About our nations

Croatia

The Country

Capital: Zagreb

Population: 4.43 million

Size: 21,829 sq. miles

Currency: Kuna

Language: Croatian

Religion: Roman Catholic

Geopolitical: EU member since 2013

The Community

The Croatian Community of Houston is not very large because Croatians didn’t start moving to the state of Texas until quite recently. It was very difficult to establish when the first Croatian people came to the United States. Some written documents indicate that individuals or small groups of Croatians (notably seafarers from the Dalmatian coastal regions) arrived in the United States some two or three hundred years ago.

Croats immigrated into the United States in large numbers in two waves: before World War I and after World War II and within a short period of time, Croatians could be found all over the United States. There are 420,763 Americans of full or partial Croatian descent according to the 2007 US Community Survey. Croatian priests came in precious few numbers with the earliest immigrants towards the end of the XIX century.

The first Croatian Club in Houston was started in 1984 by people who had special love for Croatia. Eventually, this small group became the Lone Star Croatian Club (LSCC). Over the years the club has grown not only in membership, but also in activity.

Members of Croatian origin get together to celebrate their rich heritage and we welcome anyone who shares our love of Croatia and Croatian culture. Spring and Fall picnics are held each year. LSSC club house is located at 7417 Hilcroft Ave, Houston, TX 77081.

We gather there for various meetings, events and celebrations, Halloween and New Year’s Eve parties, Bingo nights etc. Also, Croatian traditional dance group meets there to practice weekly and everyone is invited to join us. The annual Christmas party is our most popular event.

To our great pride and delight, the first school of Croatian language in Houston was established in the fall of 2013. Classes are held on Sunday afternoons at the Croatian Club. For more information, please write to croatianschooltx@gmail.com.

Since the Croatian community in Houston and other Texas cities is quite small, we don’t have a permanent church with the Holy Mass in Croatian. However, we belong to the Croatian Catholic Mission in Los Angeles, more specifically to the St. Anthony Croatian Church https://croatianchurchla.org/ and Don Mate Bizaca visits us several times a year to hold the Holy Mass in Croatian.

New LSCC members are always welcome!

Croatians take pride in the customs and traditions of their home-land and we are honored to participate in the 58th Slavic Heritage Festival in Houston!

Key Contacts

Lone Star Croatian Club

P. O. Box 421844 Houston, TX 77242‐1844

croatiantx@yahoo.com

https://croatianshouston.com/

https://www.facebook.com/houstoncroatians

Honorary Consul of Croatia for Texas:

Mr. Philip Berquist Croatia.texas@gmx.us

Czechia

The Country

Capital: Prague (Praha)

Population: 10.49 million

Size: 30,500 sq. miles

Currency: Koruna

Language: Czech

Religion: Largely Roman Catholic

Geopolitical: EU member since 2004

The Community

The Czechs have a long and proud history in the State of Texas. In Texas’ fight for independence, it was a Czech fifer who spurred Texans on to battle at San Jacinto. The state is now home to one of the largest

Czech-American populations in the US, with estimates suggesting up to 750,000 Texans tracing their ancestry back to Bohemia and Moravia.

Texas boasts a vibrant Czech heritage, evident in its numerous festivals and celebrations, fraternal organizations, music and cultural programs, Czech-language newspapers, and a wealth of books dedicated to the Czech experience in Texas.

Early Czech immigration

This influx began in the 1850s, sparked by glowing descriptions of Texas' beauty, freedom, and opportunities sent back by a Czech settler named Arnošt Bergmann. These early Czech immigrants were

known for their hard work and relied heavily on one another for support, forming numerous mutual aid societies across the state.

In 1889, the PTCPS (První texaský česko‐moravský podporující spolek – 1st Texas Czech‐Moravian Benevolent Society) split away from the 2nd Roman‐Catholic Central Society CPS (Český podpůrní spolek) to form the KJT (Katolická jednota texaská, now the Catholic Union of Texas). The CSPS had similar growing pains and in 1897 twenty‐five units broke away to form the SPJST (Slovanská podporující jednota státu Texas).

