|
THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ST. JEROME PARISH, CHICAGO ILLINOIS
This parish was established by Fr. Leon Medić, who arrived
in Chicago in 1912. In  the
beginning masses for Croatians were held in the Czech church
St. John Nepomucene in Chicago. During the same year,
however, a Protestant church on 25th Street was
purchased and the Croatians used it for a full ten years.
In 1922 a Swedish Lutheran church on Princeton Avenue was
purchased. For over 80 years this church has been a
principal gathering place for Croatians in Chicago.
Sisters, Adorers of the Blood of Christ, arrived in
Chicago and began teaching at St. Jerome’s Parish School in
1922. In 1928 a new convent was built for the sisters,
and the old convent was made into a kindergarten. During
this period the parish debt was cleared. During Fr.
Ferdinand Skoko’s pastorate (1943 – 1955) another new convent
was built, the rectory was expanded and the church was renovated.
Finally, during Fr. Vitomir Naletilić’s pastorate, a
new school and parish hall were constructed. In 1974,
a supplementary Croatian school was opened for instructing
children in the Croatian language, culture and dances.
This school operates to this day. A Croatian radio program
was started in 1979 but only lasted for a few months. It again
began operating in 1998.
From the founding of the parish (1912) until 1995, a total
of 5970 children were baptized, 3457 individuals were buried,
4143 individuals were confirmed, and 2818 children received
First Holy Communion. Masses are celebrated both in Croatian
and English.
The following friars have served in the parish:
|
Year
|
Pastor
|
Year
|
Associate
Pastor
|
|
1912-16
|
fra
Leon Medić
|
|
|
|
1916-19
|
fra
Ambrozije Širca
|
|
|
|
1919-21
|
fra
Placid Belavić
|
|
|
|
1921-28
|
fra
Vjenceslav Vukonić
|
|
|
|
1928-36
|
fra
Blaž Jerković
|
1928-30
|
fra Gabro
Cvitanović
|
|
|
|
1930-31
|
fra Anzelmo
Slišković
|
|
|
|
1934-36
|
fra Ferdinand
Skoko
|
|
|
|
1931-34
|
fra Hugolin
Feysz
|
|
|
|
1932-44
|
brat
fra Alojzije Soldo
|
|
1936-43
|
fra
Franjo Čuturić
|
1936-38
|
fra Teofil
Pehar
|
|
|
|
1938-42
|
fra Bono
Bilandžić
|
|
|
|
|
fra Kornelije
Ravlić
|
|
1943-55
|
fra
Ferdinand Skoko
|
1944-45
|
fra Charles
Pleše
|
|
|
|
1946-49
|
fra Steve
Raich
|
|
|
|
1946-47
|
fra Serafin
Vištica
|
|
|
|
1950-53
|
fra Berto
Dragičević
|
|
|
|
|
fra Marcel
Ćabo
|
|
|
|
1953-58
|
fra Charles
Pleše
|
|
1955-56
|
fra
Serafin Vištica
|
1955-56
|
fra Dominik
Ćorić
|
|
|
|
1955-58
|
fra Vitomir
Naletilić
|
|
1956-58
|
fra
Ferdinand Skoko
|
1957-58
|
fra Gracijan
Raspudić
|
|
1958-60
|
fra
Zvonko Mandurić
|
1957-59
|
fra Predrag
Kordić
|
|
|
|
1958-62
|
fra Anthony
Dukić
|
|
1960-65
|
fra
Vitomir Naletilić
|
1960-62
|
fra Tugomir
Soldo
|
|
|
|
1962-65
|
fra Marko
Kozina
|
|
1965-67
|
fra
Steve Raich
|
1964-71
|
fra Dominik
Ćorić
|
|
1967-69
|
fra
Božidar Benković
|
|
|
|
1969-76
|
fra
Marko Kozina
|
1972-75
|
fra Ivan
Bradvica
|
|
|
|
1975-79
|
fra Leon
Galić
|
|
1976-79
|
fra
Pavao Maslać
|
|
|
|
|
|
1977-79
|
fra Slavko
Soldo
|
|
1979-82
|
fra
Anthony Dukić
|
1979-80
|
fra Ljubo
Krasić
|
|
|
|
1980-82
|
fra Jozo
Čuić
|
|
1982-85
|
fra
Jerko Kućan
|
1982-92
|
fra Hrvoslav
Ban
|
|
1985-95
|
fra
Mate Ruyechan
|
|
|
|
|
|
1992-93
|
fra Veselko
Kvesić
|
|
|
|
1993-94
|
fra Miro
Grubišić
|
|
|
|
1994-96
|
fra Marko
Kozina
|
|
1995-97
|
fra
Zvonimir Kutleša
|
1996-01
|
fra Jozo
Grbeš
|
|
1997-01
|
fra
Jozo Grubišić
|
1998.
