Ethnic Heritage Society forms historical collection

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ethnic Heritage Society, a multicultural organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the memory of ethnic communities and traditions in the Mahoning Valley, has established a collection at the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, 648 Wick Ave.

Included in the collection are photographs, documents, commemorative histories and three-dimensional artifacts related to local churches, synagogues and secular organizations that have traditionally served immigrant and migrant groups.

The current collection includes artifacts from the following churches in various areas of Youngstown: Sts. Peter and Paul Croatian Roman Catholic Church (North Side), Our Lady of Hungary Catholic Church (West Side), St. Casimir Polish Catholic Church (North Side) and St. Stephen of Hungary Catholic Church (East Side). Also represented by articles in the collection are Temple El Emeth of Liberty, and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on the East Side, which closed in a recent merger with Sacred Heart Parish.

The collection was organized by Dr. Thomas Welsh, EHS coordinator, with the support of the Rev. Joseph Rudjak, EHS president and pastor of two urban ethnic parishes.

The Rev. Rudjak indicates that the group is not focused exclusively on preserving the history of local ethnic communities, but is also looking toward the future. He said the preservation of history is a fundamental building block for the reinvention of ethnic identity among members of the upcoming generation.

Bill Lawson, executive director of MVHS, describes the collection as a significant contribution to the society’s collection of artifacts related to local ethnic communities.

For further information contact Dr. Welsh at 330-792-7936, or Rev. Rudjak at 330-747-6762.