The journey through life of a 16-year-old boy from a village in Eastern Slovakia to the world of industrial, political, religious and cultural figures became legendary. Štefan Boleslav Roman was born on 17th April 1921 in Veľký Ruskov near Trebišov. In 1937, he left for Canada. He worked on a farm and in a car factory and also joined the Canadian Army. He made good use of his intelligence and tenaciousness in his new country. In 1945, he started to trade in mining securities.
Subsequently, he purchased a licence to mine at Elliot Lake. This step catapulted him to the top tier of the mining industry. Denison Mines Ltd. owned the largest uranium mines in the world. Štefan Boleslav Roman was given the nickname, the Uranium King, and his companies were called the Roman Empire.
As a young man, Š. B. Roman had already been active in the organisation of the cultural and social life of Slovaks in Canada. Later, his economic background and international relationships allowed him to inform the world of the so-called Slovak issue. In 1970, he summoned representatives of the Slovak compatriot organisations from all over the world to New York, where they agreed to establish an organisation that would provide joint representation to fight for the sovereignty and democracy of Slovakia. 1971 finally saw the foundation of the Slovak World Congress in Toronto (Canada). Š. B. Roman presided over the organisation from its establishment to his death in 1988.
The spiritual coat of arms of Š. B. Roman also included the symbol of the Greek Orthodox Church. In 1968, he lent them his support and subsequently, it was able to resume its activities in Czechoslovakia. He also contributed to the establishment of the Slovak Ecclesiastical Province as well as the Eparchy of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto. He was responsible for the construction of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord in Markham near Toronto, it was modelled on the Church of the Protection of Virgin Mary in his native village of Veľký Ruskov. The Cathedral was consecrated by the Pope, John Paul II, on 15th September 1984.
Š. B. Roman was awarded the Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of St. Gregory the Great and the European Charles IV Prize. He was awarded with honorary doctorates by three Canadian universities. However, he did not live to receive the highest Canadian decoration, the Order of Canada. The decoration was conferred on his 67th birthday. Unfortunately, Š. B. Roman, one of the most famous Slovak personages in the world, died 25 days before the ceremony, on 23th March 1988. Slovakia honoured its giant as late as 1990, granting him the National Award of the Slovak Republic. In 1995, he was posthumously awarded with the Order of the First Class White Double Cross, the highest state decoration, by the President of the Slovak Republic, Michal Kováč.
Ján Chovanec
