St. Casimir Alumni Blog

Submit anything you wish to have posted to dlhorn@stcasimir.com

September 1, 2010

I'm going to chop off the end of this blog. Let me know if you think I should save and make accessible the portion I chop off. It would be a link at the end of the blog. Dan - dlhorn@stcasimir.com.

Oh and the picnic was great with estimates of 300 to 350 attendees and we had 621 entrance/raffle ticket sold including 220 at the gate. Please mark your calendars for August 21, 2011 at the same location, the Italian and American Club, for next years picnic.

September 1, 2010

August 24, 2010

(By the way, it will also kill a wasp)

August 24, 2010

A public service announcement for Cuyahoga residence:

August 22, 2010

I have assisted with the alumni picnic for the past eleven years and had the best of luck to not get stuck with any duties this year. The event was excellent. There was a wide selection of food and it was all good. The Polish sausage and hotdogs were excellent and offered either boiled inside or grilled outside. The homemade cabbage rolls were great as was the cabbage and noodles. There has been a nice update to the neighborhood map showing details from "The Day". They had Jungle Terry entertained the children and adults with a number of interesting critters and he can draw a perfect circle on the ground.  Our long time one-man-band Jolly Jack had many people dancing. Tina somehow puts together this Chinese Auction that you just have to see and she did a fantastic job again indeed. If you missed this picnic you probably missed one of the best ones since we had Big Chuck and Little John. We had six new members sign up and a couple renew. If I were to guess at the attendance I would say three hundred would not be exaggerating but I will post the official attendance and anything else Tina and Sutton would like to add here when it is available. For myself and I'm sure many others, I would like to thank Tina and Sutton, and everyone else participating, for the coordination and running the 21st annual Alumni Picnic. 

SEMPER FI

August 16, 2010

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/aug/16/members-closed-church-defy-cleveland-bishop-ar-194769/

July 12, 2010

John Prokop sent me this list. I don't know if the links will paste correctly but it does say a lot about what a great city it's ancestors built. The list of the top 99 things that make Cleveland Great. We are a great city and we do not value Lake Erie as we should. So thanks to who ever made the list. If you want credit let me know who you are. Dan

1. Cleveland Metroparks. Kind of a hidden gem an Emerald Necklace, to be exact.

2. Cleveland Orchestra. Consistently one of the worlds best.

3. Actual seasons. One lasts a little longer than the others, but still.

4. Cleveland International Film Festival. Lights, camera, action and a lot of documentaries downtown. Annual movie-buff heaven.

5. The Dawg Pound. OK, it's not where you want to spend quality family time, but it's our own special spot within Cleveland Browns Stadium.

6. The Big Egg. The legendary hangout in Cleveland is reopened, with something for everyone on its menu.

7. Progressive Field. Would you rather watch a ballgame at the old Municipal Stadium?

8. Cost of living. Median home price in the Bay Area in Northern California topped $400,000 last month. And how much did you pay for your house?

9. "Hot in Cleveland." Who doesn't love Betty White? Check it out on TV Land, 10 p.m. Wednesdays.

10. Severance Hall. The venerable hall in University Circle classies up anyone who plays here.

11. Great Lakes Brewing Co. Christmas Ale, anyone?

12. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Yes, we rock.

13. Cleveland Museum of Art. Almost 100 years old, with a legacy of expansive collections.

14. Lake Erie Tall Ships, beaches, Edgewater Marina, Goodtime III, the Steamship William G. Mather . . .

15. Terminal Tower. A tall legacy of our city (with a reopened observation deck!).

16. Michael Symon. When he's not opening burger joints you can find him on the Food Network competing against other chefs.

17. World-class health care. Best place in the country to be chronically ill.

18. A Christmas Story house. The Tremont-neighborhood home draws us closer to Ralphie seeking that special BB gun.

View full sizeLisa DeJong, The PDParade the Circle in University Circle.

19. University Circle. Cleveland Museum of Art. The Museum of Natural History. Western Reserve Historical Society. Cleveland Botanical Garden. Wade Oval. Case Western Reserve University. Enough said.

20. PlayhouseSquare. From "Wicked" to something wicked this way comes, these eight (soon to be 10) venues make the theater district the nation's largest performing-arts center outside New York.

21. Sokolowski's University Inn. This isn't your school cafeteria food, that's for sure. Comfort food in the shadow of the Inner Belt.

22. Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Only 33,000 acres to explore.

23. West Point Market. A luxury market, almost in LeBron's back yard, in West Akron.

24. Pierogis. A local traditional favorite that makes you feel good all over.

25. The blimp. Who do you think is responsible for making the city look great during Cavs playoffs games? The city never looks better than the nighttime shots on television.

26. Ice cream. Swenson's in LeBron's hometown, Mitchell's in Westlake, Honey Huts all around -- the list is mouth-watering long.

27. Blossom Music Center. It's a summer rite of passage to hear the orchestra and have a picnic at the Cuyahoga Falls amphitheater.

28. Little Italy. One of the city's most charming, and tasty, areas. Stroll through many galleries and boutiques, then grab a bite at one of many delicious eateries, from pizza, cannoli and espresso at Prestis or a scrumptious slice of cassata cake at Corbo's to a meal at La Dolce Vita or Trattoria.

29. Warehouse District. Once a bustling area for yes, warehouses, when Cleveland was an industrial boomtown, today the lovely restored area bustles with top restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Choices range from gourmet seafood and steaks and Blue Point Grille and XO Steaks to hot beats and Fortress to Spanish favorites at Mallorca.

30. Great Lakes Science Center. Hands-on science, giant-screen movies learning never stops being fun here.

31. Public Square. Cleveland's focal point, literally and figuratively, for history and more.

32. Festivals. Where else can you celebrate ethnic heritage, duct tape and ribs?

33. Maltz Museum of Jewish History. One of the area's newest and finest museums.

34. West Side Market. Cleveland's oldest publicly owned market in Ohio City beckons with its wafting smells, fresh produce, sausage and more.

35. Polka! The National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame could be nowhere else.

View full sizePD fileRunners cross the Abbey Road bridge into Tremont and past the West Side Market.

36. Lakeview Cemetery. More than graves, it's history, fame and power, all resting in one place.

37. Big Fun. The iconic Coventry toy stores name says it all. Now with a West Side location, too.

38. Karamu Theatre. Nation's oldest racially integrated performing-arts center counts Langston Hughes and Ruby Dee among its many alums.

39. Gallucci's. Whether it's pepperoni bread or parmigiano-reggiano, cheap white table wine or a barolo riserva, hot capicola or prosciutto di parma, this East Side Italian market which traces its roots to 1912 imports much of its own stock.

40. Beachland Ballroom. Esquire calls it one of America's top 100 bars. Blender says it has the best jukebox. Bands across the country swear by it. It's more than a hangout; it's the anchor of all activity on Waterloo.

