THE CZECHS OF CLEVELAND
now bishop of Wisconsin, who is the only Czech yet raised to a bishopric in the Roman Catholic church in this country. The present pastor is the Rev. Peter M. Cerveny, who has been in charge of the parish since 1901 and has superintended the erection of most of the buildings now in use. St. Prokop’s church is at the corner of West 41st street and Trent avenue, and the parish buildings extend through to Newark avenue, and constitute one of the most complete church plants in the city.
The church itself is a fine large edifice, the interior decorations of which were all specially designed. The baptistry is of black Russian marble, and the stations of the cross are excellent statuary groups. Within the chancel are replicas of two miraculous statues on the Holy Mountain (Svata Hora) in Bohemia. They are known as “The Virgin of Prague” and “The Infant of Prague” and many pilgrimages are made to the originals. These copies are exact duplicates of the figures, embroidered robes, and hand-wrought golden crowns set with jewels, and when ready for Cleveland they were touched to the miraculous originals.
St. Prokop’s is a really beautiful church, the finest of the Czech churches in the city. Its service flag bears 176 stars, of which six are now in gold. The names of these six young men are recorded on a memorial tablet. To accommodate the large congregation, four sermons are preached every Sunday, one of which is always in English.
The parochial school building is also up to the standard of the very best in school buildings. Ample space, well lighted and clean hallways, and well equipped school rooms put it in a different class from most parochial schools buildings. There is a kindergarten, the only one in a Catholic school in Cleveland; among Bohemian parochial schools there is only one other, which is in Chicago. Besides the kindergarten and the eight grades, two years of commercial work are given. A special teacher of music gives vocal and instrumental lessons to classes and individuals. The teachers belong to the Sisters of Notre Dame; they have in their charge 800 pupils.
In the building is a library of both English and Bohemian books, especially strong in Czech folk-lore; there is also a well equipped gymnasium, and provision for basket ball, indoor baseball, and similar sports; the gymnasium furnishes also an excellent dancing floor for social nights.
On the ground floor is the theater, with a stage large enough to mass three hundred children upon it and with several sets of good scenery. Dramatic performances are given here regularly by the parish dramatic society named for the Czech poet, Boleslav Jablonsky.
On Newark avenue is the club house, into which the old church was altered. The ground floor is divided into lodge rooms; the upper floor is a recreation hall. Three tables offer opportunity for billiards and pool and a second room is equipped for table games. A small stage is convenient for boxing exhibitions and other entertainments. While these rooms are used chiefly by men, “ladies’ nights” keep the place from becoming exclusively masculine.
The parish property includes also a handsome rectory, harmonizing in architecture with church and school; two houses connected by a covered passage for the teachers; a house for the janitor; and a separate heating plant. A monthly parish paper is called “Mesicni Viestnik” (The Monthly Messenger).
Our Lady of Lourdes Church.
When the Czechs began to move out Broadway, Father Hynek bought land at Hamm avenue and East 54th street where the parish of Our Lady of
21
