[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1225-E1226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 17, 1997

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to congratulate St. 
John the Baptist Catholic Church in Hammond, IN, on the joyous occasion 
of its centennial celebration this Sunday, June 22, 1997. The day's 
festivities will begin with a Mass of Thanksgiving at 3:00 p.m., 
officiated by the Most Reverend Dale J. Melczek. Following the mass, a 
gala reception will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the parish's Panel Room 
Banquet Hall. The reception will include dinner, several guest 
speakers, and live performances by the Lubo Pala Slovak Folk Band, the 
Vychodna Slovak Folk Dance Ensemble, soprano, Dorothy Hoover, the St. 
John adult choir, and the Stanley Paul Orchestra.
  The founding of St. John the Baptist Church is one of struggle and 
triumph. In the spring of 1897, after successfully petitioning Bishop 
Joseph Radermacher for a Czechoslovakian priest to serve those in the 
community of Slovak heritage, a welcoming committee met Father Benedict 
Rajcany in Hammond on April 17, Holy Saturday. His first mass was 
offered on Easter Sunday 1897 at Sacred Heart Church in Whiting, IN, 
since no Slovak church existed at the time. Soon after, the Slovak 
Catholic Union Branch 130 transformed its meeting hall into a church, 
which was dedicated on July 4, 1897. The church was dedicated to St. 
John the Baptist because the new pastor stated he felt like ``one 
crying in the wilderness'' in his new assignment in the United States.
  By the time World War I began in 1914, the church had been enlarged 
to accommodate 650 parishioners. By 1921, the first regular assistant, 
Father Michael Kosko, was appointed to the church. During his ministry, 
Father Rajcany continued to place emphasis on the English language and 
on the Americanization of his parishioners. Some objected, but their 
reluctance was soon overcome. At approximately the same time, priests 
from St. Joseph College in Rensselaer, IN, journeyed to assist the 
parish on weekends.
  By 1925, it became apparent that a new and larger church would be 
needed. That same year, the future pastor of St. John, Reverend John 
Kostik, C.P.P.S., arrived as a permanent assistant. Later, at the 
suggestion of Father Rajcany, Father Kostik was appointed pastor of St. 
John by Bishop John F. Noll. Also during that year, the parish was 
placed under the supervision of the Society of the Precious Blood, and 
it continues to be served by priests of the society to this day.
  Groundwork for the new church, the work of Chicago architect Herman 
Gaul, began in May, 1930. Knowing the economic seriousness of the times 
and the dangers of bankruptcy, Father Kostik placed the success of the 
$300,000 venture in the hands of St. Therese, the Little Flower of 
Jesus. Amazingly, during this period of financial disaster, the parish 
lost only $340, and the entire debt was retired by 1942. The new 
Romanesque style church, with its 190-foot steeple, stands as a tribute 
to God from those founders of Slovak heritage.
  In the late 1940's, much-needed additions to the parish were begun. 
Plans conceived by then-pastor Father John F. Lafko, C.P.P.S., were 
carried out by his successor, Father Gabriel Brenkus, C.P.P.S. In 1948, 
construction on the first phase of the new school, consisting of 
classrooms, a convent, and the Panel Room Banquet Hall, began. After 
its completion in 1951, the second phase of construction, consisting of 
an auditorium, gymnasium, and additional classrooms, began in 1955. The 
final addition to the St. John the Baptist complex was a new rectory, 
which was completed in 1967.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me in congratulating the parish family of St. John the Baptist, under 
the guidance of Father John Kalicky, C.P.P.S., and former pastor-in-
residence Father Edward Homco, C.P.P.S., as they prepare to celebrate 
their centennial in 1997. Their slogan, ``We Remember, We Celebrate, We 
Believe,'' reverberates throughout the community in a celebration of 
faith--faith in God, faith in country, and faith in people. In this 
spirit, St. John has enhanced the quality of life within the Hammond 
community through its religious, educational, and cultural 
contributions for the past 100 years.

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