Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/310
luminated church, where a capacity congregation awaited in reverence to witness the ceremony and pay their sincere compliments to their beloved shepherd.
The ceremony commenced with the reading of the apostolic letter followed by the investiture of the Rt. Rev. Hroch, the new prelate. Thereupon the Rev. John W. Bečka, pastor of St. Adalbert’s parish, delivered an address, in which he depicted the indefatigable efforts undertaken and the noble work accomplished by Msgr. Hroch during his thirty eight years of activity in the vineyard of the Lord. Then the Rt. Rev. Bishop congratulated the new monsignor, complimented the parishioners of St. John’s and added that it was due to their hearty cooperation that such a distinction was conferred upon their pastor. He concluded his address by exhorting all to continue and persevere in their good work. Thereupon Msgr. Hroch thanked his spiritual children for their cooperation during the past twenty-five years and promised that he would continue to do all within his power to labor for their spiritual welfare and for the greater glory and honor of God.
This impressive ceremony was concluded with a solemn Pontifical benediction with the Blessed Sacrament and the chanting of the Te Deum Laudamus.
Pastoral Work Recognized.
Monsignor Hroch was honored, the apostolic letter stated, because of his establishment and successful supervision of St. John Nepomucene’s parish during the quarter century of its existence. Since that time, the letter stated, Monsignor Hroch had exercised a large influence for good not only in his own congregation but throughout the entire community.
Besides his spiritual ministrations Msgr. Hroch had built a beautiful church, school, and parochial residence for priests and a convent for the Dominican Sisters in charge of the school.
Czechs Have Seven Monsignors.
The first Bohemian priest to be raised to this dignity in the U. S. was the dearly beloved, now deceased, Joseph Hessoun, first pastor of the oldest Bohemian Church in America, dedicated in honor of St. John Nepomucene, in St. Louis, Missouri.
Today the Czechs have seven priests wearing the purple. They are: The Rt. Revs. Aloysius Klein, Brainard, Nebr.; Emil Bouska, Tabor, S. Dak.; Peter Cerveny, Cleveland, Ohio; John Pivo, Owatonna, Minn.; John B. Dudek, Oklahoma City, Okla.; John Joch, Denville, N. J.; and Francis J. Hroch, Cleveland, Ohio.
Three monsignors have gone to their eternal rest. They are: The Rt. Rev. Francis Tichy, Silver Lake, Minn.; Rt. Rev. John Vranek, Omaha, Nebr.; and the Rt. Rev. Francis Bobal, Chicago, Ill.
May the Lord shower His choicest blessings upon our monsignors and assist them in all their endeavors.