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"HLAS" was the first Czech-Catholic newspaper in America. It was founded in 1873
by Msgr. Josef Hessoun of the St. John Nepomuk parish. The word HLAS means
"voice", and the paper served as a voice to unite the Bohemian-American people
under the banner of Catholicism. It served as a spiritual guide to those who
may have lost faith due to lack of churches and priests in the new world, and it
defended the Catholic cause against the reform-minded freethinkers. "HLAS" found
its way into prairie homes in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, the Dakotas and many large
American cities.
In 1901, the editor, Mr. Novak, died. Msgr. Hessoun offered Hynek Dostal the position, and in September 1901, he accepted and moved his family to St. Louis. He immediately attempted to expand and improve the paper. Along with his wife, he created another periodical, Ceska Zena, which translates to "Bohemian Lady." The papers were published by the Bohemian Publishing Company in a building located on the grounds of St. John Nepomuk church. 
The parish began in 1855, when a small group of Czech immigrants attempted to
create the first Czech-Catholic parish in America. They built a small wooden
church, and the parish eventually grew to be one of the largest in St. Louis.
The church was centered around the Bohemian Hill area, now known as Soulard. On
May 27, 1896, St. John Nepomuk was destroyed by a tornado. A new and larger
church, measuring 152 ft. by 62 ft., was built on the same sight on the corner of
11th and Lafayette streets. The church also had a school directly across the
street. Plays were held in the parish hall.Throughout the last century, the local papers have covered the progress of the church. Unfortunately, after housing projects were built in the 1960s and a new freeway was constructed, much of the area lost its neighborhood feel. A St. Louis Democrat article dated September 21, 1968, talks of the impending decay. Sadly, the church is now surrounded by crumbling buildings and deserted lots. But it was from these church grounds in 1901 that Hynek would begin to realize his dream of serving his country. His appointment as editor would encompass the rest of his life and provide a means to help liberate his homeland. |