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Holy Name of Jesus Church marking 100th anniversary
By LINDA M. LINONIS
YOUNGSTOWN
Treasuring heritage and respecting history continue as hallmarks of members of Holy Name of Jesus Church, which was founded on the West Side by Slovak immigrants in the Mahoning Valley. The church is marking its 100th anniversary with a Mass and dinner Oct. 1.
John Janosik exemplifies the devotion to the church of its members. The 93-year-old was born into the church, where he has been a member of the choir since he was a boy and choir director for 40 years.
The choir, though small in number, continues to provide a musical supplement to Masses. Janosik said the choir sings both English and Slovak hymns. Mary Kollar also showed devotion as organist for 68 years.
Janosik, along with Agnes Phillips, Diane Balog, JoAnn and Jack Maxgay, Bernard Bolha and the Rev. George M. Franko, longtime pastor now retired, recently met to discuss the church. The church is part of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish and includes St. Matthias and Sts. Cyril and Methodius churches.
“The beauty of the church is amazing,” Janosik said. “It’s the people, too, ... we all work together well.”
A memory of long ago was when Janosik was about 12 years old and was asked to help at the church. He was asked to ring the bells at 6 a.m. The longtime member said he recalled it was winter and still dark. He entered the dark church and tripped over somebody. “I was so scared,” he said. “An old Slovak lady had come to pray. It was an experience I will never forget.”
The church didn’t forget its roots and members continued to make ethnic foods. The group said these included kolachi, haluski, halupki, pirogi and kiffles filled with nuts, apricot and lekvar. JoAnn Maxgay said another specialty was pogach, belush in Slovak. The bread is filled with mashed potatoes and cheese or cabbage, baked and then brushed with clarified butter.
Father Franko said embellishments in the sanctuary also reflect the heritage of the church. “Linden leaves are a traditional Slovak touch in decorating,” he said.
The sanctuary also features mosaics with Jesus behind the altar and Sts. Cyril and Methodius and Our Lady of Sorrows, the patron of Slovaks, on the sides. Mosaic artwork also is featured in the Stations of the Cross, with a mosaic background and ceramic figures. There are two side altars, honoring the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. Stained-glass windows add another dimension to the sanctuary; they are framed in bold blue glass with scenes of Jesus’ life depicted.
Father Franko served as assistant pastor from 1951-1963 and pastor from 1968-1989 and is well-acquainted with generations of the congregation. “There are wonderful people here,” he said.
The priest, who served Holy Name of Jesus for about 32 years total, recalled the 1951 Christmas Eve Mass, the first service after the church was enlarged and remodeled. “At communion, the lights went out. People thought it was planned but it wasn’t,” Father Franko said. “The church looked so beautiful because many candles were lit but it was an accident.”
He also remembered the blessing of homes at Epiphany. “I would sometimes go to 1,000 addresses. It would take a month,” Father Franko said. “There was the blessing, and it also served as a census of the church. It gave me more opportunity to know the spiritual needs of the people,” he said. “I knew where people lived, not so much the numbers or streets.”
Father Franko named his dogs Slovak names. He had “Luncut,” which means rascal; “Lada,” Venus; and “Lapaj,” gadabout. “They understood Slovak,” he said.
The Maxgays met at the church; Jack has belonged for 51 years and JoAnn for 71. “We got engaged at Christmas and have been married 51 years,” he said. As a student at the church school, she recalled fasting before first Friday Mass then being able to eat a brown-bag breakfast at Holy Name school. “It was a big deal,” she said.
“Being an altar boy is one of my best memories at the church,” Bolha said. “We were brought up with religion and it was a way to serve the Lord.” He noted he attended Mass daily as a student at Holy Name school.
Phillips, a member since birth, said she remembers attending Holy Name school. “We would go to members’ homes and deliver oplatki,” she said of the Christmas wafers, a tradition among Slovaks.
For Balog, memories are an accumulation of holidays such as Christmas and Easter and holy days. “The traditions are important,” she said.
Balog said the church has greeters who welcome people to Sunday Mass at 9:30 a.m. Altar servers are older people and some college students. As for special services, Balog said the church has conducted 40-hour devotions when the church was open continuously. The Blessed Sacrament is displayed for adoration. The church also had May Crowning to honor the Blessed Mother. At Easter, there is blessing of food baskets.
There also is a bereavement group of women, Phillips said, who say prayers and line up with candles for funerals.