|
fra Robert
Jolić
|
|
2001-
|
fra
Jozo Grbeš
|
2001-04
|
Fra Tomislav
Puljić
|
| |
|
2005- |
Fr.
Ivan Strmecki |
Parishes
Index
SACRED HEART OF JESUS PARISH, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
The origins
of this parish stem from a Slovenian-Croatian parish
which was founded in 1903, with Rev. Janez Kranjec, a Slovenian,
as pastor until 1911. Together with the parishioners,
Rev. Kranjec built the church of St. George in 1904 on Ewing
Avenue and 96 Street. Following the appointment of a
second Slovenian priest as pastor in 1911, a rift occurred
between the Croatian and Slovenian parishioners in 1912.
Despite the five to one ratio of Croatians to Slovenes
both in numbers and in sharing the cost for the construction
of the church, the church remained with the Slovenes and the
Croatians needed to build another church for themselves.
In 1913 the Rev. Ivan Stipanoviƒ was named pastor of the Croatian
Church where he remained until 1916. Together with his parishioners,
he built Sacred Heart Croatian church in 1913/1914 on Escanaba
Avenue and 96 Street. On the second floor of the church,
a grade school was organized and was staffed by the School
Sisters of St. Francis beginning in 1915. Rev. Mate
Čanić was the pastor from 1916 to 1919; after him
the parish was entrusted to the Franciscans from the Commissariat.
The first Franciscan pastor was Fr. Luka Terzić, who
was dedicated to renovating the school building. The
friars who succeeded him worked to reduce the construction
debt, as well as to lessen tensions among the parishioners
and the Croatians in general. The community was divided
because of political partisanship and because of the infiltration
of Yugoslav and Communist notions into the community.
After World War II the pastor, Fr. Ljubo Čuvalo, prepared
for a construction project. His plans were carried out
by the next pastor, Fr. Myron Lasić, who built a large
school building in 1959 and a magnificent and functional church
in 1963/1964. During Fr. Vendelin Vasilj’s pastorate,
a parish hall and convent were built. The debts incurred
were paid off by future pastors.
From 1913 to 1995, 5364 children were baptized, 2633 individuals
were buried, 1899 couples were married, 3072 individuals were
confirmed and 2560 children received First Holy Communion.
Masses are celebrated both in English and Croatian.
The following friars have served in the parish:
|
Year
|
Pastor
|
Year
|
Associate
Pastor
|
|
1919-22
|
fra
Luka Terzić
|
|
|
|
1922-31
|
fra
Bono Andačić
|
1924-26
|
fra Ambro
Mišetić
|
|
|
|
1928.