41. Cedar Lee Theatre. Classic theater draws classic films.

42. Commute. Think I-71, I-77 or I-90 are bad? Try Southern California.

43. Edgewater Park. A warm-weather break to fly a kite or catch your breath.

44. Tremont. Arguably the most Clevelandy part of the city, old and new. Find boutiques, steel mills and art galleries; corner bars, VFW halls and trendy bistros; ethnics and bohemians; more churches than any other part of the city; and more places to drink, too. Don't miss St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral, a magnificent onion-domed landmark that had a starring role in the "The Deer Hunter."

45. Coventry Road. The laid-back boho thoroughfare boasts must-stops in Cleveland Heights, from nationally renown concert club The Grog Shop to one of the best playgrounds in town; to Macs Backs bookstore; the city's only American Apparel; and Tommy's, maker of some of the best, most healthful sandwiches, shakes and pita pies around.

46. Sweet corn. Local sugar, ready to be husked.

47. Farmers markets. A local, fresh food festival every week in growing season.

48. Akron Civic Theatre. If PlayhouseSquare weren't enough, this 1929 theater is still going strong, for all types of concerts and events.

49. Towpath Trail. Walk, ride your bike or a real railroad from downtown to Akron and beyond, through urban confines and natural areas.

50. East Fourth Street. Downtown's newest vibrant area, from Greenhouse Taverns local foods to fine dining at Lola to sipping a margarita at Xocalo to bowling at The Corner Alley all within one block.

51. Cinematheque. Film festivals, special screenings, foreign films, silent classics all regular occurrences here.

52. Melt. Crisp and plush, grilled cheese so good you'll want to tattoo it on your chest. Or maybe just go back to this Lakewood eatery again. And again.

53. Cedar Point. Roller Coaster Capital of the World is only about an hour away.

54. Put-in-Bay. Nothing like a close, quick, fun getaway.

55. Memphis Kiddie Park. How many circa-1952 parks for tykes are there left in America? A handful, but none more vintage than this one.

56. Amish country. Need to slow down? Head south for a good meal, pleasant stroll and a quiet getaway.

57. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. One of the gems of the Metroparks, there's always a new program among the dozens of exhibits.

58. Boutique shopping. No snobs + low prices = good buys.

59. Ingenuity fest. A fun, unique marriage of art and technology.

60. Parade the Circle. Creative, colorful University Circle event is an annual family draw.

61. Architecture. It's not just one style around town. From the downtown's Federal Reserve Bank and classic churches to the Frank Gehry-designed Peter B. Lewis Building at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland isn't a bad-looking place.

62. Old Arcade. Our Victorian lady, one of the first malls in America, glass-domed and shining in brass.

63. Free July 4th concerts. Fireworks and the Cleveland Orchestra under the stars downtown. Wonderful sights and sounds for free.

64. Higher ed. Not just good schools, but good in different areas. Engineering? Try Case Western Reserve University. Plastics and polymers? University of Akron. Business? John Carroll University. How about a known liberal-arts tradition? Oberlin College. Want to teach? Baldwin-Wallace College. Like liquid crystals, fashion or journalism? Head to Kent State University. Want to learn about urban affairs? Check out accessible Cleveland State University.

65. Art walks. A summer weekend without an art walk seems pretty rare.

66. Neighborhoods. Yes, we still have them. Keepers of the walkable streets come from East and West Coventry, Chagrin Falls, Lakewood.

67. Rockefeller Park. Green space across the city with ethnic gardens, handsome stone bridges and separate north and south bike paths.

68. Phoenix Coffee. Roasted coffee beans are not a bad scent to smell as you walk downtown.

69. Hot dogs. Happy Dog on Detroit Avenue, Polish Boys, all-night Steve's Lunch on Lorain Avenue that simple American fare tastes extra special in Cleveland.

70. Stadium mustard. Mouth-watering requirement for those dogs.

71. Diners. Bacon and eggs and nighthawks! The diner scene has eats and personality with the Little Polish Diner, Diner on East 55th, Diner on Clifton and a heaping plate of other spots.

72. Velvet Tango Room. Classic cocktails might be the rage, but this nationally acclaimed West Side snazz-pad started the trend.

73. Bowling. For some cities it's nothing more than a trendy old-school throwback. For us, it never left.

74. L'Albatros. Zack Bruell's homage to French food can make you say, Oui, oui. And ...

75. Parallax. Bruell also knows his way around seafood.

View full sizePlain Dealer file

76. Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. The Seiberlings' estate in Akron is a rich historical lesson and step back in time every time you visit.

77. St. Ed-St. Ignatius rivalry. Classic rivalry (and we're not choosing sides).

78. Toboggan chutes. How cool is it to have Ohio's only public ice chutes?

79. Feast of the Assumption. Where religion meets a large Italian street party every August.

80. The Great Geauga County Fair. One of the oldest in the nation, this is the 188th year (Sept. 2-6).

81. Gold Coast. This lakefront neighborhood in Lakewood boasts some of the best views of the lake and skyline and one of the best, classiest restaurants. Chic, sophisticated Pier W has been a favorite of locals since the '60s.

82. Nostalgia. The cults of Ghoulardi, Dorothy Fuldheim, Moondog Coronation Ball . . .

83. Apollo's Fire. Give baroque a chance.

84. Downtown bridges. Sure, you travel over them to get to work, ballgames or restaurants, but have you ever noticed the design and workmanship of the Lorain-Carnegie (Hope Memorial) Bridge?

85. Sense of history. If you don't think Cleveland has this, go to ech.cwru.edu. Thousands of pages make the city's rich history and people come alive.

86. Diversity. Scores of ethnic groups comprise our city, giving us heritage, festivals, pride and more.

87. AsiaTown. From dim sum at Li Wah or Wonton Gourmet to bubble tea at Koko Bakery, from Vietnamese soup at No. 1 Pho to the kitschy gift boutiques at Asia Plaza, this is a treat for tourists and locals.

88. Bubba's Q-World Famous Bar-B-Q & Catering. Thinking of the Avon rib joint, with its on-site pits, is making our lips smack.

89. Hot Sauce Williams. The Williams family's home-style chicken wings and ribs have been zinging tongues for decades.

90. Malley's. Chocolate for every occasion.

91. Renaissance Hotel in Tower City. The onetime Hotel Cleveland has been a Public Square fixture since 1915. Today, the renovated icon stands proud as a glam-and-glitzy reminder of a swankier era, from its luxe marble-and-fountain filled lobby to elegant rooms.

92. Local authors. It's a long list, and one that seems to keep growing. Our literary lights include George Bilgere, Dan Chaon, Michael Ruhlman, Mary Doria Russell, Thrity Umrigar, Cinda Williams Chima and others.

93. Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-in Theaters. There are fewer than 400 drive-ins left in America but Ohio is tied with Pennsylvania for having the most, 33. This North Ridgeville throwback remains the king.

94. Momocho. The Mod Mex restaurant on the near West Side is tequila central.

95. Fish fries. How popular are these? Enough that we run an annual list that seems to grow each year in The Plain Dealer.

96. Community gardens. This city is growing up!

97. Drew Carey. Local comedian always remembers his hometown roots even though he's in Hollywood's limelight.

View full sizePeggy Turbett,
The PDMalley's chocolate-covered Twinkies. 'Nuf said.

