Augustine Hancsak (1924 - 2001)

Born 29 Jul 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio

Ancestors

Died 20 Nov 2001 at age 77 in Celina, Mercer County, Ohio

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Biography

Augustine was the son of Mike Hancsak and Anna Fenner born in Cleveland, Ohio. By 1930, his parents had moved to Homestead, PA. ^[1]

By 1940, he was enrolled at Brunnerdale Minor Seminary in Canton, Ohio^[2], then at St. Joseph College in Collegevile, Indiana, and finally, St. Charles Major Seminary in Carthagena, Ohio. On 19 May, 1952, he was ordained a priest of the Society of the Precious Blood at St. Charles Seminary in Carthagena, Ohio.^[3] He was sent to Whiting Indiana before becoming assistant chaplain at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wisconsin as well as an instructor of church history and theology at Viterbo College.

Fr. Gus was an avid ham radio enthusiast. His call number was WN9ACO. While in La Crosse, he studied radio theory in the Viterbo physics department. In May of 1954 he was told to prepare for a transfer to a missionary in Chile.^[4] He left on June 28 and served in Chile for 5 years, as assistant chaplain in Santiago at Hospital del Salvador as well as parochial vicar at several area churches. When he returned to the states after 1959, he served many churches in various states throughout his career. He died at St. Charles Center and is buried at Carthagena. ^[5]

Obituary

Father Augustine Hanchak, CCPS: Father Hanchak was born July 29,1924 in Cleveland, Ohio. On Dec. 3, 1946, he was incorporated as a member of the Society of the Precious Blood, and was ordained May 19, 1952 by the Archbishop Karl Alter, of Cincinnati, at St. Charles Seminary, Carthagena, Ohio. His early assignments were at St. John's, Whiting, Ind., and St. Rose Convent, LaCrosse, Wisc. He served in Chile, South America from 1954 to 1959. His vicariate assignments were assistant chaplain in Santiago at Hospital del Salvador and parochial vicar at Santo Domingo parish and San Jose parish. From Santiago he moved to Purranque where he was parochial vicar at San Sebastian parish. he them returned to the States. In Ohio he served as parochial vicar at Holy Trinity, Coldwater and Sts. Peter and Paul, Ottawa. In Kansas he served as assistant at St. Mary, Garden City (1963-65) and later chaplain at Marymount College in Salina. In Illinois he served as assistant chaplain at Little Company of Mary Hospital, Evergreen Park. In Wisconsin he served as pastor at St. Therese, Westboro, and St. Anne's, Sanborn, both with missions. In Texas, he served in the Diocese of San Angelo in the Spanish American apostolate located at McCamey and later Crane, followed by a pastorate at St. Michael, Anson. His last assignment was at Green Springs, Ohio, where he served as chaplain at St. Francis Rehabilitation Hospital and Nursing Home. Father Hanchak died Nov. 20, 2001, at the age of 77 at the St. Charles Center. Father Mark Miller, provincial, celebrated the funeral Mass. Burial was at Carthagena. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCH2-SBS : accessed 27 October 2021), Augustuna Hanchak in household of Michael Hanchak, Homestead, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 629, sheet 23B, line 86, family 578, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1965; FHL microfilm 2,341,699.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWL5-XVS : 9 January 2021), Augustine Hanchak, Jackson Township, Stark, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 76-34, sheet 23A, line 18, family , Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3148.
3. ↑ Garden City Telegram, 27 Sep 1963, pg 6. "Parish Has New Assistant Minister
4. ↑ The LaCrosse Tribune, 23 May 1954, pg 19: "Local Priest appointed to Chile Mission"
5. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/210679784/augustine-hanchak
6. ↑ https://www.dcdiocese.org/images/necrology/HanchakAugustine11-20-2001.pdf

• U.S. Social Security Application and Claims Index, 1936-2007; Augustine J Hanchak; 514585218