St. Jerome Centennial Book, 2012
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IN MEMORIAM SAINT JEROME CROATIAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY PRIESTS, NUNS, STAFF, PARISHIONERS AND OUR REV. BONAVENTURE, OFM MATTHEW MENA-MINNIE HONORABLE MICHAEL CHICAGO ALDERMAN AND MAYOR ILLINOIS APPELLATE COURT JUSTICE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE CLASS OF 1936 THE BILANDIC FAMILY 100 Years of Faith, Family and Tradition 90 Years of Grammar School Education 100 godina zajednice Duha 90 godina ãkole Sv. Jeronima 3 2G9DãLKIUDQMHYDFD Hrvatska åXSDVY-HURQLPD 2823 S. Princeton Ave. Cardinal Stepinac Way Chicago, IL 60616 Tel: 312-842-1871 Fax: 312-842-6427 www.stjeromecroatian.org Dragi prijatelji! 'XJMHQDãSXW6WRWLQXJRGLQDåLYRWD6WRWLQXJRGLQD]DMHGQLãWYDVDNUDPHQDWDVODYOMDVWRW LQXJRGLQXSRGLMHOMHQLKUDGRVQLKLWHãNLKWUHQXWDND2YRPSULJRGRPJRYRULPR*RVSRGLQXKYDOD]D VYXVQDJX]DVYHOMXGH]DVYHVYHüHQLNHVHVWUH]DVYHåXSOMDQHLSULMDWHOMHNRMLVXåLYRWRPVYRMLP SLVDOLSRYLMHVWRYHåXSHNUR]VWRWLQXJRGLQD2GQHGMHOMHSURVLQFDGRQHGMHOMHWUDYQMD SURãORMHYLãHRGGDQD =DVYDNLWDMGDQJRYRULPR*RVSRGLQXKYDOD6D]DKYDOQRãüXVHVMHüDPRQDãLKSRþHWDND]D ]DKYDOQRãüXVHVMHüDPROMXGLNRMLVXSXQLOLQDãHFUNYHQHNOXSHRUJDQL]LUDOLGRJDÿDMHVXGMHORYDOLX JUDGQML]DMHGQLFHMHUVXRYGMHXåXSL6Y-HURQLPDX&KLFDJXSURQDãOLVYRMGXKRYQLGRPGRP GXãHPMHVWRJGMHVHRVMHüDMXGREURGRãOLJGMHVXNRGNXüH*HQHUDFLMHQDãLKåXSOMDQDRVWDOHVX RYGMHDJHQHUDFLMHNRMHVXIL]LþNLGDOMHRG6YHWRJ-HURQLPDRVWDOHVXSRYH]DQHVQMLPMHUGRP GXãHRVWDMHXYLMHNEOL]XQMH .DNRMHYHOLNLWRGDU$]DGDUVDPRPRåHPRUHüLKYDODäLYMHOLVPRXGYLMHFUNYHVODYLOLVPR 9HOLNX*RVSXRGSRþHWNDVWROMHüDRUJDQL]LUDOLGXKRYQHNXOWXUQHGRPROMXEQHVRFLMDOQHVSRUWVNH GRJDÿDMHXYLMHNLPDMXüLSULVUFXGREUR]DMHGQLFHJGMHWDOHQWLGROD]HGRL]UDåDMDLJGMHMHOMXEDYWH PHOMQL]DNRQåLYRWD+UYDWVNXVPRVDQMDOLþH]QXOL]DQMHQLPLPHQRPQDNDUWLVYLMHWDLUDGLOLQDRVW YDUHQMXVQDL]SDWQMHQDãLKRGOD]DND'RSULQRVRYH]DMHGQLFHMHQHPMHUOMLYULMHþLPDMHUMHKRGDODV ,VWLQRPWUDåHüL3UDYGXVYMHVQDGD'REURXYLMHNQDNUDMXSRELMHGL,LVSLVDODMHVYRMXSRYLMHVWRYGMH GRVWRMDQVWYHQRLKUDEURVDþXYDYãL1DGX]DJRGLQHNRMHGROD]H ,]]DKYDOQRVWL]DQDãLKVWRJRGLQDåHOLPRLüLQDSULMHGKRGDWLV*RVSRGLQRPWUDåHüLQMHJRYX PXGURVWLPLORVWåLYMHWLQMHJRYPLULNDNRUHþHVYHWL)UDQMRQDVWDYLWL³GDYDWLNDNRELVPRSULPLOL´MHUX GDULYDQMXMHOMHSRWDSXWRYDQMDQDãLPGDQLPD Stoga, zahvalni za sve Vas, za svaku osobu, svaku obitelj, svako ime, svaki dar, molimo Go- VSRGLQDGDQDVVDþXYD]DMHGQRGDVYLPLRYGMHLGDOMHSURQDOD]LPRQDãGRPGXãHLJUDGLPRGREDU svijet dobrim primjerom ove zajednice. Neka vam Gospodin daruje svoj mir i svoj blagoslov! 