98. Cartoonists. Some biggies hail from here Bill Watterston (Calvin and Hobbes) and Tom Batiuk (Funky Winkerbean), to name a couple.

99. Superman. The Man of Steel was forged right here, in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood.

June 29, 2010

June 29, 2010

June 14, 2010

Report from the latest prayer vigil. We hope to change the Bishop's stand on the closure of certain Churches. The Bishop stated that if the Hungarian Church wins it's appeal against they're closure the Bishop would close the Church none the less. Prayers were offered in front of St. Casimir Church that the Bishop would become enlightened and less vindictive of it's most needing parishes. Discussion of cooperation with other Churches and Parishes forced to close were talked about in earnest.

June 14, 2010

Remember When: The East 79^th Street Library

The other day I was in our local library when I started to think about the library I used to go to for so many years on East 79^th Street. I tried to remember back as far as I could and my earliest recollection was the story book time. It wasn’t very clear and I only remember sitting on the floor listening to the librarian read a story and show pictures. I also remember how hard it was for me to sit still and be quiet.

My next memory was trying to get a library card and my mother saying she would not sign for one and I would have to wait until I was old enough to get one myself. She didn’t want to be responsible for library books in the house with so many brothers and sisters to lose them, color in them, spill liquids on them or drop them in the bathtub or toilet. So I waited until I could get my own. There was something very grown up about getting your own library card. It suddenly felt powerful and prestigious to finally own one and take books out entrusted to my care. Getting them back on time was not so easy and a rather hard lesson to learn.

The library always seemed rather large to me as it was twice as long as it was wide with no parking places. It was opened in 1916 and was one of the 15 Carnegie branch libraries built in Cleveland. It looked like a bank and office building combined. It was divided into 3 sections:  Children’s, Young Adults and Adults. Each section had distinct furniture and decorations to accommodate that particular group. When I first started going I was confined to the Children and Young Adult sections. There was always adult supervision in the Children’s and Young Adult sections.

The adult section was the larger half of the library and the rooms were cloistered off and you somehow knew they were off limits if you were under 16. It was always very quiet in there and the only time you could go through there was if you had to use the rest room. There was a fireplace on one of the walls, but I never saw it used. I can’t remember if was a façade, or if it was really used at one time.

When I was in high school, the library was the perfect place to do homework. It was quiet, well lit, always a comfortable temperature and you weren’t bothered by your younger annoying brothers or sisters. It was also a place to meet your friends or meet new girls (especially during your middle and high school years).  Since it was safe place to visit your parents always allowed you to go there. After all what could you possibly do wrong at the library? You might be asked to speak quieter if you were too loud, or asked to leave if too many of you got together at one table and created a ruckus.

The librarians at our branch were always older ladies. They seemed very Victorian, they were always educated, and would always correct your bad grammar or manners when you displayed them (almost like having another mother surrogate).  One librarian I remember always stood out. I was in college when they hired a Miss Frances Rodstein. To my surprise she was very young, easy to talk to and she was interested in bringing our neighborhood library into the new and modern world.  She came at a time when the neighborhood was in transition and she not only wanted to be a part of it, but she wanted to keep the library thriving and alive with the changing demographics of the time.  It was a challenge that she took seriously and worked on until the day the library closed in 1989.

June 4, 2010

I think I can give you an update on why the St. Casimir properties are no
longer listed for sale.

Here is part of an e-mail I received from Deacon Jim Armstrong:

"To the best of my knowledge, the Diocese has not received official
notification of any parish appeals accepted by Rome, only inquiries from
Rome about specific parishes.  Still, the Diocese is treating those
parishes on which we have received correspondence from Rome as a parish
involved in official recourse.  St. Casimir is one of those parishes.
None of the closed parish properties concerning which the Diocese has
received inquiry from Rome is to be sold before the recourse is
completed."

Best regards,

Bob Ruggles

June 3, 2010

The following article was in Scene Magazine, a free weekly new and cultural paper distributed around Cleveland area. Send the author an email and thank him for writing about us. Thanks John P. for finding this. Dan

Cleveland Scene Magazine Article About St Casimir 's Church & Parish June 3, 2010

 GONE, NOT FORGOTTEN 

The diocese dumped St. Casimir's. Its flock won't let go so easily

by D.X. Ferris

The sign on the door of St. Casimir's says PRIVATE PROPERTY, NO TRESPASSING. The chain-link fence that surrounds the Catholic church once protected its brown bricks from graffiti artists who menace the Superior/St. Clair neighborhood. Now it keeps out the faithful, who can no longer get in but refuse to go away.

The Diocese of Cleveland shuttered St. Casimir in November, part of Bishop Richard Lennon's plans to snuff out more than four dozen parishes across the region by July 4. The week after St. Casimir's closed, 79-year-old Michael Klymiuk-Wieczerski had a dream. The Virgin Mary appeared to the retired doctor, imploring him not to let St. Casimir's go quietly.

So he began calling fellow parishioners and inviting them back. Ever since, they've convened outside the building at Sowinski Avenue and East 82nd Street every Sunday — Klymiuk-Wieczerski and dozens of other Catholics, formerly of St. Casimir's and other closed parishes all over Northeast Ohio. Throughout the frigid winter they gathered in prayer, to decry the campaign that silenced their church and the bishop whose bidding it was. They crave the unity they once enjoyed when St. Casimir was the spiritual center of their universe.

Today is a nice day for prayer and protest, 11:30 on a sunny Sunday in late May. The 40 or so who have assembled are the only white faces amid streets with names like Pulaski and Kosciuszko — among the few reminders that this was once a neighborhood known as "Poznan," dense with Polish immigrants. Lifelong parishioners guess that maybe 20 percent of the flock, tops, still lived in the area in Casimir's final days.

With no clergyman in sight, the services are informally led by a trio including Wojciech Fleszar. A native of Krakow, he's been in America for 20 years, attending St. Casimir for the past 12. A church sits across the street from his Chardon home, but he drives 47 miles to be here.

"I welcome you again in front of the closed door of our church," says Fleszar, in the soft-edged accent of his homeland. "We get in here every week for one reason: to stop closing our churches, so we can meet not outside, but inside our beautiful church. It's something amazing ... Pray for Bishop Lennon, that the Holy Spirit will open his heart, and for all Catholics."

Since the bishop's arrival in 2006, many believers say they have yet to see an open heart. Lennon came to town on a wave of negative publicity, plucked from a Boston archdiocese racked by sexual abuse scandals. His reputation there was that of an unfeeling businessman sent to do the church's bidding, a hatchet man in holy cloth. In the eyes of many, his legacy has been solidified here.

In his third year on the job, Lennon announced plans to shutter 50 churches, most of them in or around Cleveland.

"This is not Rome doing this," says St. Casimir parishioner Joe Feckanin. "The church is being attacked from within by these heartless bishops."

