pogorelec S.C.S. Underwriter
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SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 PAGE 3
ISSN: 0897-8107
Established April 15, 1911Official Publication of the Slovak
Catholic Sokol
Issued Bi-Weekly
Daniel F. Tanzone, EditorEditorial office: (973) 777-4010
Annual Subscription RatesUnited States $35.00 - All others
countries $40.00
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Slovak Catholic Falcon,P.O.
Box 899, 205 Madison Street,
Passaic, New Jersey 07055
Member of the Catholic PressAssociation and the Slovak
Newspapermen's
Association of America
Proprietor and Publisher
SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOLP.O. Box 899
205 Madison Street, Passaic, N.J. 07055Home Office: (973)
777-2605-06
WEB SITE –www.slovakcatholicsokol.org
Introducing ournewest members
Juliana Marie Hoeck, born Au-gust 30, 2010, is the daughter of
Brad and Lisa Zeman Hoeck of Pewaukee, Wis. She was en-rolled as a
member of Wreath 93 in Milwaukee, Wis.
They’re all kissin cousins!
Riana Suzanne Hoeck, born De-cember 24, 2008, is the daughter of
Brad and Lisa Zeman Hoeck of Pewaukee, Wis. She was en-rolled as a
member of Wreath 93 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Annalise Faith Romine, born March 19, 2010, is the daughter of
Chris and Jennifer Zeman Romine of Franklin, Wis. She was enrolled
as a member of Wreath 93 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Amber Elizabeth Schmeling Radtke, born August 29, 2007, is the
daughter of Michael and Tricia Zeman Radtke of Graf-ton, Wis. She
was enrolled as a member of Wreath 93 in Mil-waukee, Wis.
Evan Timothy Radtke, born September 2009, is the son of Michael
and Tricia Radtke of Grafton, Wis. He was enrolled as a member of
Wreath 93 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Andrew Timothy Peterson, born July 28, 2007, is the son of Ryan
and Kristy Zeman Pe-terson of Wildwood, Mo. He was enrolled as a
member of Wreath 93 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Kyle Ray Peterson, born Sep-tember 4, 2009, is the the son of
Ryan and Kristy Zeman Pe-terson of Wildwood, Mo. He was enrolled as
a member of Wreath 93 in Milwaukee, Wis.
From the Desk of the Supreme President
Thoughts on Fraternalismby Larry M. Glugosh
There is a new national holiday in Canada called “Family Day”.
It will take place on the third weekend in February and is a
national event to honor and celebrate our families. The idea
origi-nated in 2009 and a bill was passed to create this national
holi-day. The February date was selected by the Canadian government
to align with Presidents’ Day in the United States, since our
countries are often linked with national holidays. The new holiday
was created to give thanks to our many blessings with our
fami-lies. It is a wonderful opportunity to refl ect upon our
cherished heritage and embrace some quality time and experiences
with our family members. Many individuals will take advantage of
the holiday weekend to plan for their future by investing in their
children’s ed-ucation fund or buying a 401K fund for their
retirement. Hopefully some of our members will think about adding
more life insurance to protect their family members in the future.
In addition to the above activities, many not for profi t
organi-zations will conduct specifi c programs in their community
by visit-ing a senior citizens home, a veterans center or
completing some form of charitable work. After all these
individuals are integral to our family and have contributed to our
community. As a fraternal benefi t society, it is our mission to
support these types of activities and a key purpose for our
existence. I hope each member of our society will take a few
moments to give back to their community by conducting a charitable
act of kindness. It will enrich your own family experience. Along
with our northern members, I sincerely hope our Slo-vak Catholic
Sokol members south of the 49th parallel took the time with their
families to enjoy the Presidents’ Day long weekend. It is important
to always remember and honor our past, since it will offer us
guidance and direction for our future. Many great leaders have left
their legacy in our communities and hopefully we can learn from
their contributions to build our future. Within our society, we
also have an opportunity to help devel-op our future through our
annual scholarship program. As a former recipient, I know how the
contribution from the Slovak Catholic Sokol can help achieve your
academic goals and objectives. The fi nancial assistance certainly
helped my family and I hope our eli-gible members will take the
time to complete an application before the deadline next month. It
is a very worthwhile program and im-portant investment in our youth
and our future. On behalf of my entire 100% Slovak Catholic Sokol
family, I hope all of you experienced a wonderful, safe and
enjoyable Presi-dents’ Day and Family Day long weekend.
May God Bless you all!
Sokols and Sokolky of Group 2, join us as we roll in our
cen-tennial year by enjoying a day of Duckpin Bowling at the Barnum
Duckpin Lanes, located on Bar-num Avenue in Stratford, Conn. on
Sunday, March 20(the day af-ter the feast day of our protector, St.
Joseph) from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pizza, beverages and a spe-cial
dessert follows the bowling at 1:30 p.m. COMPLIMENTS of the Group.
There is no charge for Junior members, age 15 and younger. Those 12
and younger may bowl in socks. Junior mem-bers will be grouped
according to age: age 4-5-6, 7-8-9, 10-11-12, and 13-14-15. Senior
teams will be chosen by draw. Cost for Se-nior members bowling and
mon-etary prizes is $12.00 per person. When making reservations by
the RSVP deadline of March 14th, include name, Wreath/As-sembly
number, and age of Ju-nior members. Call any of the following:
Wreath 1, Eileen
Group 2 to host Duckpin tournament on March 20
Wilson (203)378-8837; Wreath 39, Larry Wells (203)375-2836;
Wreath 86/Assembly 23, Bonnie Rossi (860)482-9062; Assem-bly 9,
Judith Salamon (203)333-3716; Assembly 33, Joseph Dulla
(203)734-5574; and Assembly 308, Paul Nemergut (203)732-1136.
Checks made payable to SCS Group 2(non-refundable) and mailed to
John Sinanis, Group 2 treasurer, 406 Erwin St., Trumbull, CT 06611.
For non-member Senior guests the cost is $17.00 for non-member
Juniors the cost is $8.50. Call Eileen S. Wilson (203)378-8837 for
reser-vations. Looking ahead, we ask our members to mark their
calendars for our 100th anniversary cele-bration set for Sunday,
November 13. Details to follow.
Zdar Boh! Eileen S. Wilson President Larry Wells Sports
Director
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PAGE 4 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011
The Wordof God ...
Gospel for the Eighth Sunday of the Year - February 27th
Matthew 6:24-34A reading from the holy Gospelaccording to
Matthew
Jesus said to his disciples:“No one can serve two masters.He
will either hate oneand love the other,or be devoted to oneand
despise the other.You cannot serve God and mammon.“Therefore I tell
you,do not worry about your life,what you will eat or drink,or
about your body,what you will wear.Is not life more than foodand
the body more than clothing?Look at the birds in the sky;they do
not sow or reap,they gather nothing into barns,yet your heavenly
Father feeds them.Are not you more important than they?Can any of
you by worryingadd a single moment to your life-span?Why are you
anxious about clothes?Learn from the way the wildfl owers grow.They
do not work or spin.But I tell you thatnot even Solomon in all his
splendorwas clothed like one of them.If God so clothes the grass of
the fi eldwhich grows todayand is thrown into the oven
tomorrow,will he not much more provide for you,O you of little
faith?So do not worry and say,‘What are we to eat?’ or‘What are we
to drink?’ or‘What are we to wear?’All these things the pagans
seek.Your heavenly Father knowsthat you need them all.But seek fi
rst the kingdom of Godand his righteousness, andall these things
will be given you besidesDo not worry about tomorrow;tomorrow will
take care of itselfSuffi cient for a day is its own evil.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Gospel for the Ninth Sunday of the Year - March 6th
Matthew 7:2 1 -27A reading from the holy Gospelaccording to
MatthewJesus said to his disciples:“Not everyone who says to
me,‘Lord, Lord,’will enter the kingdom of heaven,but only the
onewho does the will of my Father in heaven.Many will say to me on
that day,‘Lord, Lord,did we not prophesy in your name?Did we not
drive out demons in your name?Did we not do mighty deeds in your
name?’Then I will declare to them solemnly,‘I never knew you.Depart
from me, you evildoers.Everyone who listensto these words of
mineand acts on themwill be like a wise man
REFLECTOR ... Jotings fr om Sokol and Slovak life
Traditional Pre-Lenten Fasiangyin Johnstown, Pa. on March 5 The
Slovak Heritage Association of the Laurel Highlands(SHALH) will
host its annual Pre-Lenten cel-ebration Fasiangovu zabavu on
Saturday, March 5 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Christ the Saviour
Education Center located at 307 Garfi eld Street in Johnstown, Pa.
