ACTIVITIES OF THE CROATIAN FRANCISCAN CUSTODY 

General Historical Review (Part1)

Custody Activities (Part 2)

The Friars (Part 3)

 

3. ST. JEROME PARISH, DETROIT - ST. LUCY PARISH, TROY, MICHIGAN

        The Croatians living in Detroit were attracted to the area by job opportunities in the strong automobile industry. They wanted to have their own Croatian parish in the early 1900s, but their wish was not fulfilled until a Croatian priest, Rev. Oskar Šuster, arrived in Detroit in 1923.  In the beginning masses were celebrated in other churches.  In 1924 the Croatians purchased an Anglican church with a rectory on Melbourne Street.  The church was than dedicated to St. Jerome. The church was renovated and blessed  in 1925.  As the Croatians began moving out of the area after 1950, Rev. Šuster’s assistant, Rev. Viktor Štefanac built a new Croatian church on the north side of the city.  It was a beautiful church that contained, among other things, works by the noted Croatian sculptor, Ivan Meštrović.  The church served the Croatians until 1996.  The Croatian Franciscan Custody began ministering in the parish in 1976. 

        During the 1980s, Croatians began moving out of the north side of Detroit, and plans were made to build another church in a more convenient location.  Nearly a decade later, those plans became a reality through the work of Fr. Josip Nenad Galić.  Through the sale of the old church of St. Jerome, the church halls and the rectory, as well as through the parishioners’ donations and the substantial donation of Mrs. Lucille Drazick Prepolec, a beautiful new church, rectory and a large parish hall were built in 1995/1996.  Today this may be the most beautiful Croatian church complex in the entire United States.  The debt continues to be reduced.

        From 1923 until 1995, in this parish 2630 children were baptized, 1604 individuals were buried,  975 couples  were married, 973 individuals were confirmed, and 904 children received First Holy Communion. Masses are celebrated in both English and Croatian.  :

    The following friars have served in the parish:

Fr. Oskar Šuster                1923.-1960.                       

Fr. Stephen Malarić            1960.-1976.                       

fra Ante Čuvalo                    1976.

fra Anthony Dukić                1976.-1978.             

fra Vincent Cvitković             1978.-1982.

fra Jozo Čuić                        1982.-1989.

fra Nenad Galić                    1989.-1997.

fra Slaven Mijatović               1997.-

            Associate Pastors were: Rev. Dragutin Kamber (1952.-1954.), Rev. Viktor Štefanac (1954.-?), fr. Ante Čuvalo (1972.-1976.), fr. Vilim Primorac (1976.-1979.), Fr. Šimun Šito Čorić (1979-1980), and also following priests have served: George Rozman, Edward T. Walling, Viktor Rogulj, Arthur Linz, Rudolf Hrašćanec, Robert Burke, Zvonko Radošević and Dayton Gnau.    

4. SACRED HEART OF JESUS PARISH, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

        This parish was founded by Fr. Placid Belavić in 1917.  During that same year a Lutheran church on 7^th and Galena Streets was purchased. He left the parish shortly thereafter because of friction with the parishioners.  In 1927, Rev. Charles  Jesih was instrumental in bringing the School Sisters of St. Francis from Lemont, Illinois to the parish.  That same year the sisters started a school which unfortunately closed three years later due to an economic crisis.  Since 1930 the parish was entrusted to the Croatian Franciscan Commissariat.  The first pastor was Fr. Ambro Mišetić.  When Croatians began moving out of the area, Fr. Lujbo Čuvalo, the pastor, purchased land for the construction of a new church on North 49^th Street.  In 1948 Fr. Silvije Grubišić, the new pastor, , began the building of the new church, which was completed in 1949 and blessed in 1950.  All outstanding debts were paid by 1953.  The Daughters of Divine Charity from Akron, Ohio came to work in the parish in 1954.  A parish hall and a school were built by 1957.  The sisters staffed the school until 1993 when it was closed due to  low student enrollment.  Since then the school building has been rented out to a private school.  Through the years neighboring non-Croatian Catholics became parishioners primarily because their children had attended the  parochial school, but the Croatian presence continues to remain dominant in the parish.

        From 1917 to 1995 , 2998 children were baptized, 1768 individuals were buried, 1017 couples were married, 635 individuals were confirmed and 698 children received First Holy Communion.

        The folowing friars have served in the parish:

1917.  fra Placid Belavić

1917.-1918.      vlč. Josip Sorić

1918.  vlč. Dragutin Jesih

1918.-1921.       vlč. Jakov Černe

1921.-1922.    vlč. Anton Sojar

1922.-1930. vlč. Dragutin Jesih 

Year	Pastor	Year	Associate Pastor
1930-37	fra Ambro Mišetić
1937-43	fra Filip Šeparović	1938 - ?	fra Hugolin Feysz
1943-46	fra Kornelije Ravlić
1946-49	fra Ljubo Čuvalo
1949-50	fra Silvije Grubišić	o. 1950.	fra Emanuel Rajić
1950-55	fra Zvonko Mandurić	1950-55	fra Bono Bilandžić
1955-61	fra Vendelin Vasilj	1955-59	fra Ambroz Budimir
		1959-62	fra Marko Kozina
1961-67	fra Ferdinand Skoko	1962-64	fra Charles Pleše
		1964-70	fra Pavao Maslać
1967-79	fra Častimir Majić	1970-77	fra Lawrence Franković
		1977-78	fra Jerko Kućan
1979-82	fra Josip Abramović
1982-85	fra Ferdinand Skoko	1984-85	fra Ilija Puljić
1985-86	fra Ilija Puljić	1985-86	fra Jerko Kućan
1986-89	fra Nenad Galić	1986-87	fra Robert Galinac
1989.	fra Stjepan Bedeniković
1989-94	fra Marko Puljić
1994-	fra Stjepan Bedeniković