Unlike many of the doomed, St. Casimir's appeared financially healthy. A parishioner who has seen the books says the church had over $300,000 in its bank account when it was closed — enough to sustain it for years, even if its members and generous alumni chapter were to suddenly stop donating. The six-building campus — which includes the parish hall and rectory — is on sale for $975,000. Its pastor, Leo Talesz, retired when the church was closed.

"There weren't many people that were left there," says diocesan spokesman Robert Tayek. "At St. Casimir's, in the year 2007, there were two baptisms. The mass [attendance] counts were down ... There really wasn't any activity to speak of, in the sense of the faith."

So far, 40 churches have been crossed off the list. Final masses, presided over by the Bishop himself — "eviction masses," as the disenfranchised call them — are scheduled every week. At the same time, the faithful continue to gather at St. Casimir's, and they plan to at least until the Vatican issues its final ruling on the appeal they filed in Rome.

Their weekly vigils are delivered primarily in Polish, as one mass every Sunday had always been. Sheltered by the shade of the church, they say Our Fathers and Hail Marys. "America the Beautiful" and a Beethoven melody echo across empty adjacent lots. And then they join hands and pray for Lennon's ouster.

As the diocese restructures, ethnic parishes feel they're being singled out, and it's easy to see why: In Cleveland, 31 of the 50 churches slated for closure have ethnic orientations, including 6 of the area's 7 Hungarian churches, 9 of 16 Polish churches, 2 out of 4 Croatian churches, and 6 of 7 Slovak churches.

For this reason, those who gather at the steps of St. Casimir's invoke the slogan "For Our Parish and Yours." Their numbers include members of shuttered ethnic churches such as St. Wendelin, the former Slovak parish on the near West Side.

"We accurately accused the diocese of ethnic cleansing," says Feckanin. The diocese, not surprisingly, takes umbrage with use of the term, which is synonymous with the Holocaust.

'We understand and respect the rich traditions and diverse cultures that comprise a church," Tayek says. "However, we must face the realities presented by population shifts within our region, financial hardships many of our parishes are encountering, and the number of priests available. The church is about people and their faith, not about buildings."

The diocese has merged some parishes, but St. Casimir's resisted. Before it closed, its name was reassigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a Lithuanian parish in Collinwood. Some members faithfully accepted the reassignment; others didn't.

At the weekly vigils, they do what they can to recreate the wonder of their shuttered church. Dedicated in 1918, the building was fashioned in the Eastern European Baroque tradition. Inside, worshippers were surrounded by ornate, earth-toned pillars. The Polish mass averaged 100 attendees, grouped in pews on the sloping floor that allowed everyone a view of the majestic sepulchre. Above the altar, a painted panorama depicts Christ, his family, the Holy Spirit, and the apostles floating in clouds, looking down on a lush spread of statues and candles.

On the fence outside, parishioners now hang a banner-sized photograph of the elaborate sanctuary.

"It was historic," says Feckanin. "It was special. When you went in there, you had a feeling of magnificence. The altar was the most exquisite in Northeast Ohio. You could feel the presence of the people and the sacrifice of the people who built it."

As the vigil ends, the faithful remove their decorations from the fence, climb back into their cars, and drive home, leaving a barren building on a barren block on an otherwise lovely afternoon.

Send feedback to dferris@clevescene.com.

May 9, 2010

While I have not yet checked I heard at the weekly prayer vigil that the St. Casimir Church properties are no longer listed for sale on the Diocese website and the realtor that is linked on our main page lists the website as special sale. Efforts are still underway at Cleveland City Counsel meetings to get the counsel to make the contents of St. Casimir Church part of the historical landmark. We heard that the march from St. Peters Church to St. John's got some publicity. 

May 8, 2010

Posting a letter I recently received from Sister Emilie Marie Lesniak writing about the death of Sister Mary Charitas Gajdzinski on October 8, 2009 at the age of 92. See letter and eulogy here. See you at the prayer vigil in front of St. Casimir Church tomorrow

April 30, 2010

Class of 1965 flyer and letter from Sister here

Status of Our Appeal to the Vatican

I have received a letter from Monsignor Celso Morga Iruzubieta, Under-Secretary of the Vatican Congregatio Pro Clericis, Vatican City, dated March 25, 2010 identifying that the "recourse placed against the dispositions of the most Reverend Richard Lennon, Bishop of Cleveland in regard to St. Casimir Parish, Cleveland, Ohio has been extended by the Dicastery until June 24, 2010 in order to thoroughly study the matter."  This means that the appeal process, which is the only way to have the decision by Bishop Lennon changed is ongoing.  I do not anticipate any type of decision by June 24th, but do foresee further extensions.  Tina Girod.

PLAV Kentucky Derby Party

PLAV Post 31 Ladies Auxiliary is having a Kentucky Derby Party on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at the Post, which is the location of our alumni meetings, 850 East 200th St. Cleveland, Ohio (across from Home Depot).  "Post" time is 3:00 PM through 7:00 PM.  There will be food, entertainment, mint juleps, games of chance, ladies hat contest, cash bar and of course, the Derby race!  Please contact Sutty Girod at (216) 210-5096 for tickets, which are $8 each or 2 for $15. Social Membership at the PLAV is $20.00 per year but you need a member to sponsor you.

April 25, 2010

On May 1, 2010 Saturday, in front of St. Peter's Church at 17th and Superior a gathering will take place and will march to St. John's Cathedral where Bishop Lennon will be holding Mass for newly anointed Deacons. The march will begin at 11:00am

April 22, 2010

We have learned that the Church properties are officially for sale. Cut and paste the following link to find more details:

http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/Looplink/Profile/Profile.aspx?LL=true&LID=16595286&STID=cbre

I don't really think the property would be worth that amount of money. It is asbestos property. There is a six inch pad of asbestos lining the upper ceiling of every building there not to mention the asbestos flooring. The cost to make the buildings usable for the public would be enormous and there is no way they would sell for the $975,000 as advertised. It would be best that the Diocese sign the entire complex over to the St. Casimir Alumni organization and let that 501(c)(3) organization take over management of the property.

April 7, 2010

They keep telling me that China is financing our debt. Are they? Most of the jobs that were in the United States of America are now in China. What we as a country have saved is now being spent to purchase what we once made. We exported some very expensive things to China. Our manufacturing. We do not owe a debt to China, China owes one to us. We are the ones providing the light to the better life and the process requires an exportation of our wealth. That investment should not be taken without appreciation. Let us remember. We and our Fathers and Mothers made this world of ours and we can keep it going. Do not forget that a good education is the best defense against all.

March 25, 2010

There were articles in the Plain Dealer's editorial section from numerous people who were defending the Bishop's stand on closing Churches. One even went so far as to describe how they looked forward to joining their new parish. We have learned that those "numerous people" are in fact employed by the Cleveland Diocese. Does anyone think there is a conflict of interest there? Please write the Plain Dealer and let them know.

March 21, 2010

March 19, 2010

March 18, 2010

Added an alumni officer contact page with a link on the main page.  Let me know if you have any changes.

Also, please attended the prayer vigil this Sunday.