|
fra Blaž
Jerković
|
|
|
|
1928-29
|
fra Špiro
Andrijanić
|
|
|
|
1930-31
|
fra Gabrijel
Cvitanović
|
|
1931-47
|
fra
Špiro Andrijanić
|
1931-32
|
fra Vladislav
Luburić
|
|
|
|
1936-39
|
fra Bono
Bilandžić
|
|
|
|
1939-42
|
fra Kornelije
Ravlić
|
|
|
|
1942-44
|
fra Silvije
Grubišić
|
|
|
|
1944-45
|
fra Marcel
Ćabo
|
|
1947-49
|
fra
Teofil Pehar
|
1946-53
|
fra Vilim
Primorac
|
|
1949-58
|
fra
Lubo Čuvalo
|
1950-52
|
fra Oton
Knezović
|
|
|
|
1954-54
|
fra Kruno
Pandžić
|
|
|
|
1954-56
|
fra Zoran
Ostojić
|
|
|
|
1953-58
|
fra Berto
Dragičević
|
|
|
|
1955-57
|
fra Serafin
Vištica
|
|
|
|
1955-56
|
fra Dominik
Ćorić
|
|
|
|
1957-58
|
fra Miron
Lasić
|
|
1958-68
|
fra
Miron Lasić
|
1958-59
|
fra Steve
Raich
|
|
|
|
1958-61
|
fra Kvirin
Vasilj
|
|
|
|
1959-63
|
fra Gracijan
Raspudić
|
|
|
|
1962-64
|
fra Pavao
Maslać
|
|
|
|
1964-68
|
fra Charles
Pleše
|
|
1968-71
|
fra
Vendelin Vasilj
|
1968-71
|
fra Eugen
Petrović
|
|
1971-79
|
fra
Eugen Petrović
|
1971-76
|
fra Zvonimir
Kutleša
|
|
|
|
1976-78
|
fra Vincent
Cvitković
|
|
1979-94
|
fra
Marko Kozina
|
1981-82
|
fra Gregory
Furjanić
|
|
|
|
1982-85
|
fra Mate
Ruyechan
|
|
|
|
1985-87
|
fra Stjepan
Pandžić
|
|
|
|
1987-88
|
fra Pavao
Maslać
|
|
|
|
1988.
|
fra Stipe
Pervan
|
|
|
|
1989-94
|
fra Stjepan
Bedeniković
|
|
1994-95
|
fra
Jerko Kućan
|
1994-95
|
fra Ilija
Puljić
|
|
1995-2000
|
fra
Pavao Maslać
|
1995-97
|
fra Jago
Soče
|
|
|
|
1997-2000
|
fra Marko
Kozina
|
| 2000-
|
fra Stjepan Bedeniković
|
2000-01 |
fra
Nikola Pašalic |
| |
|
2006
- |
fra
Ante Bekavac |
Croatian
Catholic Mission Blessed Alojzije Stepinac Chicago, IL
The mission
was established in September 1973. Croatian Dominican priests
celebrated its first Mass on September 30th of that same year
in the American parish of Saint Jerome's on Lunt Avenue. The
Dominicans transferred from Hyde Park to the north side of
Chicago in March 1972. Father Ivo Plenkovic was its first
pastor. The mssion's first Mass in its current location, that
is in Angel Guardian Church at the intersection of Ridge and
Devon Avenues, was celebrated on Christmas 1975. Weekly Sunday
Mass at 10:30 in Croatian was permitted starting in January
1977 until December 1978 when the church was turned over to
the Croatian Mission for continual use. In 1982, the rectory
next to the church was also turned over to the Mission.
The mission
began a Croatian language and cultural school in 1974 which
was turned over to the Croatian Center in Chicago in 1979.
Father Nikola Dugandžic was pastor of the mission from 1981
through August 2006 when the Dominicans retreated to Croatia
and Croatian Franciscans assumed control over the mission.
In 1998, the mission officially changed its name and now bears
the name of the Croatian Blessed Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac.
Croatian Dominican religious sisters served the mission for
many years until 2006 when they too returned to Croatia. Since
Croatian Franciscans formally took up work at this mission
on August 20, 2006, its new pastor is Father Ivica Majstorovic.
Parishes
Index................................................Next
|
