PRAISED BE JESUS CHRIST!

      At the same time the communists had placed a guard around our village and as the other villagers drew near our place the guard fired a few shots and then disappeared. Now the crowds entered the village and drew near the courthouse. When they arrived there the communist leader appeared and shot a man. He was shot immediately. It was terrible. The soldiers and men of our village joined the others and they were forced to tell where the communist lived and these were either shot or killed. Now it was day and if the communist was seen the church bells would ring so that the people would congregate and the commie killed. This butchery lasted 3 days. Now the armed communists came from the city Kamischinka with about 30 machine guns and plenty of weapons. There also some scouts with a leader. If they spied a man on the field he was shot. They arrived at village 3 miles away from us and the people of that village sought help and refuge from us. Many of our young men and soldiers rode over to the village but the communists were a head of them and shot every one of the riders. A few however managed to escape. As it was now past noon the commies came to our village and ordered all men to the court house where some had fled and also the women and the children. The commissary placed the machine guns around the people. He saw a man whose face was scarred. The commissary asked the man “who was a communist, who had done that”? The men of the village had arrested him but since the communists were so near they could not do more. The man said somebody struck him and he pointed to the man who did it. The commissary grabbed the farmer by the arm and shot him through the head with a revolver. Then commissary asked for the church warden and having been pointed out was also shot through the head. Now the commissary began to load his machine guns and the people cried and lamented. I was there too. Everybody tried to be the last but I said he will not shoot and really he did not. He said a council would be selected and a president who would take care or the women and children who were left behind. This was late in the afternoon and the communists robbed the place and even took all clothing of some of them. Some men had to go with horses and wagons and many were never heard of again. When I recall these sad incidents I see plainly the finger or God in all the of this. God tried the angels and the archangel Michael with the cry, “Quis est Deus " overcame the rebels. I too was with all these people and I felt sure that St. Michael would protect me. Indeed once when I was in very great danger the communist’s cavalry were pursuing one and I was riding a horse with bullets flying all around me I was surely tempted to jump and run, with God's help I reached our people. Then too, I noticed how two faced some people were. When everything went well they were good Catholics. But when crosses and trials they forgot God.

Greetings from father and mother Michael and Katharine Lang to our dear children Marie and Anna Lang