Preserving Czech heritage

The 20th century brought with it a new demand for the struggling immigrants: Aid for the cause of Czechoslovak freedom during World War I. In addition to the established Czech aid societies, this need

brought about the formation of new organizations. Two of these were the CNS (České národní sdružení, Czech National Alliance), with 87 chapters organized in Texas, and the Včelky (Bees, a Czech women’s

sewing and knitting society to make sweaters and other items for soldiers of the Allied countries), with chapters in Dallas, Nelsonville, Novy Tabor and Rosenberg.

Czech organizations in Texas

Czech organizations in Texas in the second half of 20th Century and in many cases, until now, include CESAT (Czech Ex‐Students Association of Texas, formerly the Čechy Ex‐Students Association of Texas and

the Čechy Club at UT), CNS (České národní sdružení), CSPS (Česko‐slovanská podporující společnost), KD (Katolický česko‐americký dělník), KJT (Katolická jednota texaská: https://www.kjtnet.org/ ) KJZT (Česká římsko‐katolická jednota žen texaských), NSCK (Národní svaz českých katolíků), IRKUJ (První římská katolická ústřední jednota), RPJSI (Rolnická podporující jednota sv. Isadora), RVOS (Rolnický vzájemmě ochranný spolek státu Texas, https://rvos.com , SOKOL (physical fitness, cultural and social organization, https://american-sokol.org/ ), SPJST (Slovanská podporující jednota státu Texas, https://spjst.org/ SPJST (Slovanský vzájemní pojisťující spolek proti ohni a bouři), Včelky, ZCBJ (Západní česko‐bratrská jednota), Texans of Czech Ancestry and Texas Czech Heritage, Cultural Center in LaGrange https://www.czechtexas.org , Czech Heritage Society of Texas https://czechheritage-texas.org/ , Texas Czech Genealogical Society in Ennis https://www.txczgs.org , Texas State Historical Association https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/czechs , Texas District of National Alliance of Czech Catholics and many Texas Czechs Facebook groups, state-wide and in respective cities.

Key Contacts

Czech Center Museum of Houston

4920 San Jacinto, Houston TX

713‐528‐2060

www.czechcenter.org

Poland

The Country

Capital: Warsaw

Population: 38.1 million

Size: 120,756 sq. miles

Currency: Zloty

Language: Polish

Religion: Roman Catholic

Geopolitical: EU member since 2004

The Community

The Polish community of the Houston Metropolitan Area num-bers over 55,000 Polish immigrants and Americans of Polish ancestry. The Polish community features a variety of cultural, religious, political, social and scholarly organizations.

Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Parish has been established in 1982 and a beautifully traditional church was dedicated at 1731 Blalock Road, Houston, on August 26, 2001. The parish serves the Polish speaking community with two Masses in Polish at 6 pm on Saturday and 11 am on Sunday. There is also a Mass in English at 9 am on Sunday. After the 11 am Sunday Mass, a homemade Polish-style lunch is offered in the parish hall. The parish is also home of the Houston Polish School.

The Polish School named after Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikolaj Kopernik).

The mission of the school is to maintain awareness of Polish heritage and culture among children and young people of Polish origin living in Texas, USA. The school offers Polish language, history, geography, music, dance and participates in all parish national celebrations. In 2011, the school moved to a new parish hall building with a large section designed for classrooms and school activities. For more information, please contact the Principal of the school and the Pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa at 713-973-1081, or visit the website at: http://szkolapolskahouston.com

The Polish Folk Dance Group “Wawel”

The Wawel (pronounced vavel) Polish Folk Dancers are a non-profit performing group dedicated to promoting Polish culture through song and dance. The group consists of high school, college, graduate students and adults. Costumes are provided by the group. No dance experience is necessary. The willingness to have fun and make new friends is what we strive to accomplish! Come help us celebrate the beautiful traditions of Poland! Find more information via the website: wawelhouston.com or our parish website www.parafiahouston.com

Other organizations

The Polish American Congress Inc., is an organization dedicated to the support of the interests of Polish Americans and Poles in the US. It maintains offices in Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL, and has a charitable foundation which provides aid to Poland. The Texas Division, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, has been supporting local Polish-American events and working to improve the perception of Poland and Poles in Texas through a series of displays and exhibits. For more information visit pac1944.org

Polish National Alliance (PNA), founded in 1880, is the largest Polish-American fraternal organization in the United States. PNA is more than just an insurance agency; from its very origins PNA was committed to helping people advance in the community by meeting various needs and helping them to meet their individual and community goals. Each year

the PNA helps members who are in college with merit scholarships. It also publishes two newspapers which reach more than 500,000 readers every month. For information call Jolanta Mazewski-Dryden at 281-474-7266.