This Slovak Mardi Gras Dinner and Dance is a won-derful opportunity
to enjoy some traditional merriment before the beginning of the
Lenten Season. The eve-ning will include a delicious dinner
featuring traditional Slovak culinary favorites. Music for dancing
and listen-ing pleasure will be provided by Rosie & the Jammers
and a highlight of the evening will be a performance by the popular
Johnstown Folk Dancers. There will be two costume contests: one for
Best Mardi Gras Costume and one for best Slovak Kroj (traditional
Slovak dress). Tickets for Fasiangy are $25.00 for adults, $24.00
for members of the Slovak Heritage Association, and $15.00 for
children ages 6 to 12. Make checks payable to SHALH and mail to
P.O.Box 203, Johnstown, PA 15907. For additional information on the
celebration, call tel. (814) 255-5517. Susan Kalcik, vice president
of SHALH is serving as chairperson of this year’s Mardi Gras
celebration. Group 9 Sokols and Sokolky are cor-dially invited to
come out and celebrate Fasiangy in true Slovak tradition. An
enjoyable evening is assured. The Slovak Heritage Association of
the Laruel Highlands promotes Slovak culture and heritage in the
Johnstown, Pa. area.
Matthew M. Blistan, Jr. to be honored by Pittsburgh fraternals
The Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh (FSGP) has named GBU
Financial Life’s National Vice President Matthew M. Blistan, Jr. as
Fraternalist of the Year for 2011. The FSGP is comprised of 22
fraternal benefi t societies, including the Slovak Catholic Sokol,
and nine business-associated groups representing over one million
members, and has been serving the Western Pennsylvania area for
more than 66 years. Each year, the FSGP chooses a member who
dis-plays active participation in promoting the fraternal spirit
and who has made invaluable contributions to the fraternal
community. Matt, who is of Slovak ancestry and is active in the
Western Pennsylvania Slovak community will be hon-ored by the FSGP
at the annual Fraternalist of the Year ban-quet on Saturday, March
26, 2011 at the Sheraton - Station Square Hotel on Pittsburgh’s
historic South Side. Matt has been a fraternalist from birth, as
his fam-ily members were, and still are, very active in several
fraternal societies. Prior to coming to GBU in 2001, Matt served as
national president of the United Lu-theran Society(which resulted
from the merger of the Slovak Evangelical Union and the Slovak
Evangelical Women’s Union). Matt has been an integral part of the
success of GBU, especially its fraternal programs. In 2000, Matt
led the FSGP as its president and has served several terms as a
member of the board of direc-tors of the Pennsylvania Fraternal
Congress. Tickets for the Fraternalist of the Year banquet are
priced at $55 per person. For reservations contact Karen A. Pintar
at 1-800-843-7675. Our congratulations and fraternal best wishes go
out to Brother Blistan who so beautifully mirrors our fraternal way
of life and is a credit to the American Slovak community.
59th Florida Slovak Day setfor March 6 in Winter Park, Fla. The
president of The Slovak Garden, Justine Wesnak extends a cordial
invitation to Snow birds from both north and south of the Mason
Dixon Line to come and celebrate our Slovak heritage in the
Sunshine State at this year’s 59th Annual Florida Slovak Day
scheduled for Sunday, March 6. The annual event, hosted by The
Slovak Garden, billed as a Home for American Slovaks, is held on
its spacious grounds and social hall located at (Continued on page
6)
3110 Howell Branch Road in Winter Park, located just outside
Orlando, Fla. Doors open at 10 a.m. where guests may visit the
interesting and colorful collections located in the Slo-vak Museum
located on the grounds. Festivities begin with a Mass celebrated in
Slovak with the Rev. Louis P. Luljak, a retired priest of the
Archdiocese of Milwau-kee, as celebrant and homilist. Following the
liturgy, a delicious luncheon featuring a variety of homemade
Slovak culinary specialities will be served in the social hall. A
cultural program begins at 2:30 p.m. featuring the artistry of the
PAS Slovak Folk Ensemble from Pittsburgh, Pa. PAS will provide a
colorful display of some of the rich Slovak music and dance
traditions of the various areas and regions of Slovakia. In
addition, there will be music for dancing and listening pleasure
provided throughout the day. Tickets for the luncheon are just
$25.00 per per-son. For reservations send check, made payable to
The Slovak Garden and send same to: The Slovak Garden, 3110 Howell
Branch Road, Winter Park, FL 32792. For additional information on
this year’s Florida Slovak Day, call (407)677-6894. We hope to see
many Sokols and Sokolky from all parts of the U.S. and Canada at
this year’s 59th annual Florida Slovak Day. The Slovak Garden was
established in 1950 by a group of Slovak fraternalists to serve as
a facility for American Slovaks in their retirement years to enjoy
the sun and pleasant surroundings of the area. The facilities
includes one and two bedroom apartments available to individuals
age 55 and older. For information on these apartments, call The
Slovak Garden at the telephone listed above or contact the
President Justine Wesnak at [email protected].
Youngstown Sister Cities sets 2011 Slovakia Tour The Youngstown
Sister Cities’ 14th Heritage Tour to Slovakia has been set for July
4-18, 2011. The tour includes sites in Vienna, Austria; Bratislava,
Trencin, the High Tatra Mountains, Levoca, Kosice, and Spisska Nova
Ves in Slovakia. Special features include Mass in the village of
Lendak where villagers still wear traditional Slovak kroj(costumes)
to Mass; a visit to the Kezmarok Street Fair where local artisans
sell their homemade items at booths and where one can sit and enjoy
Slovak folk music and dancing which is performed all day on
stage(while you eat delicious Slovak food); the Pies-tany Spa;
Slovak wood-carving of the complete scene of Bethlehem; gondola
lift ride up the side of on the peaks of the Tatra mountains and
dinner at a genuine koliba(shepherd’s hut), a raft ride on the
Dunajec River which forms the natural boundary between Slovakia and
Poland; as well as visits to many churches, muse-ums, and castles.
A highlight special event of the tour is a champagne breakfast at
the Town Hall hosted by the Mayor of Youngstown’s Sister City of
Spisska Nova Ves. One day in Levoca is reserved to visit friends
and relatives - English speaking guides(chauffeurs) will be
available for personal visits for an added fee. Well-known Slovak
American activists, Jim and Kay Bench, who have been guides on many
previous Youngstown Sister City tours, will lead the group. They
are knowledgeable about tours and sites to be seen dur-ing the
13-day stay. Total cost per person(airfare from
Pittsturgh-Washington, D.C.-Vienna is approximately $3,500 per
person based on double occupancy and includes airfare, thirteen
nights in fi rst class hotel, two meals per day, and an
air-conditioned bus with an English speaking guide for the entire
tour. For information on the tour contact Jim/Kay Bench at
(cell)(724)858-5843 or [email protected] or Adventure
International Travel Service (800) 542-2487 or [email protected]
or contact Bernie Demechko, secretary of the Youngstown Sister
Cities at bdemechko@aol. com. Come join us for an unforgettable
visit to the land of our ancestors!
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SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 PAGE 5
(Continued on page 12)
Attention Group 15 members
A Busy Sokol Sporting Season Ahead My name is C.J. Fogle and I
was named the acting Sports Director of Group 15 “General Milan S.
Stefanik” in 2010. Group 15 covers a
wide geographic area including Erie, Pennsylva-nia and Niagara
Falls, New York as well as all of western New York state. My own
earliest recollections of Sokol ac-tivity included my participation
at the Interna-tional Slets in 2007 and in 2009, when I helped
Group 14 take home the Championship Flag. The gymnastics training
given to me in Pitts-burgh helped me stay in shape during my
suc-cessful high school wrestling career and gave me a sense of
belonging, especially when my family
moved to Western New York. More recently, I was given the
opportunity to compete at the 64th International Bowling Tournament
which was held at the Noble Manor Lanes in Pittsburgh, Pa. in May
2010 with my dad. The bowling ban-quet held at the Slovak Catholic
Sokol Club was a wonderful opportu-nity to return to my Sokol
roots. It was a wonderful experience. In addition, I also enjoyed
participating in the 55th International Golf Tournament held at
Treasure Lake Resort in DuBois, Pa. in Au-gust 2010. This
tournament was especially enjoyable in that I was able to
participate with my uncles, William Fogle and Dr. William Kitsko as
well as my dad and our good friend, Tom Molitor, who happened to be
the B Flight Champion. Participating in various Sokol sporting
events are always enjoyable, fi lled with good sportsmanship and
fellowship. I would like to take this opportunity to extend an
invitation to any members of Group 15 who would like to participate
in some of this summer’s Sokol events. Give me a call at tel.
