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End of an era
Members cherish memories of St. Elizabeth Church and Slovak heritage of parish
By LINDA M. LINONIS
campbell
Memories aren’t bounded by a building; they are treasured in hearts and souls. Members of St. Elizabeth Church hold dear the memories of baptisms, weddings, funerals, festivals, outdoor services at the grotto and shared worship experiences.
St. Elizabeth Church will close after a final Mass on Jan. 2 with Monsignor Cyril Adamko, pastor from 1967-91, as celebrant. Bishop George V. Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown will give the homily and the Rev. Michael Swierz, administrator of St. Elizabeth and pastor of St. Joseph the Provider, also will participate. The closing is part of the Parish Implementation Plan in the Diocese of Youngstown.
As Maryann Jurcisin said, “Although we are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved parish community, our Catholic Christian faith doesn’t depend on a particular building. Our ultimate goal is to be ‘eternal life’ parishioners in the kingdom that Jesus promised us. My prayer and hope is that each one of us will now take the faith nourished at St. Elizabeth’s and help build a stronger community wherever the Lord leads us.”
Jurcisin was baptized at St. Elizabeth’s 72 years ago and is a lifetime member. She was church secretary from 1970-91.
Recently, Eddie Hudak, a member since 1924, when he was born; Sara Svagerko, a 28-year member; Charles Terek, who was married at the church in 1942; Marge O’Malley, director of religious education; Sister Bernadine Janci of the Sisters of Notre Dame; Father Swierz and Jurcisin met at St. Joseph to talk about their beloved church.
The longtime members acknowledged the reality and reasons for the church closing. They shared tidbits of memories; a remembrance book is being compiled for members.
Hudak recalled the importance of St. Elizabeth Parochial School to the church. It opened in the mid-1920s and now is closed. The Vincentian Sisters of Charity taught first through eighth grades. “There were 300 kids there,” he said.
Many memories shared by the group were of the Rev. Joseph L. Kostik, pastor when the church first opened in 1922 to 1967. He died May 23, 1970. Terek said he heard how bread was donated to the church and its members during the Great Depression by Dora Schwebel, founder with her husband, Joseph, of Schwebel’s Bakery in 1906. “Bread was given to the school and church,” he said. “Father Kostik didn’t see your race, religion or background,” Terek said. “He liked helping people.”
Jurcisin said a booklet on Father Kostik’s jubilee contains a letter from Dora Schwebel noting how she was glad to help the church.
Hudak said the priest was “a good pastor and good-natured. He did everything he could for you.”
Jurcisin said she remembers as a child walking up to the church and catching up to Father Kostik, who wore a cape. “He’d open it up and I would get under it,” she recalled. “He smelled of incense.” Father Kostik also was known for wearing a straw hat in spring and summer.
She also recalled when children of the parish had a loose tooth, they would go to see the pastor.
“In his Slovak accent, he would say ‘It’s not ready yet,’” Jurcisin said. He would pull it out when it was ready and the child would get a dime.
Svagerko remembered her father going to the church early in the morning and not returning until the afternoon. “They were counting the collection,” she said.
Terek said Father Kostik was “sports-minded” and also took children fishing and hunting. The church members played baseball on Oakland Field on the east side.
Hudak recalled that Father Kostik had a bad auto accident in the late 1930s and never drove after that. His parishioners drove him around.
The group recalled at its largest, the church had about 400 families with children. Now there are about 160 families, but many are one-person and senior citizen households.
In 1961, church members built the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, complete with an altar, with stones from a nearby quarry. The grotto, the site of many outdoor services, was dedicated to Father Kostik. Father Swierz said the outdoor service tradition has continued.
The members recalled how huge crowds turned out for May crowning services on the first Sunday of May. It was seen as the highlight of the year.
Also popular at the church were plays in Slovak. The plays were presented pre- and post World War II, Jurcisin said. “I still remember lines from one but have no idea what it means,” she said. Hudak said the Slovak plays “got people involved” and kept the Slovak heritage alive.
O’Malley said one youth ministry among the churches has worked out well. The youth went to New Orleans on a humanitarian project.
Sister Bernadine, pastoral minister, has conducted the bereavement ministry and visiting the sick.
As the church closing nears, members said the idea of “collaboration” goes back to Bishop Thomas Tobin, who suggested that Campbell churches help one another. “We’ve been working together a long time,” Father Swierz said, adding that helps the merger.
“We’re an extended family,” he said.