The Polish Genealogical Society of Texas (PGST) continues to preserve our proud heritage by researching both locally and abroad. The society proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary next year. We invite you to join PGST and benefit from their knowledgeable members, workshops, and the award winning periodical Polish Footprints. For more information contact Dolores Newman at 281-723-1859 or visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/268568647678/

The Kosciuszko Foundation, Houston Chapter, focuses on arts, culture and the education of Polish Americans and gives many educational scholarships each year. For information call Waldemar Priebe at 713-665-4850.

The Sarmatian Review is a scholarly publication of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences and deals with central and eastern European affairs and their impact on the US. The editor is Dr. Ewa Thompson, PO Box 79119, Houston, TX 77279-9119.

Key Contacts

Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Parish

1731 Blalock Road, Houston, TX 77055

713-973-1081

http://polishchurchhouston.com

Polish School - Szkoła Polska im. Mikołaja Kopernika

http://szkolapolskahouston.com

Polish National Alliance

Jolanta Mazewski-Dryden 281-474-7266.

The Polish Folk Dance Group “Wawel"

http://www.wawelhouston.com

Slovakia

The Country

Capital: Bratislava

Population: 5.432 million

Size: 18,933 sq. miles

Currency: Euro

Language: Slovak

Religion: Roman Catholic (55%)

Geopolitical: EU member since 2004

The Community

Slovaks in America and in Texas

Slovak emigration to the US started in the second half of the 19th Century, when Slovakia was still a part of Habsburg monarchy. There is no other nation besides Ireland that would yield such a huge part of its population to the US.

The typical places of Slovak emigration were New York, Chicago and steel and mining towns of Pennsylvania and Ohio. The first notion of thirteen Slovak families moving to Texas Panhandle is from 1903: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/pakan-tx.

As of 2024, Texas has a Slovak population of 11,870. Many of them moved here from other US states, but there is a group that escaped the communist regime of 1948-1989 and got help from church communities around Texas to re-settle here. More recently, Slovaks have also immigrated to Texas for highly qualified jobs in oil and gas and consulting companies.

Many Slovaks with children meet in an annual Mikuláš party around December 6th, when St. Nicholas with angel and devil visit all Czech and Slovak kids in the world, including those in Houston.

Slovakia and Saints Cyril and Methodius

The Houston Slavic festival is proud of its saint patrons, Saints Cyril and Methodius – and Slovaks are uniquely linked with them.

Slovaks are proud of their history, starting with Principality of Nitra in 9th century followed by Great Moravia, the Slavic empire that united the tribes of the future Slovaks, Moravians and Czechs.

Saints Cyril and Methodius came to Great Moravia in 863, developed the first Slavic alphabet and translated the Gospel into the Old Church Slavonic language. The Slovak city of Nitra was one of the seats of Saints Cyril and Methodius with a church and a school.

A fun fact: All Land rover Defenders that you see on Texas roads are made in a plant that faces the original church of Saints Cyrill and Methodius, in the city of Nitra.

Slovak organizations in Texas

Many organizations, groups and events are common for Czechs and Slovaks, maintaining the exceptional brotherly relation of those two nations that survived even their friendly divorce in 1992. Slovaks are represented and take part in events of Czech Center Museum in Houston https://www.czechcenter.org/ . There is a chapter of Slovak professionals in Texas https://www.slovakpro.org/ .

If you want to find more about Slovak heritage in the US and search through the immigration archives, check out https://www.kasigarda.sk/ .

Key Contacts

Češi a Slováci v Houstonu/Czechs and Slovaks in Houston https://www.facebook.com/groups/358240224322108 and

Slováci a Česi v Texase / Slovaks & Czechs in Texas https://www.facebook.com/groups/702246718260328 .

