Out of the Ashes of Hostyn Tragedy, Doug Janda Keeps Creating Heartfelt Beauty
A Monthly Feature by JESSICA MONTEZ
Doug Janda’s heart has always been overflowing.
Known for his business, Hostyn Hill Greenhouses, especially this time of year, Janda has found another beautiful way to express his love, creativity, generosity, and unwavering dedication to the Hostyn community and his lifelong church, Queen of the Holy Rosary. He has started creating marble statuettes and other things from the remains of the altar that were destroyed in the fire on June 9, 2022.
The church now has three committees: the Financial Advisor Committee, the Building Committee, and the Salvage Committee. Janda serves on all three boards. The Salvage Committee re-purposes some of the remains of the old church into mementos for the parishioners while also raising funds for the construction of the new church.
“Father Felix wanted the Salvage Committee to make a rosary out of the marble from the church altar so we tried cutting it into squares but the heat totally messed it up and it just crumbled so I did some research and found you can mix resin with the powered marble and from that I made the beads,” said Janda. “So after that, I had some nice molds, and Lord and behold it all started.” That rosary ended up being 6 ft. long and sold at a Hostyn Church auction for $4,000. Father Felix Twumasi, the former priest at the Hostyn and Plum churches, fondly remembers the rosary and Janda’s thoughtfulness. “Doug once prepared my favorite Ghanaian meal, fufu with groundnut soup. I still wonder where he got his cooking skills from. He always bought me Ghanaian things and ensured my safety and welfare. He can be named among the dedicated parishioners in Hostyn. His thoughtfulness is great. We have fished together, butchered a sheep and goat, and he has tasted a Ghanaian meal, along with many other experiences,” said Twumasi.
Since creating the rosary, he has continued to work on around 40 types of statuettes, crosses, and inscriptions, and his list continues to grow. His creations include the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Michael the Archangel, and the Last Supper, among many other wellknown figures and symbols of the Catholic faith.
Recently, Doug has been focusing on his grandmother’s 100-year-old nativity scene to use as a mold. Given its condition, he needed to repair many of the faces and repaint parts of it.
There is no need to worry about a shortage of his creations any time soon, as he has yet to use the marble from the baptismal font, along with the holy water fonts that were further away from the explosion.
You can view the salvage items online at hostynplumcatholic. org/salvage-items. To place an order, please contact the Parish Office at (979) 2474441. Additionally, there is a cabinet display filled with his statues available for parishioners and visitors at the Parish Office.
Another thing Doug was a huge part of was providing each of the around 200 parishioners a brick from the remains of the church.
Laura Surman, a parishioner and member of the Salvage Committee alongside Doug, saw this idea firsthand and knew how much it would mean to the other parishioners.
“Doug drew a replica of the front of the church on a brick and it was turned into a stamp and the idea was born. There is so much creativity that flows in those meetings. The brick was special to Jared and me because this was a part of the church that we attended, were married in, and where our kids were baptized. We have so many other memories and are thankful to have a piece of the church to keep with us,” said Surman.
She is not the only Surman who has experienced Doug’s creativity and learned from him firsthand. Jared and Laura’s 12-year-old twin boys often tag along with Doug.
“The very first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Doug is happiness because he is always helpful and happy, you never see him sad. I like helping him transfer plants. I learned how to plant plants and fertilize them at the right time,” said Nolan.
Rylan added, “I always want to help him with anything. I like it when we fix the boards in the greenhouse. Help remove dead plants, help feed chickens, and pick eggs. I also learned how to trim plants so they grow and what tags go with what plants.”
Laura Surman added, “There is so much that he does behind the scenes. He is involved in everything, picnics, scholarship breakfasts, cooking for the youth during monthly religion classes, and meetings, and donating his plants to decorate the altar, he has been all of the priests’ right-hand man, a full-time altar boy. There is so much more that he does. He devotes all of his time to the church and the family that come together in it. He would do anything for anyone any time of day.”
Other parishioners like Coy Heinrich also know how important Doug and his work are to the church.
“Those keepsakes are what keeps our previous church alive, everything that has been made, whether it be stained glass windows, tables, jewelry, furniture, or figurines, all has a part of our beloved church. It’s a way to remember what we had and to look forward to what we can build together. The things that he’s able to create with his Salvage Committee partners are truly amazing. Doug is an institution of the church. Anything from maintenance to generating donations for our new build to creating those keepsakes, he does whatever it takes for the parishioner family he loves,” said Heinrich.
When asked why the Queen of the Holy Rosary Church plays such an important part in his life and why it means so much to him, Doug humbly said, “It’s been a part of me ever since I was little. My mom and dad instilled the importance of church in me ever since I can remember. I even remember the old church when they were tearing it down to build the latest one we had. And I don’t know, it’s just the right thing to do because I guess if you don’t have faith, what’s the use of living, you know? I mean, you gotta have something. There’s gotta be something later on after this life.”
Doug’s testament of love, compassion, and generosity to the Hostyn Church serves as a powerful reminder that this time of year is not only about receiving but, more importantly, about giving.
Because of Doug, I’ve learned that no act of service is too small. We must cherish our blessings and, above all, strive to spread more faith and kindness in the world around us.