March 13, 2010

This is the letter referred to in today's Plain Dealer article about Fr. Begins' letter to the Bishop.
Nice read.
Michael (In Word Format) (In PDF Format)

March 7, 2010

We had our annual corn beef dinner and it was excellent. Our hosts at PLAV Post 31 were wonderful. Everyone who attended agreed that the food was great. Thanks to everyone who participated in this event and we will be planning to continue it next year.

March 1, 2010

Our Alumni meeting was shorter than usual but it was almost canceled due to the snow. Our Secretary, Tina Girod, discussed the appeal filed by her attorney, Carlo Gullo, in Italy with the Vatican. it is 26 or 27 pages in length. Asked if the Alumni could see the translation of the document but was told it was still a private matter and no one can review the appeal. It may take up to six years for a response to the appeal. Come join the fun at PLAV Post 31 on March 7 for the Alumni's annual corn beef dinner in honor of our Buddy Borovac a long time Alumni member who passed away a few years ago.

February 26, 2010

Added the Alumni By-Laws to the web site at the bottom of the main page. 

February 21, 2010

The prayer vigil was held at 11:30am on Sunday. There was discussion of having a group representing St. Casimir Church marching in the St. Patrick's Day parade on March 17. If someone drops out of the parade we will be able to march in the parade carrying banners supporting St. Casimir Church. Stay tune for details.

There will be a group representing St. Casimir Church in the Polish Constitution Day parade. I will post details on the main page calendar.

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I will try to do better.

January 28, 2010

Happy Birthday to Cheryl Horn!!!

January 27, 2010

January 10, 2010

Approximately thirty people braved the cold at our weekly prayer vigil this morning. For a positive change, at least for me, part of the prayer vigil was in English this time.

I was told that copper thieves broke into the Convent and stole the copper piping. If this is true then Bishop Lennon is not providing the required security. A quick tour around the Church showed numerous foot prints that may have been the surveyors Mary mentioned (they were measuring the Church buildings for the Diocese) or they could be from someone looking to break into the Church.  There were some other things I noticed such as the door was left open to the gas meter shed and ice was building up on the south side of the Church roof. There were tire tracks going into the Church property. Hopefully they were from someone checking on the boiler for the Church.

St. Casimir parish has joined with Endangered Catholics (careful the site plays music if your at work) in contesting the closure of St. Casimir Church and other Churches recently closed by Bishop Lennon. They attend Wednesday Mass at 5:10pm at the downtown cathedral in a group as protest. They have made armbands in the Red and White colors of the Polish flag which they wear at the Wednesday Mass.

My father-in-law got his name in the Plain Dealer after the November 15 prayer vigil and the Polish American Journal picked up on that and made up a new quote. Just so to set the record straight the quote was: "I was baptized at this Church, now I have to drive past four Catholic Churches that Bishop Lennon closed to go to Mass, I'm thinking of  joining the Jewish Temple".

If someone can send me the police report for the theft of copper from the Convent I will post it here. Dan

Joseph Feckanin who has been at every prayer vigil that I know of, wrote an article for the Garfield Heights Neighborhood News titled "St. Casimir's still 'in exile'. It read:

The Extreme cold, blustery winds and blowing snow could not stop the St. Casimir Church faithful and their supporters from once again acting as parish last Sunday morning on Sowinski Ave. The church, like a sentinel, stood silent with its boarded up windows and doors as worshipers stood in the street below. As has been done week after week since November 15, artifacts were laid out on a makeshift altar with holy pictures, candles, red and white flowers and the Divine Mercy picture of Jesus. This time the papal flag adorned the locked gates with American, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Irish, Slovak and Clovene flags to the left and right, representing the people in attendance whose churches are being closed and shuttered. Catholics throughout Greater Cleveland have encouraged the St. Casimir people not give up on their closed church, and the Vatican is being flooded with mail from Greater Cleveland Catholics. The St. Casimir "in exile" parishioners have joined the "Endangered Catholics" group, which has also adopted the Divine Mercy devotion and every Wednesday will attend the 5:10 p.m. Mass at St. John Cathedral as one body. As part of the protest to Bishop Richard Lennon's church closings, Endangered Catholics throughout Greater Cleveland are designating that none of their financial support is to be sent to the bishop. A young woman from Bay Village named Maureen at last Sunday's vigil held high a sign that stated, "A future saint said Mass in this Church!" a reference to the beloved Pope John Paul II, whose words still echo today on the pavement outside St. Casimir's, "Do not be afraid."

December 29, 2009

December 27, 2009

There were approximately 40 people at the pray vigil held at St. Casimir Church and 50 people who attended the Alumni meeting at the PLAV. We will continue our Alumni organization for the foreseeable future. We will continue to hold fund raising events. (See the main page for those activities.) We will be amending out by-laws to continue as a charitable organization and with luck will get the Church back. We will see. It was voted at the meeting to begin to send out our monthly newsletter by email. I will setup a system to do just that and require anyone who would like to save us money and have the newsletter emailed to them to send me an email requesting that your newsletter be sent by email. Send the request to dlhorn@stcasimir.com.

December 20, 2009

Sorry for not having any updates to the website lately but I was in the hospital and missed a week. Today's prayer vigil at St. Casimir Church was attended by about 50 people. We will continue the prayer vigil for the foreseeable future as we have a hardy group. 

December 6, 2009

We had about 50 people attend the prayer vigil in front of St. Casimir Church. Doc told me that the reason for the prayer vigil was from a dream he had. He dreamt he was in the Church after it was all boarded up and heard Mother Mary speak from the statue on the right hand side of the Church saying: "Don't leave me." After the dream he call a number of people and the prayer vigil was formed. Today the prayer vigil was covered by Fox 8 News. We will continue to hold the prayer vigil on Sundays at 11:30am.

December 1, 2009

The protest vigil held on November 29 was well attended. Estimates of those attending were between 110 and 130. We thank the Cleveland Police Department for their assistance with our vigil. We also must thank United Polonia and Endangered Catholics for organizing the event and making it successful. The Cleveland Plain Dealer covered the vigil well and you can read about it here . We will be holding a prayer vigil in front of the Church at 11:30am every Sunday until the Church reopens.

November 25, 2009

Hello everyone,
 
Here is our Press Release that has already been sent off to all of Cleveland's newspapers and television stations as well as FOX Cable.
 
Please forward it to as many of your contacts as possible.  Come with your cars packed full of supporters for this most noble cause.
 
There is no greater cause than to save a church built by our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents!
 
Don't let Bishop Lennon destroy 100 years of Grace in this diocese during his short tenure of three years.
 
There will be a coffee and desert reception following the Prayer Service at the Alliance of Poles Division of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America Center.   We would like to thank them for "DONATING" the use of their beautiful hall for our reception.
 
Since we have no idea how many people will attend and it looks as if it is going to be a significant amount of people crowding the streets in the Poznan neighborhood, we would kindly ask anyone, if you have any extra pastries or cookies from the holiday to bring a plate full along with you for the reception.
 
We will have coffee, soda and some deserts, but it is hard to predict how LARGE this event is going to be...so please help out.
 