9DãLIUD-R]R*UEHãL)UD,YDQ6WUPHþNL From Your Croatian Franciscans at St. -HURPH·V 2823 S. Princeton Ave. Cardinal Stepinac Way Chicago, IL 60616 Tel: 312-842-1871 Fax: 312-842-6427 www.stjeromecroatian.org Dear Friends, Our journey is long. 100 years of life! One hundred years of community, sacraments, celebrations, and 100 years of sharing the good and bad events of life. We take this op- portunity to thank Our Lord for his strength and for all the people who made it possible for us to celebrate this jubilee: all the priests, sisters, parishioners, and friends of our parish who, by their lives, helped to write the history of this parish. More than 36,000 days have passed from December of 1912 to April 29, 2012. We thank God for every one of those days. With gratitude we remember our be- ginning, and reflect on all the people who filled our church pews, organized events, con- WULEXWHG LQ EXLOGLQJ WKLV SDULVK FRPPXQLW\ RI 6W -HURPH¶V LQ &KLFDJR 7KLV SODFH LV where many have found their spiritual home. It is where they feel welcomed and at home. Many generations have remained a part of our community. Even those who are QRWDW6W-HURPH¶VSK\VLFDOO\VWLOOIHHOWKDWFRQQHFWLRQEHFDXVHWKHLUVSLULWDOZD\VUH mains close. :KDWDJUHDWJLIW$OOZHFDQVD\LVWKDQN\RX:H¶YHOLYHGLQWZRFKXUFKHVZH¶YH EHHQFHOHEUDWLQJ³9HOLND*RVSD´VLQFHWKHWXUQRIWKHSUHYLRXVFHQWXU\ZH¶YHRUJDQL]HG spiritual, cultural, ethnic, social and sporting events, always keeping close to our hearts the good of the community, where talents can be realized and where love is the founda- tion of everything. We dreamed about a free Croatia. The contributions from this com- munity are innumerable, because we sought Justice by following the Truth, always aware that in the end, good shall prevail over evil. We wrote our history with dignity and courageously stood up for hope for the years to come. In gratitude of our one hundred years, we wish to move forward with Our Lord, seek- LQJKLVZLVGRPDQGPHUF\OLYLQJKLVSHDFH$V6W)UDQFLVLVTXRWHGDVVD\LQJ³LQJLYLQJ LWLVWKDWZHUHFHLYH´EHFDXVHLWLVLQJLYLQJWKDWZHILQGEHDXW\LQRXUSDVVLQJGD\V Therefore, in appreciation for all of you, every individual, family, every name, every JLIWZHSUD\IRU*RG¶VSURWHFWLRQVRWKDWZHPD\FRQWLQXHWRILQGWKLVWREHRXUVSLULWXDO home, and that we may create a better world through the example of this parish. May God give you his peace and blessing! Your Franciscan friars, Fr. Joe Grbes & Fr. Ivan Strmecki 5 7 9 Generalni konzulat Republike Hrvatske u Chicagu Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia in Chicago 737 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1030, Chicago, IL 60611 telephone (312) 482 9902 facsimile (312) 482 9987 19 February 2012 3RãWRYDQLLGUDJLIUD-R]RLIUD,YDQH 3RãWRYDQHLGUDJHåXSOMDQNHLåXSOMDQL6Y-HURQLPD I have been honored by an invitation to contribute to this publication marking the