Father Joseph Koudelka, a Bohemian immigrant, was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in Cleveland in 1875. His first assignment was pastor of St. Procop Roman Catholic Church which was located on West 41st Street near Newark Avenue. He spent seven difficult years at this parish. In 1879 he was arrested on a charge of criminal libel for speaking out against violence that had been perpetrated at a dance hall on the Isle of Cuba. He persevered and in 1911 become Cleveland's first auxiliary bishop. The photo above is from circa 1915.