Also, there will be blown-glass religious and renaissance art ornaments available for purchase at the reception.  These ornaments are all hand-made in Poland.  The collection features images of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II in various vestments, Saints and Madonnas from around the world---including two images of Our Lady of Czestochowa.
 
Partial proceeds from the sale of these ornaments will help cover printing and other related expenses necessary for this fight.
 
Have a WONDERFUL AND SAFE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29th AT 11:30 am IN FRONT OF ST. CASIMIR'S CHURCH.
 
THANK YOU 

November 24, 2009

I had a request for information about the protests being held at the Church on Sundays at 10:30am from the Plain Dealer. If anyone wishes to join, just show up.

If anyone picked up a Kodak camera, a small model, on the closing day of St. Casimir Church the owner would appreciate the return of the camera. The owner is offering a $50.00 reward since there are pictures on the camera that were not saved elsewhere. Please respond to dlhorn@stcasimir.com if you happen to have picked up the camera by accident. Below is the email

I attended the last mass at St. Casimir Church (1:30 PM) that was celebrated by Bishop Lennon. When all the confusion happened with everyone walking out and demonstrating, I lost my camera.  I believe it was on my lap and when I stood up dropped it.  I called Aunt Winnie, as they were at the mass, she has talked to Tina Girod and she made an announcement at the Alumni Meeting on 11/15/2009 to no avail. I was wondering if you could put something in the St. Casimir Alumni Newsletter.  I mostly want the memory card returned since I procrastonate and did not get many pictures developed, but would love to have the camera also.  I'm willing even to offer a reward of $50 to have it returned. Please see what you can do.

November 22, 2009

Returned from the Sisters of Charity Memorial Mass held at the Chapel of the Assumption Caritas Christi near Seton Hill College. I had gone to visit my aunt and arrived late due to getting lost in Pittsburgh. However, I arrived shortly before the special Mass for the Sisters who had passed away the following year. It was a very beautiful Mass.

We Remember

how the light and love of Christ

have been revealed by our

sisters whom God has called

home during the past year.

November 21, 2009

This email was received today.

November 15, 2009

We had our first meeting since the closure of St. Casimir Parish. The Alumni thanks our host PLAV Post 31 for their hospitality.  We had about 50 people attend our  meeting today. The meeting went well. Alumni are trying to regain footing since the closure of the parish and searching for a new direction. We had four new members join our organization. The Alumni wishes to have a December newsletter announcing our Christmas party to be held on December 27 at PLAV Post 31 (our new home) and the time change from 2:00PM to Noon. A committee was formed to modify our by-laws since the charity we had supported, St. Casimir Parish, has closed and our organization must support a charity to continue our tax exempt status. Since our organization does not have significant assets, we will be able to proceed with the change to our by-laws in a slow and thoughtful manner. 

I was told that my comments in the last newsletter appeared to be critical of Tina, our secretary, on her appeal to save St. Casimir Parish. I would like it to be known that I fully support Tina's actions to save the Parish. She was the only person to take on the responsibility of attempting to save the Parish and did so through the only legitimate option available. There was no one else who was able to come up with a viable option to save the Parish. If my comments sounded negative. They were. This entire situation is, well, outrageous.  Tina is performing a charitable task for the Parish that no one else was willing. We can only hope that her efforts succeed. For that we can only rely on faith. That is what I was trying to say.

At this time the Diocese of Cleveland is using Catholic Charities to board up the Parish buildings and secure the contents of those buildings. All records from the Parish have been moved to the Diocese of Cleveland. If you are looking for any information from those records you will need to contact the Diocese of Cleveland.

November 10, 2009

I just received the following email from Ken Kaminski, a link to the letter is below.

Hi everyone,
Here are the letters you need to print out, sign and mail.  If you have any questions please feel free to email me.
It will be most helpful if you ALL forward this email to everyone you know and ask them to do the same!
The more letters that arrive in the mail...the better the chance will be that the Vatican will overturn the decision!
FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!!!!!!!
thank you ,
Ken

Bishop's Letter

November 10, 2009

John Prokop found the following:

November 9, 2009

I did not stay for Bishop Lennon's Mass closing St. Casimir Church. The final Mass in Polish was majestic and brought tears to all eyes. Any news of the closing was overshadowed by the news networks by other Cleveland news mainly the murders in East Cleveland. What was shown was quick and didn't even touch upon the sentiments of the Parishioners.  The only person I witnessed on the news supporting the closing was not a person I have seen at the Parish. If anyone can name him let me know. I would like to know if his comment was taken out of context. It would appear that the news networks are in support of whatever Bishop Lennon dictates. I must have faith that the Church will remain intact during our appeal with the Vatican. UnitedPolonia has created five letters that supporters of our Church can send to five different powers. When I receive this information I will have it posted on this website for download.

I drove past the Church this afternoon. Stacks of plywood and 2x4's had been dropped off behind the Church Hall. A man was painting the plywood a dark gray, most likely for boarding up the buildings. It is unimaginable that such a work of art and history would be boarded up like so many of the vacant houses in the area. The Church, however,  was not abandoned as the houses in the area were, the Church was closed by a dictator much like the churches that were closed by the communist in Poland.

October 28, 2009

October 26, 2009

Father Telesz held his 70th Jubilee yesterday. It began with Mass St. Casimir Church at 10:30 followed by a dinner and program. The number of people for Mass filled the Church. The number of people attending the dinner and program was the maximum the hall could hold of 300. It was a joyful day, yet the closing of St. Casimir Parish coming next week overshadowed the event. Speakers found speech difficult and dry eyes were hard to find as congratulations were given to Father Telesz. 

October 18, 2009

We have decided to move our meetings to the PLAV on 200th Street. The next meeting will be on November 29 at 12:00 noon. Also try to read the recent article in the University Bulletin on Fr. Telesz.  Dan Horn

October 10, 2009

September 1, 2009

August 25, 2009

QUESTION: Why should St. Casimir Alumni end if the Church closes?

The Alumni can continue to raise funds from fund raisers, donation from the alumni and others outside of the alumni to continue its charitable practice. If St. Casimir Church closes we would need to determine other charitable organizations to support. That support could be limited to supporting the historical preservation of St. Casimir Church. The Church is a historical land mark. There are many options.

Or we could just end our existence.