(585)698-3441. The 2011 golf tournament is scheduled for August
19-21 at Peek N’Peak in Clymer, N.Y. which is located in the heart
of Group 15 territory. Those interested in participating should
give me a call and we will discuss the many benefi ts of
participating in Sokol events. Zdar Boh! C.J.Fogle, Group 15 Sports
Director
Lodge Jottings
BETHLEHEM, PAAssembly 78
Our lodge, under the patronage of St. Anthony of Padua, will
host a special meeting on Sunday, March 13 in the social hall of
Incarnation of Our Lord Parish(formerly SS. Cyril and Methodius)
located at 617 Pierce Street, South Side. Our meet-ing will begin
promptly at 1 p.m. All members are invited to attend. At this
meeting, we will select the delegates who will represent our
Assembly at the upcoming 31st Quadrennial National Convention of
our organization scheduled for
From the Supreme Physical Fitness Board
Don’t Forget to Stretchby Frank P. Laury, III
The winter season is a good time to began our physical
prepa-ration for the coming spring and summer sporting and athletic
pro-grams. Stretching is crucial at all ages. It is so benefi cial
to make
stretching a part of your every day agenda. So many times, we
see athletes at all levels pull muscles or become injured due to
lack of fl ex-ibility from not properly stretching. How many times
you have seen competitors in Sokol sport-ing events pull muscles,
including myself. Most of the time this occurs from jumping in an
event or game without properly stretching. The most important thing
I can stress is that you need to start working on fl exibility now.
Stretching just the day of the event is set-ting yourself up for an
injury or lots of soreness
the next few days. This occurs because the muscle becomes
shocked from the sudden over stretching. If you can start being
more con-science to stretch at least three times a week, it will
improve the qual-ity of your life. The best thing is you can
stretch just about anywhere. Even at your desk! The benefi ts from
stretching include, prevention of injury, im-proves range of motion
in joints, improved circulation, helps posture and balance,
supplies nutrients to the muscles, and it has been re-cently been
found that stretching reduces stress. When you fi rst start off,
stretch slow and evenly. Do not bounce or go to the point of pain.
Make sure to stretch upper and lower body. Try to hold each move
for at least 10-15 seconds and eventualy down the road try to make
30 second hold times. Breathe very relaxed while stretching. It is
also a very good idea to warm the muscle up fi rst before you
stretch. If you can start off with fi ve minutes of aerobic
exercise such as jogging or walking fast, this will help the
muscles to warm and loosen up, and prepares yourself for better
results. If you want to get more serious about your fl exibility,
add in a resistant band, which is like a giant rubber band or a
stability ball. You might want to check into joining Pilates, Tai
Chi or a Yoga class. There are so many ways to stretch, and lots of
good information on the Inter-net with demonstrations of proper
techniques. There are also many good books available on proper
stretching techniques, and you might want to talk to someone at
your local YMCA if you need advice. If you’re going to compete at
the upcoming 45th International Slet this summer, start a
stretching program now and save yourself a pos-sible injury. Group
Physical Directors and Directresses should add in a proper warm up
routine, including stretching. It’s like any other exercise, start
slow, make it a habit every day and the benefi ts will be life
long. Good luck and Zdar Boh!
Group 2 convention delegates set to meet in Stratford, Conn.
Delegates elected to represent Assemblies and Wreaths in Group 2 at
the upcoming 31st quadrennial convention in Pittsburgh will meet on
Saturday, April 30 in the meeting room of Holy Name of Jesus School
located at 1950 Barnum Avenue in Stratford, Conn. The meet-ing will
begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. and will conclude when all busi-ness
has been addressed. The meeting agenda will include, but not be
limited to - a review of our organization’s Constitution and Bylaws
for purposes of input/questions to the pre-convention committees of
Constitution/Bylaws and New Motions. Transportation to the
convention - as has been the practice of our Group, we will travel
to the convention as a group with details on same to be presented
at the meeting. In as much as we have the responsibility of
representing our membership, any member of Group 2 who wishes us to
present input to the pre-convention committees, please send same to
the attention of Group 2 President Eileen S. Wilson, 395 Pilgrim
Lane, Stratford, CT 06614 in writing and signed. RSVP deadline for
all of the above is Monday, April 25. Coffee And will be available
throughout the meet-ing. We hope to see all Group 2 convention
delegates present at this important meeting. Zdar Boh! Fraternally,
Eileen S. Wilson Group 2 President
Pittsburgh, Pa., July 30 to August 3. The national convention is
the highest governing body in the life of a fraternal like our own
and will guide our organization in the years ahead. Those
interested in serving as a delegate are urged to attend the
meeting. Looking forward to seeing a good turnout of members at our
next meeting and with fraternal best wishes, may I remain Zdar Boh
Susan Knoblauh Recording Secretary
BRIDGEPORT, CONN.Wreath 1
On Tuesday, March 8, we will host the annual meeting of our
Wreath following our traditional luncheon to be held at Stella’s
Res-taurant in Stratford beginning at 12 noon. All members are
invited to at-tend. Reports of the offi cers will be presented and
plans for a busy 2011 fraternal year will be fi nalized. Elec-tion
of offi cers will take place. In addition, we will elect our
delegates who will represent our Wreath at the upcoming 31st
quadrennial con-vention set for July 30-August 3 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
In addition, any other business for the good and better of the
order will be on the meeting agenda. Those planning to attend are
asked to RSVP to Eileen S. Wilson at (203)378-8837 by March 4th. On
Wednesday, March 9 will commemorate and celebrate the feast of our
Wreath patroness, St. Frances of Rome(the actual feast day). We
will attend the 7:30 a.m. Mass at Holy Name of Jesus Church in
Stratford which will be celebrated for the living and deceased
mem-bers of our Wreath. Following the liturgy, we will enjoy
breakfast fol-lowed by our traditional gift-bearing visits to our
Sister Sokolky who are long-term, health care center and home
bound. Families are asked to advise if there is anyone who would
enjoy our patronal feast day visit by call-ing Eileen S. Wilson at
the number listed above. The RSVP deadline is March 4. This is a
wonderful fra-ternal outreach program that our Wreath has practiced
for many, many years now. Join us Sister So-kolky of Wreath 1. Zdar
Boh! Eileen S. Wilson President
CANTON, OH.Assembly 180
Our next regular Assembly meet-ing is scheduled for Sunday,
Febru-ary 27 at St. Mary’s Parish Hall lo-cated at 1602 Market
Avenue South beginning at 10:30 a.m. All mem-bers are invited to
attend. As part of our care and share fraternal outreach project,
we will be collecting donations for the lo-cal Hammer and nails
organization. Members can go to hammerand-nails.org for a list of
items that can be donated. Any questions, feel free to call Rose
Croy at (330)495-4436 or Jim Knis (330) 494-9524. This year, our
Assembly cel-ebrates its 89th anniversary. It was in the spring of
1922 that group of young Slovaks met at the former Sa-cred Heart of
Jesus Slovak Church to organize a new lodge of the Slovak Catholic
Sokol. Our founders chose St. Benedict as the lodge’s patron. We
have enjoyed a proud and active past and we look forward to
continued fra-ternal activity in the future. Zdar Boh! Rose Croy
Recording Secretary
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.Assembly 34
The annual patronal feast day of our lodge honoring St. George
will
be observed on Sunday, April 17. Mass will be celebrated for the
liv-ing and deceased members of As-sembly 34 at 9 a.m. at the
Church of SS. Cyril and Methodius where our lodge has been active
for more than a century. Following the liturgy, we will as-semble
in the Father George Dargay Memorial Hall of the parish where we
will enjoy a full breakfast served by the members of the St. Cyril
Slo-vak Men’s Club. The breakfast is free of charge for all members
of Assembly 34 and Wreath 47. Come join us for an enjoyable
celebration of Sokol fellowship and fraternal-ism. However, we
remind our mem-bers that there is no parking in the school lot.