Ukraine

The Country

Capital: Kyiv

Population: 42.39 million pre war (UNHCR estimates close to 10 million refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe alone since 24 February 2022)

Size: 233,062 sq. miles

Currency: Hryvnia

Language: Ukrainian

Religion: Byzantine (Greek) Catholic, Orthodox

Geopolitical: EU & Ukraine Association Agreement signed in 2014

The Community

Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church

Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church (Pokrova), was originally established in 1957 as St. Pius X Ukrainian Catholic Church. The name was changed in 1988 in conjunction with the celebration of 1000 years of Christianity in Ukraine.

Pokrova serves the spiritual needs of Ukrainian Catholics in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma and is in the jurisdiction of the Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Diocese in Chicago, Illinois. The Saint Nicholas Diocese is headed by Bishop Richard Stephen Seminack and has jurisdiction for all Ukrainian Catholics west of the Mississippi, plus Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

In the United States, the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church is Archbishop Borys Gudziak, based in Philadelphia, PA. The leader of the worldwide Ukrainian Catholic Church is Sviatoslav Shevchuk, based in Kyiv, Ukraine.

A former pastor of Pokrova, Rev. Dr. Dmytro Blazejowskyj, a church historian, was co‐founder of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Day Festival.

The current pastor is Rev. Mykola Dovzhuk. The pastor and parishioners of Pokrova welcome all to join the parish in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy each Sunday at 10am.

Ukrainian American Cultural Club of Houston

UACCH is a non‐profit organization established in 1975. Membership is comprised of Ukrainians, Ukrainian Americans, and those who have an interest in working towards and promoting the club’s aims. UACCH is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.

The purposes of UACCH are:

to preserve Ukrainian national identity and cultural heritage through education;
to promote a greater understanding of Ukrainian history and culture;
to encourage active participation of Ukrainian Americans in promoting the welfare of the Ukrainian community;
to initiate and uphold ties with other Ukrainians, as well as Americans and interna-tional organizations for;
to support and champion educational and charitable initiatives;
to provide charitable assistance to Ukrainian organizations within and outside the United States.

Ukrainian National Women’s League of America , Inc., Branch 118

UNWLA was founded in 1925. This non‐profit organization is comprised of women who uphold the preservation of Ukrainian language, culture and traditions. There are branches of UNWLA all over the world, connecting women in an unbroken continuum of concern for social welfare, cultural awareness, educational opportunity and other noteworthy causes. The organization’s purpose and goals are based on principles of Christian ethics, Chris-tian rights and social equality.

Locally, Houston Branch 118 has engaged in the following:

Annual Easter and Christmas Bazaars featuring traditional Ukrainian bakery, ethnic foods
Classes on the art of making Ukrainian Easter Eggs (Pysanky)
Charitable aid to economically disadvantaged individuals both locally and abroad
Scholarship fund for students.
Shipment of food, clothing, medicine, and medical equipment to Ukraine.
Support of the Ukrainian Museum in New York

Ukrainian School of Houston — Ridna Shkola (RSH)

RSH is a non‐denominational, non‐profit organization for pre‐K through 11th grade students. Ukrainian language, history, and culture are taught in an enjoyable environment. Students are also exposed to traditional dance, song, arts, and crafts. USH also participates in many multicultural activities in Texas.

Classes are typically held on Sundays from 12 noon to 3 pm at 9100 Meadowshire, Houston, Texas 77037. Students with little or no Ukrainian language are welcome.

HTX4UKRAINE

The organization was established in the direct response to the February 24th, 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine by russia. Founded by passionate Houston-based Ukrainians and Americans with Ukrainian roots, 100% volunteer run, this public charity's goal is to SAVE AND PROTECT LIVES IN UKRAINE. They do it by fundraising for, purchasing and providing medical as well as non-lethal military aid to those in need on the frontlines in Ukraine.

HTX4Ukraine is the founder of the annual Houston Borscht Cook-Off and in collaboration with Nestor Topchy and PysankaHTX holds annual Traditional Ukrainian Easter Egg Writing fundraisers benefiting the brave people of Ukraine.

HTX4Ukraine operates with 0 (zero) overhead and is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 92-0823623).