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| Divine Redeemer Church's St. George Cadets, 1916? Daily Citizen, July 5, 1955 |
This was one of several vintage photos published by The Daily Citizen during Ambridge's Golden Jubilee (50th Anniversary) Celebration in 1955. I don't know anything about the photo other than the original caption which read:
ST. GEORGE CADETS, of the Divine Redeemer Church, organized in 1916, when this picture was taken by Valent Hovanec and Mike Safo. The cadets participated in the 1924 celebration parade. Known members of the band are: F. Zalmenek, A. Hertneki, V. Hovanec, A. Churni, T. Kerzan, T. Tkatch, T. Huk, M. Safo, V. Fagul, T. Hertnecki, B. Minueski, M. Hovanec, and C. Lulkovich.
I put a "?" after the 1916 date given for the photo because it looks like it was taken on the church's front steps, and the church wasn't built until 1918 according to the church's history.
The priest in the photo is most likely Rev. Ignatius S. Herkel who served as pastor from 1916 to 1941.
The "1924 celebration" was the Economy Centennial. The Centennial parade was held on June 7, 1924.
Here is a photo of the cadets published in Divine Redeemer's Golden Anniversary Celebration book in 1956:
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| St. George's Cadets, 1917 Divine Redeemer Church Golden Anniversary book, 1956 |
The Constitution and By-laws of the "Catholic Cadets of St. George, Ambridge", dated September 1916 was found in the cornerstone of Divine Redeemer. It is on view at Good Samaritan Church Archives in Ambridge.
ReplyDeleteI do know that "St. George" is the Patron Saint of the Military.....
ReplyDeleteJd aka john domansky
ReplyDeletei remember father herkel, 1937 kindergaren start at divine redeemer, & mass at 8am every day by father herkel, grades were seperated by seating, boys one side girls on left side, k 1 2 3 & so on up to 8th, the big guys, confessionals on both sides, father rostas came in 1941 or 2, he was just one of the guys, but very stern, heart of gold. his fingers were stained with nicotine, he had something other than wine in rectory, he went to AHS football games & sat w/a bunch of friends, one cold sept nite, me still bare foot & no shirt & we snuck in the game, i sat down unaware that father rostas was in the large bunch, he saw me shivering & gave me a sweater to get warm, got away fast & thanked him, later on 1948 or so he hired me to mow lawn in front of church rectory & nuns house. never saw the dog do until it was too late, when he paid me inside i saw his liquor cabinet, do not recall when he died. he called me johnicki. the gym was under the nuns home, 2 hoops & a kitchen where my mom worked many times later in her life, bingos, & dancing polkas of course, & bazaars to spinning wheels money making games etc. were the fun side. the basement under the church housed a huge furnace & pipes etc, took my sisters bike down the steps to store it till after school & lost hold & went flying, & bent a pedal, no more bike for me. oh yes father rostas gave out report cards, oh yoh, i perfected forging moms name, bad johnicki huh???