[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 130 (Monday, October 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATING ST. MARY'S, OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP CHURCH IN 
                   MOCANAQUA ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of my 
esteemed colleagues in the House of Representatives to St. Mary's, Our 
Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Mocanaqua, Pennsylvania.
  The church building itself is a landmark in Northeastern Pennsylvania 
with a gleaming gold and white steeple, partially encircled by 85-year-
old pine trees. Travelers see the gold cross and towering pine trees as 
they cross the Susquehanna River on Route 11. But more importantly, St. 
Mary's Parish has a rich history.
  St. Mary's, also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, has roots that 
date back to the late 19th Century when 10 Polish and three Slovak 
mining families petitioned the local coal company for a place to 
worship.
  The coal company gave them an old, abandoned schoolhouse, which 
became the public place of worship in Mocanaqua.
  I would like to recognize the contributions of the 10 founders of St. 
Mary's Parish: John Bizup, Joseph Bolinski, Joseph Fraj, Charles 
Kadtke, Frank Kadtke, John Kadtke, John Kollar, John Kowalski, John 
Strzelczak and Joseph Wywiorski.
  I would also like to call the attention of my colleagues to a 
parishioner named Mrs. Mary Kowalski Stapinski, the only immediate 
descendant of one of the Parish's founders. Mrs. Stapinski is 97 years 
old now and the oldest living member of the Parish.
  Father J. Signorski celebrated the first Mass in the improvised 
chapel in 1885. Father Signorski traveled from Sacred Hearts of Jesus 
and Mary in Scranton to perform the Mass.
  In 1887, Bishop William O'Hara ordered the parish to become a mission 
church of St. Stanislaus Parish in Nanticoke. Father Beneventus 
Gramlewicz ministered to the spiritual needs of the people of 
Mocanaqua, traveling from St. Stanislaus in Nanticoke each month.
  In 1890, the Church was made a mission of St. Adalbert's in Glen 
Lyon, and its pastor, Monsignor Andrew Zychowicz, traveled to Mocanaqua 
once each month to celebrate Mass at St. Mary's. As the years went on, 
Monsignor Zychowicz and his parishioners saw the need for a larger 
place of worship because the number of families there had grown so 
rapidly.

  Parishioners began a fundraising drive for a new church in 1897. They 
raised $400, and it is believed that this was the start of the annual 
Church picnic, which has since become a popular and beloved tradition.
  The parish sought to purchase land for their fundraiser. The coal 
company sold parishioners a piece of land for $1 because it wanted to 
keep the cheap labor pool content. The men of the parish leveled the 
land, cleared boulders, and dug a well. The park was named Sobieski 
Park and was formally dedicated in 1933.
  Several years ago, the Library of Congress asked Members of Congress 
to submit nominations for the Local Legacies Project of the American 
Folklife Center. The Library asked for documentation of at least one 
significant cultural event or tradition that is important to each 
district or state, and I was more than happy to nominate St. Mary's 
Annual Homecoming Picnic. St. Mary's annual picnic is a celebration of 
ethnic heritage and diversity in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
  Father Stanislaus Siedlicki of Glen Lyon succeeded Monsignor 
Zychowicz, who was made pastor of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary 
Church in Scranton. Construction of a new church building began in 
1904. The church was located near Mocanaqua's current underpass and 
near the railroad.
  In a tragic accident several years later, the church burned to the 
ground when a spark from a passing locomotive ignited the wooden 
structure on fire. However, the parishioners were not deterred. They 
again raised money for a new church, which was dedicated in 1914 at its 
present site, safely out of reach from the railroad.
  The Rev. Andrew Smeltz took over ministering to St. Mary's, which was 
still a Mission Church, in 1908. In 1910, the members of the Mission 
felt that they deserved a full-time pastor. Bishop Michael Hoban 
appointed the parish's first resident pastor, the Rev. Felix Nowak, on 
Dec. 10, 1910.
  During this time, coal miners were fighting for better wages. Many of 
them had left their wives and children in Europe while they came to 
America to earn the sufficient money to bring their families to 
Mocanaqua.
  The miners threatened the West End Coal Company that they would quit 
and return to Europe if their wages were not raised. Not only were 
their wages raised, but they also successfully negotiated for the coal 
company to arrange passage for their families to come to America.
  The provision of land for a cemetery was also provided in the 
negotiations. The first parishioner to be laid to rest in the cemetery 
was Basil Petrow, who lost his life at the age of 30 while working in 
the coal mines.
  At this time I would like to pay tribute to 10 heroic servicemen from 
St. Mary's Parish who lost their lives during World War II and the 
Korean War: Michael Giunta, Edward Kadlubowski, Joseph Kalinowski, 
Edward Matak, Chester Okoneski, John Orzechowski, Vincent Yamilkoski, 
Michael Yaszczemski, John Zak, Stanley Zakrzewski.
  By 1954--the year of the church's Golden Jubilee--the St. Mary's 
Parish had grown to include more than 400 families.
  In 1976, to show their patriotism during our nation's bicentennial, 
the parishioners removed the historic bronze church bell which had been 
cast in 1914 from the steeple and placed it on permanent display in the 
Church yard. A bronze plaque marks the site.
  Pope John Paul II has given St. Mary's Parish a special Apostolic 
Blessing on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary. The Library of 
Congress has also recognized the occasion with a congratulatory letter.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues in the House of 
Representatives join me in paying tribute to St. Mary's Parish in 
Mocanaqua. I am honored to represent a parish with such long-standing 
roots in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

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