Extension honors Houston Catholic family with immigrant roots for serving church, community

HOUSTON (OSV News) — A Catholic family whose forebears immigrated to Texas from Czechoslovakia, lost everything in the Great Depression, experienced homelessness and went on to start what is now one of the largest companies in the Southwest has been honored by the Catholic Extension Society with its eighth annual Houston Spirit of Francis Award.

The award recognizes an individual or group who has made a significant impact on the mission of the Catholic Church in America through service or philanthropy.

The Marek family — of the Marek Family of Companies, one of the largest interior specialty contractors in the Southwest — was recognized for their service and dedication to the Catholic church within the Houston community.

“Through it all, the Marek family stayed convinced that God was up to something and that their lives were important and sacred,” Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension, said in presenting the award at a recent benefit dinner for the Chicago-based nonprofit.

“The Spirit of Francis Award simply highlights the long-standing commitment and dedication” of the Mareks to “Catholic principles of social justice,” the priest added.

The award is inspired by its three namesakes: St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis and Father Francis Clement Kelley, who founded Catholic Extension in 1905 — all of whom are known for embracing and helping the poor. Catholic Extension presents two Spirit of Francis Awards each year; one is specific to the Houston area and the other is presented on the national level.

Catholic Extension has supported Catholic communities in the nation’s poorest regions since its founding in 1905.

The Marek family came from Czechoslovakia and settled around Praha, Texas, raising cotton and other crops to support their family, and living the American dream — until they lost everything in the Great Depression and were homeless for four years, according to a Catholic Extension release on the award.

“However, they never lost their faith. The difficult years forged a strong culture in the Marek family and their business,” it said, adding that their difficulties developed in them “a desire to create a company to help others learn a trade and realize their American dream.”

In accepting the award, Stan Marek, chairman and CEO, said the family would cherish the award and thanked Catholic Extension for its “enduring legacy of helping the least of our brethren.” Its “work in rural parishes and building up faith communities has never been more vital to the preservation of our nation,” he added.

Organizations and events the Mareks support are numerous. Among them are the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese and the WorkFaith Connection, which receives grants from the Marek Family Foundation. The connection was developed in 2006 to address the challenges of unemployed men and women in Houston. They sponsor an annual Rise & Shine event to benefit a nationally recognized Houston preschool for children with Down syndrome or other disabilities.

Attendees at the Houston dinner included Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, the retired archbishop of Galveston-Houston, and Dominican Sister Jane Meyer, the 2024 Houston Spirit of Francis Award recipient.

The dinner also paid tribute to newly named Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez, named by Pope Francis Jan. 20 to succeed Cardinal DiNardo. He will be installed as the ninth archbishop of Galveston-Houston March 25. Head of the Diocese of Austin, Texas, for the past 15 years, the prelate was raised in San Angelo, Texas. Catholic Extension helped build his hometown parish and helped fund his seminary education.

Catholic Extension has built and repaired over 1,400 church structures in all 15 dioceses in Texas and currently provides support to the dioceses of Amarillo, Beaumont, Brownsville, El Paso, Laredo, Lubbock, San Angelo and Tyler.

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