The Elcik family brought their Catholic faith with them to America. Newspaper accounts and parish records document their regular attendance at church services, festivals, and community events. Faith was not only practiced within church walls but woven into daily life and social gatherings. Saturday evening dances were common family events, often accompanied by music played on instruments brought from home, blending cultural tradition with religious community.
The family’s connection to Saints Cyril and Methodius Church in Lisbon Falls, Maine, was especially strong. That connection is reflected in the number of Elcik family members interred at Saint Cyril Cemetery, including:
- Andrew J. Elcik (26 Oct 1901 – 4 Apr 1951)
- Elizabeth Elcik (1870 – 1 Jun 1934)
- Eugenie Walker Elcik (28 Feb 1898 – 5 Dec 1972)
- Gertrude Elcik (Fournier) (25 Dec 1918 – 19 Jan 1983)
- Helen B. Elcik (Kozak) (15 Dec 1892 – 13 Oct 1968)
- John P. Elcik (6 Nov 1866 – 24 May 1941)
- John P. Elcik (16 Feb 1896 – 31 Mar 1963)
- Joseph P. Elcik (1875 – 31 May 1938)
- Maria Anna Elcik (Pelcarsky) (1875 – 23 Aug 1936)
- Mary A. Elcik (Fabian) (8 Oct 1891 – 23 Nov 1978)
- Mary G. Byras Elcik (5 Nov 1900 – 18 Apr 1951)
- Paul J. Elcik Jr. (20 May 1915 – 28 Apr 1992)
- Paul J. Elcik Sr. (15 Feb 1896 – 23 Dec 1970)
The church building itself remains standing today as a historic landmark in Lisbon Falls. Designed in 1923 by Lewiston architects Gibbs & Pulsifer, the structure is an imposing example of neo-Gothic architecture, particularly notable for a community of its size.
In later generations, the family’s religious affiliations diversified. While Catholicism shaped the early Elcik experience in America, many descendants later joined Presbyterian or Methodist congregations. The reasons for this shift are not fully documented. One known episode involves John P. Elcik III, who experienced a break with the Catholic Church following a parish dispute concerning burial in a Catholic cemetery. The specific details have been lost to time, remembered only as a moment that altered the family’s religious path.
What remains clear is that faith—regardless of denomination—continued to influence family values, community involvement, and identity across generations.