This year’s observance marks the 102nd anniversary of the founding
of Assembly 34. It was on April 4, 1909 that a group of young
Slovak immigrant men met at SS. Cyril and Methodius Church Hall
with the in-tention of establishing a local lodge of the recently
established Slovak Catholic Sokol organization. Our founders choose
St. George, who was a popular saint among gymnas-tic and youth
groups in their native homeland, as patron of the new As-sembly.
And the rest is history. For all these years, our Assembly has
remained faithful to the high ideals
of the fraternal benefi t system and has participated in many
sporting and fraternal activities, on the lo-cal, Group and
national levels. Over these many years, we have always promoted our
faith and heritage traditions and have faithfully sup-ported SS.
Cyril and Methodius Parish. This year, our lodge will be
represented at the upcoming 31st quadrennial national convention in
Pittsburgh and our youth will com-pete at this summer’s 45th
Interna-tional Slet at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pa. Looking
forward to seeing a good turnout of our members at this year’s
patronal feast day observance, may I remain Zdar Boh! James T.
Genosky Financial Secretary
NEW YORK, NYAssembly 182
Our Assembly will host its tradi-tional St. Joseph’s Day
celebration in honor of our patron on Sunday, March 20. We will
attend the 11 a.m. Slovak Mass in a body at St. John Nepomucene
Church which will be celebrated for the living and de-ceased
members of Assembly 182. Following the liturgy, we will enjoy
-
PAGE 6 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011
We are pleased to announce that the Slo-vak Catholic Sokol will
make available a total of $60,500 in scholarship grants to eligible
members in 2011. Previous recipients of Slovak Catholic Sokol
scholarship grants may reapply for a 2011
grant; however, per Convention mandate - a student may receive a
maximum of two (2) Slovak Catholic So-kol scholarship grant awards
in each category. A total of 30 Slo-vak Catholic Sokol
college grants of $1,000 each, two Theodore and Mary Jane Rich
Memorial Scholarships one for a male and female in the amount of
$2,500 each, two Emil Slavik Memorial Scholarships one for a male
and female in the amount of $2,500 each, one The Doctors’ Lesko
Medical Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000, one Joseph
and Mary Sper-noga Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500 and
two Slovak Catholic Sokol (SCS) Memorial Scholarship in the amount
of $500. With one application you may apply for all college
scholarship grants for which you are eli-gible. Note that only one
grant per applicant will be awarded.
College Scholarship eligibility requirements: Slovak Catholic
Sokol (a total of 30, $1000 grants will be awarded) • Must have a
minimum of $3,000 permanent Life Insurance Coverage • Must be a
member of the Slovak Catholic Sokol for at least fi ve years. •
Must have completed one semester of un- dergraduate studies as a
FULL TIME stu- dent at an accredited college, university or
professional school, or be enrolled in a graduate or professional
degree program. • Must have an accumulated grade point average of
at least 2.5 or better • One parent must be a Slovak Catholic Sokol
member • Essay- “How has being a member of the Slovak Catholic
Sokol infl uenced my life?”
Joseph and Mary Spernoga (1 grant in the amount of $500 will be
awarded) • Same requirements as for SCS scholar- ship
Theodore and Mary Jane Rich (one male and
one female grant in the amount of $2500 will be awarded) • Same
requirements as for SCS scholarship
AND • One parent must be of Slovak Ancestry • Must be majoring
in medical curriculum
Emil Slavik (2 grants in the amount of $2500 will be awarded) •
Same requirements as for SCS scholarship
AND • Both parents must be members of the Slovak Catholic Sokol
• Must be majoring in liberal arts, the sciences, pre-law,
pre-medical or business curriculum.
The Doctors’ Lesko Medical Memorial Schol-arship (1 grant in the
amount of $1000 will be awarded) • Same requirements as for SCS
scholarship
AND • Majoring in Nursing or Medical curriculum • One parent
must be of Slovak Ancestry Slovak Catholic Sokol Memorial
Scholarship (2 grants in the amount of $500 will be award-ed to the
applicant that best exemplifi es the spirit of volunteerism) • Same
requirements as for SCS scholarship • Essay- “Describe the one
volunteer experi- ence that made the biggest personal impact on
you- how/why”.
Applications are ONLY available for download on our website
@
www.slovakcatholicsokol.org
Completed applications for college scholar-ships should be sent
to:
Julie DobbsSupreme Vice-President
Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee5314 Agatha TurnRacine,
WI 53402
(262)681-1720 Deadline for return of all scholarship
ap-plications is March 31, 2011 In addition to our college grant
program, we make available 19 Catholic High School Grants in the
amount of $500 each as well as 38 Catholic Grade School Grants in
the amount of $250 each. Please fi nd these scholarship
applications and di-rectives in each of the next issues of the
Falcon.
A fraternal benefi t in support of higher education
Our Organization will offer $60,500 in Scholarship Grantsby
Julie Ann Dobbs
Supreme Vice President
(Continued from page 1)to be held in Denver, Colorado, September
29-October 1, 2011. The honoree will be invited to at-tend the
Fraternal Alliance’s An-nual Meeting with travel, lodging and meal
expenses for the hon-oree and one guest paid for by the Fraternal
Alliance. The American Fraternal Alliance will present a check for
$1,000 in the name of the Fraternalist of the Year to the
charitable/nonprofi t organization of the honoree’s choice. One
win-ner and two runners-up will be se-lected. There will be no
ties. So now is the time to think about who among your local lodge
or Group is deserving of
recognition. We invite our mem-bers to submit the name of an
in-dividual who in their eyes should be considered as our
Fraternalist of the Year. An individual mem-ber, an Assembly,
Wreath or Group can nominate an individ-ual for consideration as
our 2011 Fraternalist of the Year. We have a nomination form
available to those who would like to nominate an individual. A
nomination form is available by contacting Editor Daniel F.
Tanzone, who coordi-nates the program. Call him at the home offi ce
at 800-886-7656. Deadline for receipt of the com-pleted nomination
form is Friday, June 24, 2011.
2011 Fraternalist of the Year programsalutes volunteerism and
outreach
In our 106th year of fraternal service
Annual Meeting of the Board of Directorsset for March 25-26 in
Passaic, N.J. In compliance with section 3.2(f) of the Constitution
and Bylaws of the Slovak Catholic Sokol, we hereby offi cially
an-nounce the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors, sched-uled
for March 25-26, 2011 at the Home Offi ce in Passaic, N.J. The
Annual Meeting will offi cially open with a Mass cel-ebrated by our
Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic at 8:30 a.m. in the Home
Offi ce Board Room. This liturgy will be celebrated for the living
and deceased members of our orga-nization. Following the liturgy,
the Annual Meeting of the Slovak Catholic Sokol Museum will be
called to order. At the conclu-sion of this meeting, the Annual
Meeting of the Board of Direc-tors will convene. Members wishing to
submit business for the Board of Di-rectors to consider at this
meeting are directed to send same to the attention of: Supreme
Secretary Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C., Slovak Catholic Sokol, P.O.
Box 899, 205 Madison St., Passaic, NJ 07055. All correspondence
relative to the Annual Meeting must be received no later then March
4, 2011. From March 22-24, the Supreme Board of Auditors will meet
at the Home Offi ce for the annual audit. As we embark on the 106th
anniversary of our beloved organization, may we once again pledge
ourselves to the up-holding of the high ideals of fraternalism
which inspired our founders to establish what we today know as
“America’s Great-est Slovak Gymnastic and Athletic
Organization.”
Zdar Boh!
Larry M. Glugosh Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C. Supreme President
Supreme Secretary
Lenten Fish’n Chipsdinner in Clifton, N.J. The Marian Rosary
Society of SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish in
Clifton, N.J. will host their t r a d i t i o n a l Lenten
Fish’n Chips dinner with all the t r i m m i n g s on Wednes-
day, March 23 in the church hall located at 218 Ackerman Avenue
beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.00 per person and takeout
orders are avail-able. For reservations call Dot at (973)772-3448
or Val at (973)72-8806. Tickets are also available following the
weekend liturgies in the church vestibule.
