[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 46 (Friday, April 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC 
                               FEDERATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LOU BARLETTA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 1, 2011

  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and acknowledge the 100th 
anniversary of the founding of the Slovak Catholic Federation in 
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
  In 1911, the Slovak immigrant community in the United States was 
nearing the peak of its existence. Slovak Americans longed for 
religious communities of men and women who would evangelize and teach 
in the best traditions of the Cyrilo-Methodian heritage of their 
Catholic faith.
  On February 11, 1911, the Slovak Catholic Federation was founded by 
the Reverend Jozef Murgas, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Slovak 
Church. Its establishment resulted from a meeting of bishops, priests, 
and lay people who wished to unify Slovak Catholics in the United 
States. The Zdruzenie Slovenskych Katolikov, as it is known in the 
Slovak language, was incorporated in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, on 
December 30, 1912.
  The story of the Slovak Catholic Federation can be seen in its list 
of accomplishments, and in the religious activities of its member 
societies and local chapters. Projects of the federation support 
various Catholic organizations and religious communities, and promote 
activities for young people. For most of its existence, the federation 
raised money to support Slovak refugees who were displaced by war and 
communist oppression, assisted religious communities and institutions 
seeking to rebuild after 70 years of communism, and worked to help 
establish the Pontifical College of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Rome, 
Italy, where priests from Slovakia can advance their theological 
studies.
  Over the last 100 years, the work of the federation has flourished. 
Local chapters were established in many Slovak parishes in northeastern 
Pennsylvania and across the country, with districts or regions 
coordinating the federation's work at the local level.
  Mr. Speaker, the Slovak Catholic Federation has performed numerous 
works of charity and religious outreach over 10 decades. It has 
positively affected countless Slovak Catholics both here and abroad. 
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the 
Slovak Catholic Federation on the 100th anniversary of its founding, 
and I ask them to join me in wishing them many years of continued 
success.

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