5. SS. CYRIL & METHODIUS PARISH, NEW YORK, NEW YORK

        As early as 1910 the Croatian Franciscan, Fr. Ambrozije Širca, tried to establish a Croatian parish in New York.  Unsuccessful in his efforts, he moved to Hoboken, on the other side of the Hudson River in 1910 where he started maintaining the parish records.  In 1913 Fr. Irenej Petri…ak founded the Croatian parish in New York.  In the beginning, he rented a church on West 50^th Street between 9^th and 10^th Avenue.   It was purchased by the new pastor, Fr. Ambrozije Širca, and his parishioners in 1914.  This small and unimpressive church served the Croatian community for a full 60 years.  Fr. Ambrozije’s successor was once again Fr. Irenej, who had a parish hall constructed below the church.  In 1931, the Daughters of Divine Charity from Rankin, Pennsylvania arrived to work in the parish.  They were succeeded by the Franciscan Sisters in 1971.  Due to inadequate space, the Croatians started using the parish hall of the neighboring St. Raphael Parish on West 40^th Street and 10^th Avenue in 1971 for their parish activities.  That same year the archdiocese gave the hall to the Croatians, who renovated it and renamed it the “Croatian Center – St. Nikola Taveliƒ.”  Soon they began to celebrate one Sunday mass in the spacious St. Raphael’s Church.  Finally, in 1974, the Croatians moved from their small church to the , more spacious building 10 blocks away.  In the ensuing years there was a total renovation of the dilapidated and neglected church and rectory.  These buildings  were totally renovated and put to full use by 1977.  The renovation of the church was formally celebrated that year. Cardinal Cooke, Archbishop of New York, led a procession through the nearby streets and celebrated the mass.. The restoration of the church was coordinated by the pastor, Fr. Mladen „uvalo.  After 1977, under the guidance of Fr. Mladen and his successors, there were numerous other renovationins on the church and the rectory, including a roof and the modernization of the heating system.  A tract of land in Boonton,  New Jersey was purchased in 1973 and cleared for use.  Picnics, sporting  tournaments and other  events continue to be held on the Croatian Highland.  During Fr. Slavko Soldo’s pastorate the renovation of the hall underneath the church was undertaken.  Work on this project started in 1993 and was finished in 1999 during Fr. Marko Puljiƒ’s pastorate.  A supplementary Croatian school has been in operation from 1974 to the present.  The parish radio program has been airing from 1974.  Services are still exclusively held in the Croatian language.

        From 1910 (when record keeping was initiated) to 1995 in this parish, 5213 children were baptized, 1048 individuals were buried, 2183 couples were married, 1336 individuals were confirmed, and 1099 children received First Holy Communion.

The following friars have served in the parish:

Year	Pastor	Year	Associate Pastor
1913-14	fra Irenej Petričak	1913.	fra Plecid Belavić
1914-16	fra Ambrozije Širca	1914-16	fra Irenej Petričak
1916-26	fra Irenej Petričak	1922.	fra Bono Andačić
1926-33	fra Franjo Čuturić
1933-36	fra Bono Andačić
1936-50	fra Zvonko Mandurić	1949-53	fra Steve Raich
1950-60	fra Anzelmo Slišković
		1952-56	fra Ivo Sivrić
		1956-57	fra Miron Lasić
		1957-58	fra Kruno Pandžić
		1958-59	fra Roko Romac
		1959-63	fra Bruno Raspudić
1960-61	fra Božidar Benković
1961-62	fra Patrik Cigić
1962-64	fra Zvonko Mandurić	1963-67	fra Častimir Majić
1964-68	fra Silvije Grubišić	1967-68	fra Vitomir Naletilić
1968-72	fra Vitomir Naletilić	1968-72	fra Mladen Čuvalo
1972-79	fra Mladen Čuvalo	1971-75	fra Leon Galić
		1972-73	fra Charles Pleše
		1973-74	fra Hrvoslav Ban
		1973-80	fra Rafo Romić
		1974-75	fra Karlo Zovko
		1974-75	fra Ljubo Krasić
		1975-77	fra Slavko Soldo
		1975-76	fra Ivan Bradvica
		1977-78	fra Drago Tolj
		1978-80	fra Šimun Ćorić
		1978-81	fra Hrvoslav Ban
1979-86	fra Slavko Soldo	1980-82	fra Svetozar Kraljević
		1982-84	fra Stjepan Pandžić
		1983-89	fra Marko Puljić
		1984-88	fra Stipe Pervan
1986-89	fra Ilija Puljić	1988-89	fra Miro Grubišić
1989-94	fra Slavko Soldo	1989-90	fra Jozo Grubišić
		1989-91	fra Veselko Kvesić
		1991.	fra Miro Grubišić
		1991-98	fra Steve Raich
		1992-94	fra Ivan Prusina
		1993-95	fra Jozo Grbeš
1994-	fra Marko Puljić	1994-95	fra Robert Kiš
		1995-98	fra Valentin Vukoja
		1998-	fra Robert Jolić
2000-	fra Slaven Mijatović

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