(Continued from page 4)
who built his house on rock.The rain fell, the fl oods came,and
the winds blewand buffeted the house.But it did not collapse;it had
been set solidly on rock.And everyone who listensto these words of
minebut does not act themwill be like a foolwho built his house on
sand.The rains fell, the fl oods came,and the winds blewand
buffeted the house.And it collapsedand was completely ruined.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Gospel for the Ninth Sunday of the Year
Continuing in its cultural and social program, the West-ern
Pennsylvania Slovak Cultural Association(WPSCA) will host unique
activities open to the gen-eral public in the Pittsburgh area. On
Saturday, April 16 a special Slo-vak cooking class will be held at
St. Gregory Byzantine Catholic Church hall located at 2005 Mohawk
Drive in Upper St. Clair beginning at 1 p.m. Magda Lukac, a popular
cook from Slovakia, will present a demonstration of various
pre-Easter Slovak culinary favorites. On Sunday, May 1, the WPSCA
will host it Spring Meeting at the Czechoslovak Nationality Room in
the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning beginning at 2
p.m. A spe-cial highlight of this meeting will be a lecture by
Richard Kocur titled “The History of Slovak Hockey.” This is a
timely topic since the NHL playoffs will be taking place at this
time and Pittsburgh anticipates its Penguins will
WPSCA to host interestingSpring cultural projects
be participating. Also, the World Cup will be beginning in
Kosice, Slovakia. The Slovak Heritage Conversa-tion Group meets at
the Mt. Lebanon Library on the fi rst Monday of each month
beginning at 7 p.m. Interest-ing topics will include a fi lm on the
Czechoslovak Legionnaires who fought on the Allied side in World
War I at the March 7th session and a Show-N-Tell featuring members
collection of Slovak memorabilia at its April 4th session. Slovak
language classes meet ev-ery Tuesday, March 1 to April 26 from 7 -
8:45 p.m. also at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library which is located
at 16 Castle Shannon Boulevard. Bozena Hilko is the instructor.
Looking ahead, the WPSCA will host a Central European Beer Tasking
event on Saturday, June 25 beginning at 1 p.m at the Gypsy Cafe
located on Pittsburgh’s South Side. For informa-tion on any of
these activities, call Pam at (412)531-2990 during offi ce
hours.
-
SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 PAGE 7
What's making headlines in our ancestral homeland
News and Views from Slovakia...
Banking sector profi ts doubled, year-on-year, in 2010
Slovakia’s banking sector posted profi ts totalling $710 million in
2010, which represents more than double the fi gure recorded the
year before, the country’s central bank (NBS) announced on January
31. Net revenues from interest went up by $145 million for the year
to reach $1.9 billion in 2010. Non-interest net revenues, for their
part, rose by 16 percent to stand at $700 million. Net operating
losses reached $162 million, a rise of $40 million compared to
2009. The NBS data also revealed that banks slashed their operating
costs by $15.23 million, year-to -year, with the fi gure standing
at $1.4 billion in 2010. Gasparovic: Slovak-Hungarian
problemsshould be resolved by experts Slovak President Ivan
Gasparovic suggested to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
during the lat-ter’s offi cial visit to Bratislava on January 28 to
resolve problematic issues such as Hungary’s law on
dual-citi-zenship and Slovakia’s Language Act at an expert level
within bilateral working groups. According to Gasparovic’s
spokesman Marek Tru-bac, Orban accepted the tone with which
Gasparovic began the discussion on this issue. “There are problems
that we would resolve in different ways, but I agree that joint
inter-governmental expert groups should deal with them,” said
Orban, adding that he would be happy if Slovak-Hungarian relations
were based on joint success. “We need more economic successes,
improvements in highway connections, cross-border cooperation and
the creation of more jobs,” Trubac quoted Orban as say-ing, adding
that he “hopes for a successful Slovakia as a good neighbor that
Hungary wants to help.” Gasparovic repeated Slovakia’s words of
support for Hungary’s EU presidency, and again expressed plea-sure
at the agreement on a north-south gas pipeline that is due to be
signed on the same day. According to him, there’s also a need to
complete the road link between Kosice and Miskolc(Hungary) and the
long-promised bridges over the River Ipel. President Gasparovic
also assured his quest that Slovakia has a positive attitude
towards all represen-tatives of minorities living on its territory.
“Minorities with their culture and language enrich our society. We
shouldn’t resolve our relations only from the point of view of
claims that the ethnic Hungarian minority in Slovakia is a bad
position, “ he added. The Slovak head of state also told Orban that
Slova-kia’s State language Act doesn’t threaten Hungarian-lan-guage
speakers in Slovakia. Orban added that Hungary views its Slovak
minority as an equal part of society with all due rights.
Orban: individual EU states shouldretain power to resolve Roma
issues Powers linked to resolving Roma(gypsy) issues shouldn’t be
transferred from individual countries to the joint European level,
and individual EU-member states should still have primary
responsibility, said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during
his offi cial visit to Slovakia on January 28. These are the
conclusions of a European-wide strat-egy for the Roma that is being
prepared by Hungary. The
document should be ready by April so that representatives of
individual member states can discuss it. Hungary’s EU presidency
has scheduled its adoption for the EU summit in June. According to
Orban, Europe needs the strategy be-cause it is aimed at persuading
its western members that this is a serious and diffi cult issue
regarding the way of life of the Roma communities. He claimed that
if settled Roma communities aren’t given assistance in terms of
integrating into society, they will return to a nomadic way of life
and will move freely around the EU. “Every EU-member state should
have an eminent interest in integrating settled Roma into society,”
he said. Orban added that the Hungarian government has in-vested a
great deal of fi nancial means into Roma issues, but without enough
positive effect. There is a need to change existing practices,
therefore, he said.
New camera system warns driversof traffi c jams via SMS The new
one-of-a-kind camera system designed to monitor traffi c in a
Bratislava bypass help drivers navigate the busy roads connected to
the section spanning from the city’s west access road leading to
Brno and the highway leading to Trnava. “We have 11 cameras
installed close to the intersec-tions in both directions to monitor
traffi c. Some cameras are located 35 metres above ground and
heated, so that no ice will form on them,” mastermind of the
TRAFFIC-BA project Eduard Radimak told TASR on January 31.
According to him, the system is original and unique in Europe. The
cameras are interconnected on-line, and by sending a text message
from a mobile phone, a driver can fi nd out within just seconds
whether or not their planned route is currently without undue
delays. “If you go to work in the morning, you just send a text
message in the appropriate form to the number 7776 while riding
down the elevator from your apartment. Almost im-mediately, you get
to know which route to take. This infor-mation costs you 20 cents,”
said Radimak.
Israel honors 19 Slovaks with title of ‘Righteous Among the
Nations’ Another 19 Slovaks have been recognized with the title
‘Righteous Among the Nations’ by the State of Israel and the
Jerusalem-based memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust Yad
Vashem. The award is given to individ-ual non-Jews who helped save
the lives of Jewish people during World War II. The ceremony was
held in the old par-liament building in Bratislava on February 2.
In attendance at the ceremony were Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic
and Prime Minister Iveta Radicova. The honorees and their relatives
received the medals from Israel’s Ambassador to Slovakia Alexander
Ben-Zvi and Israeli general and Minister without Portfolio Yossi
Peled, who survived the Holocaust as a child thanks to a non-Jewish
family that provided him with shelter. “The programmed hatred aimed
against ethnicity, re-ligion or color is the most terrible one, and
we need to deal with this,” said President Gasparovic in his
address at the gathering. “Let’s be brave. We don’t need petty
squabbles, we need peace and freedom” The concept of freedom and
democracy was high-lighted also by Prime Minister Radicova. “This
ceremony confi rms that historical memory goes hand-in-hand with
freedom and democracy. It confi rms that victims, but also their
heroes, who risked their lives in the name of humanity,
Many historic castles dot the landscape in Slovakia. Many of
these date from the early Middle Ages. One of the most interesting
and historic castles is located at Cachtice in western Slovakia
shown above. The foun-dations of the castle date from the fi rst
half of the 13th century. It was destroyed in 1708. There is hardly
an in-dividual, young or old in Slovakia, who is not acquainted
with the castle’s dark history. Its unfortunate fame was gained
when Alzbeta Bathoryova, who lived in the castle at the end of the
16th and early 17th century. Legend has it that she killed young
girls so she could bathe in their blood to keep her youth and
beauty. In 1611, she was imprisoned and sentenced to life in prison
in Bytca by Lord Thurzo. In 1708, the castle was burned down by the
rebel army of Frantisek Rakoczi. Today the castle is a popular site
for movie making. Hollywood used the location to shoot scenes for
the movie Dragonheart. The castle continues to be a popular tourist
attraction.
courage and bravery, must not be forgotten,” said Radi-cova.
