Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/217
Abbey of St. Procopius Is the Slavonic Center in America.
In a letter dated March 21, 1924 and addressed to the Abbot Primate, the highest officer of the Benedictine Order, who at present resides on the Aventine in Rome, His Holiness Pope Pius XI. ordained that the Benedictine order take upon itself the task of preparing missionary priests who, in due time, will be capable and willing to work among the schismatic Slavs in an effort to unite them with the Apostolic See of Rome.
In 1926, after the Abbot Primate had toured America, he suggested that St. Procopius Abbey become the Slavonic center in the United States. On his return to Rome, the Abbot Primate informed the Holy Father of his decision. Last March the capitular members of St. Procopius voted to work in accordance with the wishes of the Holy Father in this matter, whereupon Father Procopius Neuzil was appointed director of this missionary work, and was presented to His Eminence Cardinal Mundelein of Chicago by the Rt. Rev. Valentine Kohlbeck, O.S.B. The Cardinal assured the Benedictines that the wishes of the Holy Father were also his wishes and gave Father Procopius a special blessing and 1,000 dollars to cover the expenses connected with the preparatory work of securing and training students who would devote themselves to this work.