In 1859 the first Slavs came to Reading. There were only a few families, but the number soon increased until in 1894, there were forty families, but they did not have their own Church and found a friendly reception in St. Paul's Parish, Monsignor Bornemann proving to be a good counsellor to them. He was the one who built the new Church. The Slavs were in dept but Monsignor Bornemann paid the dept.
The Church was located in Oakbrook, but the income of the parish was not large enough to support a priest and again Monsignor Bornemann helped. The Slavish priest was stationed at St. Paul's as assistant and provided for the spiritual needs of the Slavs. In 1906 the basement of the present church at Sixth and Laurel Streets was built under the direction of Rev. Francis Howath. This basement was used as a church until 1914 when Father Ravnakar being appointed as pastor, and the financial circumstances of the parish being more favorable, the church was completed and to the great satisfaction of the Slavs, their benefactor, Monsignor Bornemann dedicated same on the 5th of July, 1914.
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