“Righteous Among the Nations were individuals who saved for us
fundamental human values, our civili-zation and our world.” The
title ‘Righteous Among the Nations’ was awarded to the following:
Anna Knezova-Schonbrun-ova, Helena Cunderlikova-Kapustova, in
memoriam to Anna Cunderlikova and Frantisek Cunderlik, Karol
Halasz, Zuzana Hubinova, Stefan Hubinec, Anna Krch-nava-Huginova,
Eva Kochlanova and Ondrej Kochlan, Maria Medvecka, Julius Medvecky,
Michal Razus, Zofi a Rocekova, Anton Rocek, Maria Slobodnikova, Jan
Slo-bodnik, Maria Kurovcova and Alexander Kurovec. The Slovaks who
were honored will have their names inscribed on the Wall of Honor
in the Garden of the Righteous at Vad Vashem. To date, more than
500 Slovak citizens have been honored with the Righteous Among the
Nations honor.
SNS preparing Charter ofRights of the Slovak Nation The
opposition Slovak National Party(SNS) is pre-paring a Charter of
the Rights of the Slovak Nation, a document that the party expects
to be signed by various Slovak personalities, SNS vice-chair Rafael
Rafaj an-nounced on February 8. “It’s only being arranged according
to a scheme for now,” said Rafaj, adding that the modern age calls
for such a document, as “Slovaks seem to have vanished from this
republic.” “Nobody speaks about them(Slovaks), there’s no-where you
can fi nd their rights defi ned; not even in the Slovak
Constitution, in which, however, and quite para-doxically, the
rights of minorities are mentioned. I’m
(Continued on page 8)
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PAGE 8 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011
News and Views from Slovakia...(Continued from page 7)
asking now where Slovaks are defi ned? Where have they
disappeared to from the legislation?” said Rafaj. The SNS
vice-chair went on to emphasize that Slovaks form an indigenous
nation, which is why SNS is pushing for “these unsequestrable and
inalienable rights to be defi ned in the spheres of language,
culture, indigenousness, as well as original spiritual and
Christian values.” Rafaj also said that SNS is planning to organize
an in-ternational conference on multiculturalism. The event could
take place in late April or early May.
Forty-fi ve Slovaks brought backfrom Egypt on government planes
A total of 45 Slovaks and foreign nationals who have lived and
worked in Egypt for a long time were brought back to Slovakia by
the Slovak government’s special air-craft on February 3, TASR
learned later that day. The aircraft landed at Bratislava airport
shortly after 5:30 p.m. On board were thirty-four passengers who
were Slovak, eight were Czechs, two Portuguese and one was a
Hungarian citizen. The decision to dispatch the aircraft was
announced by Foreign Affairs Minister Mikulas Dzurinda on February
2, Dzurinda noted that there are about 100 Slovak citizens in
Egypt. Dzurinda didn’t rule out the possibility that tourists will
also be able to board the special airplane if there are vacant
seats. He said that those who want to leave Egypt on Thursday were
supposed to contact the Slovak Embassy in Cairo or the diplomatic
service at the ministry in advance.
Ukraine wants Slovakia’s helpin introducing pension reform The
Ukrainian government is interested in cooperation with Slovakia in
the sphere of pension system reform, said Ukrainian Social Affairs
Minister Serhyi Tyhypko on Feb-ruary 3rd after meeting with Slovak
Finance Minister Ivan Miklos in Bratislava. According to Tyhypko,
Ukraine wants to involve Slo-vak experts from both governing
structures and non-govern-ment organizations in the process of
carrying out reforms to Ukraine’s pension system. “We take a very
positive view of the fact that Slovakia has carried out
considerable reforms in this sphere. For the fi rst time since
gaining independence, Ukraine has a con-solidated government that
is directed at carrying out such reforms and is able to carry them
out,” said Tyhypko. Representatives of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) are currently in Ukraine assessing the results of
co-operation and whether the agreed conditions for providing
another tranche of credit have been met. “We think that the
stability of cooperation is very important and we’ll fulfi ll
everything that concerns the agreement that we have with the IMF. A
key measure that we have to carry out is the fi rst phase of
pension reform,” said Tyhypko.
Sulik calls SaS nominee’s severance pay an outrage It’s plain
outrageous that former head of the Kosice-based state-owned TEKO
heating plant Ivan Zich(Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) should receive
$112,000 in severance pay after holding the post for a mere few
weeks, Parliamen-tary Chairman and SaS leader Richard Sulik said on
Febru-ary 3. “I’m sorry to hear that it was an SaS nominee,
Mr.(Ivan) Zich, who showed such greed and had himself paid
$112,000. Perhaps he’ll fi nd some discretion in himself and won’t
accept the money after all,” said Sulik, adding that he’ll explore
ways to see that the severance payment to Zich does not
materialize. Sulik also admitted that Zich wasn’t a good nominee.
“As soon as we realized this, I personally insisted on Zich being
replaced,” he added. Zich was appointed as TEKO board chairman
after a crisis management team took over the company. He was
re-called from the post on December 21, 2010 after the tenure of
the crisis management team was over. According to the chairman of
the leading Opposition Smer-SD party Robert Fico, Zich’s severance
payment was designed to serve as an excuse for TEKO’s
privatization. “I believe that they did it on purpose so as to have
yet another reason for privatization...saying that something like
this could never happen in a privately-owned company,” said former
premier Fico.
According to Fico, the government has it eyes set on “one of the
biggest robberies ever seen here in Slovakia,” namely the
privatization of heating plants. He said that the move won’t
translate into their more effi cient management but into massive
increases in heat prices.
House overrules president’s vetoof Language Act amendment
Parliament at its session on February 2 overrode Presi-dent Ivan
Gasparovic’s veto and approved an amendment to the State Language
Act with 78 votes, TASR learned later in the day. The piece of
legislation was originally designed to be-come effective as of
January 1, but has now been tweaked to come into effect as of March
1. Gasparovic returned the law to the House on the grounds that the
amendment leaves the decision as to whether a fi ne will be imposed
if the Act is breached to the Culture Minis-try. Gasparovic’s
proposed change was turned down by the Members of Parliament,
however. The opposition Slovak National Party (SNS) recently
announced that it might challenge the law at the Constitu-tional
Court if it were passed again. “The amendment has se-rious
shortcomings. If the Coalition overrides the president’s veto, this
law will end up at the Constitutional Court. We’ll strive for
this,” said SNS vice-chair Rafael Rafaj, adding that the party
wants to exhaust all legislative options before fi ling the
complaint. SNS will need allies in this process, and is counting on
Smer-SD members of parliament to support its initiative. The
amendment, as submitted by the Culture Ministry, narrows down the
number of situations in which sanctions vis-a-vis the use of Slovak
or the failure to do so will apply. It was designed to tone down
the law currently in effect after changes made by the previous
cabinet headed by Robert Fico. Most importantly, penalties - the
most criticized instru-ment in the law - will as of March only be
imposed in cases in which information on the lives, health,
security or property of Slovak citizens is concerned or in which
information published by public administration authorities is not
presented in Slovak.
Early estimate: Slovak economygrew by 4 percent in 2010 The
Slovak economy grew by 4 percent year-on-year in 2010, according to
a preliminary estimate published by the Statistics Offi ce on
February 15. In 2009, the Slovak econo-my contracted by 4.7
percent. According to the statistics offi ce, gross domestic
prod-uct in the fi nal quarter of 2010 reached $19.5 billion, which
represents a 3.5-percent growth, year-on-year. This was the slowest
rate of growth of all quarters of last year, however, with GDP
growth decelerating continuously last year from quarter to quarter.
The GDP grew by 4.7 percent, year-on-year, in the fi rst quarter of
2010, by 4.2 percent in the second quarter and by 3.8 percent in
the third quarter. When seasonal infl uences are taken into
account, the Slovak economy produced goods and services worth $14.5
billion during the fourth quarter of 2010, which represents a
3.4-percent growth, year-on-year. A more exact estimate will be
published by the stats offi ce on March 3.
V-4: energy security is vitalissue in Central Europe Discussions
between the Visegrad Four(Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and
Poland) on one side and its closest neighbors - Germany, Austria
and Ukraine - on the other side, are vital for energy security in
the region of Cen-tral Europe and the entire EU, premiers of the
seven coun-tries agreed at a summit in Bratislava on February 15.