Please send your opinion to dlhorn@stcasimir.com

August 23, 2009

Our picnic was well attended and the weather wonderful, not the all day rain forecast by our wonderful weather predictors. We counted 218 entry tickets and we almost had no problems. We did run out of forks temporarily but the I and A club came to the rescue and we had to make an emergency run to the store to get charcoal to cook the hotdogs because we couldn't use the stove at the grounds. Everyone got to visit with friends,  family and old class mates. The picnic began with Mass by Father Joe who has been holding our outdoor guitar Mass for many years. The main attraction was a Chinese auction run by the Girod's and their friends and family. There must have been close to a hundred prizes if not more running from Indians tickets, hand made quilts, food stuffs, gift certificates galore, the remote control mini airplane I won and on and on. It was an incredible undertaking to have so many prizes donated and I stand in awe at the work it must have taken to put all of that together. The drawing for the prizes lasted almost an hour. Thank you Tina, Sutton, Bob and the rest for the event! The Polish sausage, from Rudy's on Vine Street in Eastlake, was wonderful, but we need to make a note to request 4 to a pound next year. Our Treasurer Richard Feimer made an excellent cabbage and noodles which was so good it ran out during the first hour of serving after Mass. We sold off the last hundred sausages at cost at the end of the picnic and didn't have any leftovers to deal with. Three people won the $300, $200 and $100 door prizes and I'm sure they are happy about that.  I thought all in all it was well run and everyone had a good time.  The event draws so many people together that I for one don't wish to see it end. If the Church does close I would like to continue this tradition even if the alumni closes with the Church. We will see where it goes and are placing our hopes on the appeal to the Vatican as outlined below.  Dan Horn

August 6, 2009

St. Casimir Church has been ordered closed

Bishop Richard Lennon sent a letter to Monsignor Telesz with a closing date for the Parish of November 8, 2009 with a Mass at 1:30 PM.  As you are aware, I have completed the initial steps in the appeal process by writing and submitting to the Congregation of the Clergy at the Vatican the recourse against the administrative decree of the suppression of St. Casimir Parish by Bishop Lennon.   The recourse/appeal was 27 pages long with approximately 275 pages of supporting documents.  The next step of the appeal is now upon us of obtaining a Canon lawyer.  There are only a handful of lawyers that have the expertise in Canon law that can appeal to the Vatican. The lawyer needs to speak and write Latin and Italian; this particular lawyer resides in Rome, Italy.  The cost involved for the remainder of this lengthy appeal process is approximately $10,000.00.  At this time frame for the appeal, $7,000.00 is needed to retain the lawyer for his preparation and writing of the next brief and appeal to submit to the Vatican.  This cost will also include an English-Italian interpreter who is also versed in Canon law who has had much experience with the process of suppression and closing of the parishes in Boston.  Now that a closing date has been decreed, the lawyer needs to be retained now, no later than August 12^th.  As the Alumni was created to support St. Casimir Church, the Alumni should now support and fund the appeal process as this is the only and last effort available to appeal to the Vatican to save St. Casimir Parish.   If this next step of the appeal process is not taken, there is no recourse and it is a certainty that St. Casimir Parish will cease to exist forever.  Of course there are no guarantees that the Vatican will overturn the decree of Bishop Lennon, in fact there have been no successful appeals to date.  With God’s help and the blessings of our dear Mother, Mary, we can be the first successful appeal and St. Casimir Parish will be victorious.   But if we don’t try, we have no chance in succeeding.  Support this cause to honor your ancestors, yourselves and future generations; acknowledge that St. Casimir Parish is a very special and sacred part of your heritage that is precious and worth fighting for.  An account has been opened,  “Friends of St. Casimir”, which is needed to fund the appeal process and the Canon legal expenses.  Please contact me, Tina Girod, at (440) 728-0003 for additional information and how you can help contribute to this cause.

May 31, 2009

It is so sad to hear that Saint Casmir's is closing.  I was baptisted there in 1968 and visit the church when I go back to see my family in Ohio.

    My grandfather was Stan Stanish who ran the Boy Scout organization in the 50s and 60s.  It feels like the church closing represents the closing of traditional values through out America today.


April 8, 2009

April 1, 2009

March 16, 2009

Hello,
 
My great-grandparents were Polish immigrants and parishioners of St. Casimir's Church.  They were Waclav and Michelina Zebrowski from Crumb Avenue.  My grandmother was Sophia Zebrowski Darby.  I am very saddened to hear the church will be closed soon by the diocese.  It is such a heavenly structure and beautiful beyond words.  I have a photo of my mother walking down the aisle to be married against the stunning background of that amazing altar. 
 
I was so young but recall family weddings and baptisms at St. Casimir.  I was thrilled to run into the church's website, and even more so to find the history of the parish and church.  Rev. Radecki was often mentioned at family gatherings as if a member of the family itself, so I was thrilled to find a photo of him!  It is wonderful to put a face with the legend.  Do you have any other photos or information about him?  I want very much to keep this information with the family tree and history since he apparently meant so much to the family who has come before me. 
 
Thank you and God Bless, Deborah Rickel
 

I have been watching the news about the church closings, with an eye on
the fate of St. Casimir, the church where my father's family
worshipped. Then I found the web site for the church and was excited to
find a copy of the school graduation list for 1950, that included his
name, Raymond Matuszak. The other names have been part of the lore of
Poznan and St. Casimir my whole life.

His siblings are Joan, Casey and Bill, all St. Casimir and East High
graduates.

They lived on Pulaski, and I lived in the house with my mother, father
and grandparents, Casimir and Lottie Matuszak, until 1965. Grandma
passed away in 1971 and Grandpa moved near us in Euclid in 1973.

I wasn't raised Catholic, and I hadn't visited the church since my
grandmother's funeral, but I always wanted to go back. A few years ago
I talked my dad into seeing it again. Sometimes things are larger in
childhood memories. In this case the size and splendor of the church
dwarfed my recollections. And, of course, for my dad, the memories flew
out.

To me, St. Casimir will always be linked with my memories of Grandma
and Grandpa and my father's stories of a vanished community of
unforgettable characters and a different time and place. He could sure
add to the "Remember When" column.

John Matuszak
Columbus, Ohio
 

March 9, 2009

October 29, 2008

The Casimir force is an effect that pushes two parallel conducting plates together when the distance between them is tiny. The force arises because the gap between the plates is filled with virtual photons popping in and out of existence.

As the plates come closer together, fewer photons can fit within the gap. On the outer sides of the plates, however, the photons are unconstrained, causing a pressure difference that pushes the plates together.
 

October 22, 2008

Change the name of the nationality and we are all in the same boat.  Maybe we should write the same type of letters and flood Bishop Lennon’s mail.
Anita Rajic

An Open Letter to Bishop Lennon

Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

1027 Superior Ave.

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Bishop Lennon,

My name is Edit Simon Juhasz, I am an active member of the St. Emeric Parish community.  I do not write this letter in any official capacity,  the opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I am a member of the St. Emeric Finance Committee.  I volunteer my time and share my talents by leading a wonderful volunteer team, called the St. Emeric Kitchen Angels. The Kitchen Angels’ contribution to the vibrancy of our parish is keeping our traditions alive, through our food culture and supporting our traditional ethnic events. The purpose of our labor of love is to pass our heritage to our children and their children. According to conventional anthropological wisdom, there is a strong connection between language, history and food. Clearly, it is vital to know one’s roots, for, if we do not know our past, how do we know who we are? It is vital for the Hispanics to know their roots. It is vital for the Blacks to know their roots. Why would it not be so for Hungarians? Does God not love all his children equally? Did Pope Benedict not celebrate Holy Mass in a multitude of languages in New York?

