Saturday, May 14, 2016
By LINDA M. LINONIS
YOUNGSTOWN
Heritage and history figure prominently in the ancestry and lives of members of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, which celebrated its 120th anniversary in April.
The namesakes of the church, though themselves Greek in background, became the patrons of the Slavic people because of their work in Christianity to the Slavic people in the ninth century.
In the 1800s, some of the descendants of the Slovak Catholics had migrated to the United States, where they settled in the Mahoning Valley. Here, they worked in steel mills, coal mines and railroads. In the community and church, they were instrumental in founding various Slovak organizations and churches.
In 2012, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church became part of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish with other Slovak churches, Holy Name of Jesus and St. Matthias.
Recently, these members met at the church to discuss its history and activities – Vern Gleydura, Kay Kalischak, Anthony Krispinsky and Bob Sofranec, all members since birth; and Tim and Norbert Wagner, 10-year members.
“The church is part of my family,” Gleydura said. “I have a lot of history here ... so it’s family. It’s like home.”
Her father, the late Michael Walihnac, built the altar and railing around the choir loft.
Krispinsky agreed, noting, “The church is part of me.” He continued that he was an altar server as a boy and has become a senior server now.
“I’ve been here forever ... it means so much to me,” Sofranec said.
“There’s a closeness with everyone here,” Kalischak said.
Norbert Wagner said when he and his late wife, Elizabeth, came to the church for the first time, she remarked that “this is my church,” referring to the similarity to her home church in Pittsburgh.
Tim Wagner added that members welcomed them and invited them to join.
Tim Wagner said when he thinks of the church and congregation, he feels he must “remain steadfast in faith, joyful in hope and untiring in love.”
The church continues to offer spiritual and social activities to engage its members. The church reinforces its close-knit congregation with a coffee-and-doughnuts gathering every third Sunday of the month.
Krispinsky noted that Sts. Cyril and Methodius provided worship space in its basement when three churches were in formation stages – St. Stephen of Hungary, Sts. Peter and Paul and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
He also noted that 16 priests were “sons of the church” and 15 women became Ursuline Sisters, and others joined different orders.
During World War II, 18 men of the church were killed in action.
Sofranec commented that the Cy-Me Men’s Club, founded in the 1930s, remains a fixture of the church.
“It’s been here forever,” he said, noting the group of some 20 men helps with church maintenance.
In the “heyday of the church,” he said, membership was 100 or more.
Our Lady of Sorrows Seniors Club has 102 members from 24 churches of various denominations and remains vibrant and active.
The group meets on the second Thursday of the month for lunch and a social time at Sts. Cyril and Methodius hall. Bingo and cards are diversions, and birthdays and anniversaries are celebrated. One table is reserved for decorations reflecting the theme of the month – this month it’s Mother’s Day; in June, Father’s Day; July, patriotic; and so on.
The Wagners revamped the lighting and painted the hall, making it a welcoming and festive setting.
Other groups at the church have included the Altar and Rosary Society, which cares for the altar cloths; Ladies Guild and Infant Jesus of Prague Guild.
For decades, the church operated a school that began in the basement with three classrooms staffed by the Ursuline Sisters. The church school opened in 1907 and continued until 1985. A parents’ association was involved with school activities and fundraising.
A Slovak Fest, highlighting the heritage of the parish, continues and will take place in August at St. Matthias.
Another tribute to the Slovak heritage is a monthly Mass in Slovak; there is one at 4 p.m. today.
At church and parish events, member recall their heritage with various foods including kolachi (nut rolls); kiffels filled with nuts, apricot, poppyseed and lekvar and known as “rozsky” in Slovak; holupky, cabbage rolls; haluski, noodles and cabbage; palachinke, also called crepes; and pirohy, the Slovak spelling of the ethnic specialty.
In honor of Our Lady of Sorrows, there will be a pilgrimage Sept. 18 to Shrine of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted, 517 S. Belle Vista Ave.
The brick church is of Romanesque design, completed in 1901 at a cost of $75,000. The sanctuary is graced with ornate stained glass windows fabricated in Slovakia. Figures depicted in the windows include Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Lucy, Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Anne, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, St. Joseph and St. Matthias. The sanctuary is highlighted by 13 stained-glass windows and seven around the altar. A distinguishing feature are 14 round stained-glass windows that embellish the interior.