The issue is key for the V4, according to Czech Premier Petr Necas.
“Germany, Austria and Ukraine represent signifi -cant territories
through which principal energy materials such as crude oil and
natural gas are delivered. Therefore, looking for alternative
delivery routes and close dialogue with these countries are vital
for the energy security of the V4,” said Ne-cas. Austrian
chancellor Werner Faymann expressed support for the two planned gas
pipelines in southern Europe - the Nabucco(Turkey, Bulgaria,
Romania, Hungary and Austria) and the South Stream(Russia,
Bulgaria, the Balkans, Hunga-ry and Austria). “We also support
projects of renewable en-ergy resources. We’re convinced that they
should be carried out not only by Austria but also the neighboring
countries
and throughout the EU,” said Faymann, who reinterated his
country’s negative stance towards nuclear energy. Ukrainian Prime
Minister Mykola Azarov confi rmed Ukraine’s interest in securing
reliable deliveries of energy resources to Central Europe. He noted
that the Ukrainian route is the shortest and cheapest one.(A
dispute between Russia and Ukraine over the price of gas and
alleged illicit withdrawal of gas from pipelines by the latter
prompted the Russians to cut off gas deliveries in the midst of
winter two years ago, causing a gas crisis in Central Europe - ed.
note)
Gasparovic hip-replacementoperation without complications An
operation during which surgeons provided a hip-re-placement for
President Ivan Gasparovic went well on Febru-ary 14 at the Ladislav
Derer Teaching Hospital in Kramare in Bratislava. During a press
conference later that day, doctors from the facility indicated that
the operation went well with no complications. President Gasparovic
turns 70 in March. “There were no complications, he was smiling
after the operation, claiming that he wasn’t suffering any pain,”
said the head of the Injury Surgery Clinic, Dr. Peter Simko.
Gasparovic had been struggling with a hip problem for almost ten
years and had suffered severe pain for the past six years. “This
indicated the need for an earlier operation, but the president
waited until a later phase,” said Simko, adding that the doctors
hope to have Gasparovic back on his feet with aid of crutches
within a few days. The operation will not prevent the president
from car-rying out his offi cial duties as head of state, the
doctors con-fi rmed.
Average salaries grew inmost sectors in 2010 The average monthly
salaries in Slovakia in 2010 grew in all monitored sectors
year-on-year apart from the mining and quarrying sector, and rose
most signifi cantly in selected market services( by 6.6 percent
year-on-year) and in indus-try(5.3 percent), the Statistics Offi ce
said on February 10. Salaries in wholesale grew by 4.9 percent
year-on-year. Other increases were: in pubs and restaurants - 4.7
percent, in accommodation services - 4.2 percent, in in-formation
and communication activities and in the sale and maintenance of
motor vehicles - both 2 percent, and in transport and warehousing -
1.7 percent. The highest average nominal monthly salary in 2010 in
Slovakia was paid to those in information and communica-tion
services - $1,900, followed by industry - $1,000. Aver-age salaries
in wholesale reached just under $1,000, while in retail the average
salary stood at $750. When it comes to the data for December, the
aver-age nominal monthly salary grew most rapidly in selected
market services - by 8.4 percent year-on-year. Other in-creases
were: in transport and warehousing - 6.3 percent, in construction -
5.1 percent, in industry - 3.1 percent, in wholesale - 2.8 percent,
and in retail - 1.8 percent. Salaries in information and
communications fell by 4.9 percent in December.
Activists call on Premier to sayno to pipeline through Zitny
Ostrov The Civil Association ‘No to the Pipeline Through Zit-ny
Ostrov’ is calling on Prime Minister Iveta Radicova to initiate a
discussion on the Bratislava-Schwechat Pipeline project during a
session of the meeting of the prime minis-ters of the Visegrad Four
group(Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic), Austria
and Ukraine on February 15, the chairman of the association Tomas
Mikulec told TASR on February 14. “In our opinion, it is important
that the prime min-ister at the premiers’ session clearly and
directly tells her Austrian counterpart that Slovakia doesn’t agree
with the oil-pipeline route in the way it has been proposed by the
Austrian side,” read Mikulec’s statement. “At the same time, we’re
pointing out that this oil link doesn’t resolve anything for
Slovakia from the energy point of view. This link appears to be a
short-sighted solution to us due to the threat posed to water
resources, as clean water is becoming the strategic raw material of
the 21st century,” he claimed. The association was set up by
students of Bratislava uni-versities who are concerned about the
future of Zitny Ostrov - the site of the most important
drinking-water reservoir in Slovakia. The association began
collecting signatures in Feb-ruary 2010 for a petition aimed at
preventing the construction of a pipeline between Slovakia and
Austria via Zitny Ostrov.
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SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 PAGE 9
Highlights of the Children’s Christmas Party Hosted by Assembly
28 & Wreath 18Sparetime Bowling Lanes + Slovak Catholic Sokol
Club + Douglas, Mass. + December 5
Getting ready to serve the pizza to the youngsters are, l-r,
Lori Cyr, Tori Landry, Deb Johnson and Judy Manyak.
Santa poses with the youngsters who enjoyed the afternoon.
Youngsters with their certifi cates for free bowing, compliments
of Spartime Bowling Lanes.
All smiles on the faces of the youngsters as they begin to
bowl.
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PAGE 10 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011
Scenes of the Annual Children’s Christmas Party Hosted by Group
17 “Rev. Francis Skutil”The Camelot Bowling Lanes + Youngstown,
Ohio + Sunday, December 5, 2010
Santa fl anked by, l-r, Supreme Treasurer and Group 17 President
James G. Jerek, and committee coordinators Edith Babik and Nancy
Kropolinsky.
Andrew and Frankie Cimmentoi with a familiar “Santa.”
Mia Stana hugs a familiar “Santa.”
Kaitlyn and Haylie Rankin.Judy Babik with daughter, Lindsey
Smith and grandson, R.J.Trimble.Terrie Williams and daughter,
Sarah. Santa with Nick Olexia.
Emily Rose Snitzer, the youngest participant, is shown with her
grandmother, Patti Snitzer.
R.J.Trimble waiting for San-ta to arrive.
Brianna Brammer, Candice Kraykovich, Jenna Troxil and Monica
Shirilla.
L-r, Jackie Polchak with daughter, Michelle DiMuzio and
granddaughter, Ava.
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SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 PAGE 11
was fi lled to overfl owing with thousands of young people, many
of whom remained through the night, who came to demonstrate their
respect for life from concep-tion to natural death. Beginning at 11
a.m. on January 24, thousands of march participants began to gather
at the National Mall where they heard more than three dozen
lawmakers address the crowd during the rally to start the annual
March for Life. In addition to the speakers, a number of groups
entertained. A number of U.S. Senators and Representatives were
among the lawmakers who pre-sented spirited reasons why ‘Roe v.
Wade’ must be overturned. There is
Slovak Catholic Fraternalists Participate in the 38th Annual
March for Life in Opposition to AbortionWashington, D.C. + Monday,
January 24 + Celebrating Life from Conception to Natural Death!
(Continued from page 1) renewed enthusiasm in many parts of the
country given the present po-litical climate. Following the Mall
activities at about 2 p.m., the par-ticipants, estimated to exceed
more than 100,000, then began the offi -cial march along
Constitution Ave-nue to the Supreme Court building. We are pleased
that so many of our members from so many parts of the country
braved the frigid weather conditions to affi rm our organization’s
commitment to the sacredness of life and our opposi-tion to
abortion. We join the ma-jority of Americans who oppose
abortion-on-demand and want innocent human life to be pro-tected
especially when it is most defenseless.
The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, the new Bishop of Scranton, Pa.
along with the Rev. Thomas Muldowney stopped by to greet some of
the Slovak Catholic fraternal-ists who participated in this year’s
march.
Students from Benedictine High School in Cleveland, Oh.under the
leadership of their principal, Rev. Gerard A. Gonda, O.S.B. joined
the contingent of Slovak Catholic fraternalists in this year’s
march.
Group 9 Sokolky from Johnstown, Pa., including Nancy Fesko and
Francine Calpin, shown under our organization’s banner, stopped by
to greet our Slovak Catholic fraternalists.
Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic, third from the left
is shown with fel-low Slovak fraternal leaders, including, l-r,
Irene Dortleff, national secretary of the First Catholic Slovak
Ladies Association(FCSLA); an unidentifi ed young lady; Dr. Deborah
Brindza of the FCSLA, Therese M. Kluchinski, president of the
Ladies Pa. Slovak Catholic Union, Mary Ann S. Johanek and Msgr.
Peter A. Dora, president and national chaplain, respectively of the
FCSLA.
Slovak Catholic fraternalists marching on the streets of our
nation’s capital.
With the U.S. Capitol in the distance, the Slovak fraternalists
march with the Slo-vak fl ag borne high by Sue Ann M.Seich. Shown
with her are, from the left, Kelly Palchanis, Danielle Zablotney,
Heather Horvath, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic and Suzanne Horvath.
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PAGE 12 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011
(Continued on page 15)
(Continued from page 5)
a traditional luncheon and fraternal program in the social hall
of the par-ish located at 406 East 67th Street. All members, as
well as our Brother Sokols and Sister Sokolky from our neighboring
lodges, are welcome to join us. Editor Daniel F. Tanzone will be
the principal speaker at the luncheon. Following the luncheon, we
will conduct our lodge’s annual meeting. At this year’s
celebration, we will celebrate the 88th anniversary of the founding
of our Assembly. It was in April of 1923, that a group of young
Slovaks met at St. John Nepomu-cene parish and organized a new
lodge of the Slovak Catholic Sokol. Over these many years, we have
enjoyed active participation in the various fraternal, cultural and
sport-ing events of our organization. In addition, we have
supported many Slovak activities associated with our parish. Our
St. Joseph’s Day obser-vance continues a wonderful frater-nal
tradition of honoring the patron of our lodge as well as all of our
“Josephs” and “Josephines” among us. This year’s patronal feast day
observance will observe its 65th an-nivesary. It was in 1946 that
we fi rst hosted such a celebration. We look forward to seeing a
good turnout at this year’s observance as we celebrate Sokol
fellowship and fraternalism in the Big Apple. Zdar Boh! Dr.
Ladislav Korcek President Anna Korcak Financial Secretary
PITTSBURGH, PAAssembly 16
Our next regular meeting is set for Monday, March 7 at our
Slovak Catholic Sokol Club, South Side, beginnning at 7:30 p.m. All
mem-bers are urged to attend. At this meeting, we will select
delegates who will represent our lodge at the upcoming 31st
quadren-nial convention which is scheduled for July 30 to August 3
here in Pitts-burgh. Those aspiring to serve as a delegate must be
members in good standing and qualify to serve ac-cording to the
bylaws of our organi-zation. Further details of the national
convention as well as other lodge business will also be on our
meeting agenda. Come join us for a pleasant fraternal evening. Zdar
Boh! Angelo Capozoli Recording Secretary
PITTSBURGH, PA.Wreath 22
Our next regularly scheduled meeting of our wreath is set for
Monday, March 7 at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Club, South Side,
beginning at 7 p.m. All members are invited to attend. At this
meeting we will collect the delegate forms prepared for those
representing our Wreath at
Lodge Jottings Group 9 “SS. Cyril and Metho-
dius” will host its 19th annual bowling tournament on Saturday,
March 19 at the Lakeview Bowl-ing Lanes in Ebensburg, Pa. Host-ing
this year’s exciting competi-tion will be Assembly 79 of Lilly, Pa.
The fi rst group will begin ac-tion on the lanes at 10 a.m. The
second group is scheduled to be-gin at 2 p.m. Teams which prefer
the morning session should con-tact this year’s tournament
direc-tor, Tom Muldoon in advance. The
Group 9 to host 19th Annual BowlingTournament set for Ebensburg,
Pa.
tournament is open to all Group 9 Sokol members. An enjoyable
tournament has been planned and will consist of men’s and women’s
team com-petition. In addition, individual prizes will be awarded.
Cost of bowling for Sokol members will be $25.00 - which includes
bowl-ing, prizes and the traditional vic-tory dinner following the
competi-tion on the lanes. Snacks will be provided during the
competition and BYOB. However, Group 9
assumes no responsibility for the demeanor of any participants.
Following the competition at Lakeview Lanes, we will travel to
nearby Lilly, Pa. where the traditional victory dinner will be
enjoyed at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Club there. The Sokol Club is
located on Railroad Street. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. with a cash
bar available. Cost of the dinner for guests not bowling is $15.00
per person. Group 9 will subsidize the dinner cost for all bowlers.
Deadline for all bowling entries is Monday, March 14, 2011. All
dinner reservations must likewise
be made by the March 14 dead-line. Send all reservations to: Tom
Muldoon, 1089 Main Street, Lilly, PA 15938. Each year, the number
of bowlers participating has been increasing. Continuing in this
tra-dition, we look forward to seeing a great turnout of bowlers
from all our Group 9 Sokol lodges at this year’s tournament. Come
join us for an enjoyable competition in the best traditions of
Group 9 So-kol good sportsmanship and ca-maraderie. Zdar Boh!
Thomas Muldoon Assembly 79 Sports Director
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SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, FEBRUARY 23, 2011 PAGE 13
Since 1922 Wreath 111 in Lorain, Ohio has been a beehive of
fraternal activities. In recent years, its monthly meetings include
a variety of presenta-tions and activities of a cultural nature. A
particular topic is selected for each monthly meeting with
follow-up ac-tivities. The monthly meetings held in No-vember and
December 2010 were unique and attracted a good number of members.
At the November 8th meet-ing, the Sokolky celebrated Italian
culture with a talk on famous people, places of Italian heritage as
well as an explanation of the meaning of the Ital-ian fl ag.
Following the presentation, a lively discussion followed. In
addi-tion, several Sokolky made traditional Italian biscuits and
pizzelles for tasting pleasure. An enjoyable and fl avorful evening
was had by all. On December 5th, members of Wreath 111 joined with
the mem-bers of the United Slovak Societies
Celebrating cultural diversity in our midst
Wreath 111 Hosts Interesting and DiverseFraternal Outreach
Projects in Lorain, Ohio
by Anna Gaydoshof Lorain in preparing a traditional Slovak
Christmas Eve supper, Vilija or stedry vecer at the American
Slo-vak Home. The Sokolky of Wreath 111 were asked to prepare the
pirohy for the meal for the more than 200 guests expected. Our
hardworking Sokolky prepared more than 600 po-tato-cheese pirohy
along with enough sweet cabbage pagach for the guests. With the
close of Holy Trinity parish, the Vilija was a wonderful
opportunity for the former members of the Slovak church who now
worship at a variety of parishes where they reside, to cel-ebrate
this wonderful Slovak faith tra-dition together. At the dinner, all
the culinary spe-cialities were served and the tradi-tions
observed. We were privileged to have the talented and spirited
Lucinka Children’s Slovak Folk Ensemble of Cleveland entertain us.
It was also an honor to have Kaitlyn Knick, the Slovak Princess of
the Lorain Interna-
Enjoying the “Italian” night are seated, l-r,Valerie Konecny,
Chris Nedleman, Glenice Zelina and Ann Zuffa . Standing are, l-r,
Marge Kurta, Helen Zemanek, Helen Virant, Michele Mager and Marcy
Turton.
Kaitlyn Knick, who reigned as the Slovak Princess at the Lorain
International Festival entertained at the Vilija dinner.
Members of the Lucinka Children’s Slovak Folk Ensemble of
Cleveland entertained at the Vilija sup-per at the American Slovak
Club.
Anna Gaydosh, treasurer of Wreath 111, displays some of the
sweet cabbage pagach prepared by the Wreath 111 Sokolky.
Displaying some of the more than 600 pirohy prepared by the
Sokolky for the Vilija dinner are from the left, Marge Kurta,
Glenice Zelina, Michele Mager, Helen Zemanek, and Steve and Anna
Gaydosh.
Annual raffl e committee pose for a photo and include front row,
l-r, Helen Virant and Glenice Zellina, president of Wreath 111;
second row, l-r, Marcy Turton, Fran Hobar, Dorothy Hobar and Marge
Kurta; and third row, l-r, Bernie Steadman, Judy Hromada, Ann Zuffa
and Anna Gaydosh.
tional Festival, sing several folksongs in Slovak. Finally, we
wish to thank all our members who supported our an-nual raffl e
which support our various charitable outreach projects. The
win-ners included: 1st prize of $100 won by Kathy Trifi letti of
Lorain, the 2nd prize of $75 won by Amy Grude of Wakeman, the
3r