Bishop Lennon, by what right do you wish to close down our Hungarian parishes?  Has anyone from our parishes asked to be closed?  Have we done something to offend you? Have any of our parishes asked for support from the Diocese?  Or, are you planning on closing us because you have decreed it, therefore it is?  Shall THY will be done? 

St. Emeric is the church where my husband and I were married, where our children were baptized and first received the sacrament of Holy Communion.   Although our family lived in Michigan during the birth of our son, we felt it important that he be baptized at St. Emeric.  Even though my parents retired to Florida, my father chose to buried from St. Emeric.  My husband and his family attended St. Elizabeth Parish upon coming to America.

I believe strongly in telling the truth. In Communist Hungary, much to the detriment of their safety and financial interests, my parents made certain my sister and I were baptized and that I received the sacrament of Holy Communion. Our wonderful priest, who, by the way, very much like my father, was beaten to a pulp during the 1956 Revolution, told us children to always tell the truth. I also recall a passage from the Scriptures, which I now paraphrase, be hot or cold, but do not be lukewarm, for I will spit you out. Ergo, I now speak the truth, with passion, from my perspective. I fear nothing because I believe God is on my side.

In what misguided, delusional moment did you or anyone think that we would accept the unacceptable without a fight? There are the “fighting Irish” for certain; and then, there are the Hungarians, who have been conquered and slaughtered by the Turks, the Austrians, the Germans and the Russians. Yet, we survive.

Do you think our parents left Hungary for frivolous reasons? Why do you think they risked their lives and their children’s and came to America, a democratic country? We recognize that Catholicism is not a democracy, we cannot vote on the core essence of our faith. However, I believe we, and most especially you, Bishop, must respect the spirit of the law.

The good people who founded St. Emeric Parish entered into a covenant with the Diocese. The Diocese allowed our immigrant generations to work, to build the parish, and to continue to practice our faith.  In exchange, the Diocese owns everything we have.   But now, you want to redistribute everything we have. How unjust! The Diocese, apparently believes in the motto, “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” That quote is from the Communist manifesto.  Never in their wildest nightmare did anyone imagine, that we would be kicked out of our churches. This is clearly a flagrant breach of the covenant, by any standard, civil or Canon. You have the audacity to send letters which begin with “Dear Brothers in Christ”?  Is this what Jesus would do?

St. Elizabeth IS vibrant, St. Emeric IS vibrant  - you should come to some of our church functions to see for yourself.  Our churches are not only places of worship, but the centers of community life for many of our Hungarian-American activities, including our treasured youth, on whom our future depends. Do you seriously expect us to point the finger at which one of the parishes should be terminated?  For what reason? Do we not vibrate according to your “standards”? 

Why do you want to close our churches?  Fr. Antal is a wonderful, attentive, caring priest, as is Fr. Siklodi. We ask that our beloved churches be allowed to stay open, as long as we can support ourselves. These churches became the quintessential meaning of the Hungarian immigrant experience and the anchor for our faith.  We “displaced persons”, D.P.’s, refugees, clung together, like lost souls, attempting to adjust to a new language, new customs, new ways of dressing, new everything, after all that was stable and holy was left behind in the “old country”.

America welcomed us with open arms, promised and indeed delivered on the promise, as is guaranteed in our Bill of Rights, of the right to pursue happiness as well as the right to worship as we please. Would it not be tragically unjust and ironic that here, in the land of the free, where churches give shelter to illegal aliens, where everyone is allowed to do just about anything, our Hungarian churches would be shut down?

At the risk of being redundant, I must once again ask, WHY, why do you want to close us down?  Have you no heart? Has our religion become all about money? Is Catholicism and vibrancy about paying off molestation accusations and settling law suits? Did Christ not chase the moneychangers out of the temple?  Admittedly, this is not a perfect world, but should the Diocese of Cleveland not give Hungarians the same consideration that any other ethnic group receives?  Very much like our civil laws, do Canon laws not provide equal protection, regardless of race, color or ethnicity? Does the Church no longer care about minorities? We, Bishop, are a minority, the ethnic, Hungarian minority.

My soul cries out for justice! Every Hungarian, every immigrant, every citizen should join in my battle cry: Save our churches! Please, spare me, those of you who would caution me to keep silent, I will not, for we have nothing to lose! We recognize "malarkey" when we hear it, for we had enough malarkey in Hungary for a hundred lifetimes. You see, in Hungary, we could not speak openly, we had property confiscated,  we had to wear our Partisan red neck ties and march in the May Day parade. God and goodness was replaced by Stalin, or Lenin, or Rakosy or by whoever was ensconced in the inner circles, whoever would share the vision of the anointed.

Actions speak, words are cheap, no matter how eloquent, no matter the source. Is it not time to cry once more, as in 1848, as in 1956, Talpra Magyar? Shall we be slaves or shall we be free, this is the question, state your decree. by the God of Hungarians, we swear, we swear, the chains of slaves no more to bear. Even if those chains would be imposed by one misguided Irish bishop, we will not bear those chains. Oh, the injustice of it all!

So, because I have nothing to lose, I will speak and I will act. I will use the power of the internet. I have and will continue contact any and all politicians as well as the media, anyone who will listen.  We will not be led like sheep to the slaughter.  This battle is not just about freedom for us to worship in our mother tongues. Rather, this is about freedom to worship in any tongue, in any fashion, as is guaranteed by the Constitution of the greatest country on the face of the earth.

I have had the blessings of traveling, teaching and learning about foods and cultures of countries all over the world, including Spain.  I have no problem with Spanish people, I support their right to worship as they choose, and I love paella. But I also love gulyas and I demand to be allowed to enjoy my gulyas in Hungarian, and to worship with my people in our own beautiful language.

One "Irish fellow", named Bishop Lennon, will perhaps rue the day one Hungarian woman got very angry. I am so angry, I am beyond embarrassment. I will not give up. I owe this not only to myself but to all those who came before me, all those who sacrificed, who came over "on the boat"; I owe this to my mom, who worked at St Emeric's for 20 years, and to all those who continue to support and worship in our church.   I owe this to Mary Nemeth, the oldest member of our St. Emeric Parish. who is one the most wonderful human beings I know, the very same Mary Nemeth who comforts others after losing her two beloved sons.  Our parishioners only ask and pray that they be allowed a “natural death”, and, like my father, to have their own final mass in their church, in their own native tongue.

If it pleases your excellency, you may have Irish stew and green beer on St. Patties Day. It would really be beneath me and certainly against the laws of this great country to prevent the Irish One from doing so. Of course, your excellency, you may also do the Irish jig.  As long as you let me dance the csardas.

Most sincerely,

October 21, 2008

Frank Glowacki from New Orleans sent a clipping of the October 13, 2008 Metro with a note saying: "I am sending this clipping so you know we have the same problem here." The headlines in the paper read: "St. Henry's pastor says he won't leave church", "Pace of church mergers surprises some parishioners" and "Archdiocese preparing list of clergy reassignments" try looking at www.nola.com/news for additional details.

September 13, 2008

We have just seen the head trustee for the church on the front page of the Plain Dealer! Go to www.cleveland.com for details search for either Michalski or Casimir for details.