centennial celebration of the Croatian Catholic Parish of Saint Jerome in Chicago. The rich legacy of over seven thousand christenings, two thousand and two hundred weddings and four thousand funerals recorded in the Parish archives made me pose and think of the lives and labors of four or five generations of its parishioners and pastors. And as I perused the archival data on the his- tory of your Parish, I felt deeply touched by both narratives of the collective and snippets of the personal histories. These histories record hardships and extraordinary tenacities of the Croatian immigrants to Chicagoland. They bear witness to their hopes and aspirations, disappointments and triumphs over a century in which they took part in sev- eral wars and struggled with economic crises. They also document their social successes as politicians, judges and other professionals, athletes, artists and various celebrities and, trace them to their Bridgeport community, where they them- VHOYHVRUWKHLUDQFHVWRUVEHORQJHGWR6W-HURPH¶V)RUH[DPSOHWKHODWH0D\RU%LODQGåLüDVZHOODVWKH'DOH\IDPLO\RU ,YDQ0HãWURYLüZKRVFXOSWHGWKHIDPRXVWZLQVWDWXWHV7KH%RZPDQDQG7KH6SHDUPDQWKDWSLHUFHWKHVN\DERYHWKH HQWUDQFHRIWKH*UDQW3DUNZHUHDOOGUDZQWR6W-HURPH¶V%XWDERYHDOOWKHVHKLVWRULHVEHDUUHFRUGRIWKHSLYRWDOUROH H[WUDRUGLQDU\VXFFHVVHV RIWKH6W-HURPH¶V&URDWLDQ&KXUFKLQSURYLGLQJWKHIRFXVDVZHOODVZD\VDQGPHDQVIRUWKH members of the Parish to reach out and help one another. These strategies of saving one another, born out of both a genuine need and desire, ensued in the establishment of a number of social clubs, schools and other organizations, such as Club Poljica (1913), Club Cres (1917), Croatian :RPDQ &DWKROLF6FKRRO6W-HURPH &URDWLDQ6FKRRO&DUGLQDO6WHSLQDF HWF6W-HURPH¶VDOVRHP braced, sustained and enhanced the annual traditions of Society of Our Lady of Sinj (1906), an event that is celebrated continuously on the very same streets of Bridgeport on annual basis for over a century. And to this day, the Parish pro- YLGHVVSLULWXDOKRPHWRWKRVHZKRVHHNLW VHDUFKIRULW ,Q)HEUXDU\WKLV\HDU6W-HURPH¶VKRVWHGWKHILUVW)HDVWRI6W Blaze, observed as the patron saint of Dubrovnik since 1072, and included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 8RYLKVWRJRGLQDGMHORYDQMD+UYDWVNHNDWROLþNHåXSH6YHWRJD-HURQLPDKUYDWVND]DMHGQLFDX&KLFDJXRNXSOMHQD RNRVYRMHFUNYHXVSMHODMHRþXYDWLRELþDMHNXOWXUQRQDVOMHÿHLVYHNROLNLKUYDWVNLHWQLþNLLGHQWLWHW3RVMHWLWHOMDL]GRPRYLne QDSRVHLPSUHVLRQLUDXNRMRMPMHULMHRþXYDQKUYDWVNLMH]LNþDNLXWUHüRMLOLþHWYUWRMJHQHUDFLML1HVXPQMLYRSRUHGYHOLNH SUHGDQRVWLLOMXEDYLNRMLXWRXODåXURGLWHOMLLGMHFDXVYDNRPQRYRPQDUDãWDMXQHPMHUOMLYMHGRSULQRVåXSQLND6Y-HURQLPD VYH GR GDQDãQMLKGDQD )UD -R]R VD VYRMRPQHL]PMHUQRP HQHUJLMRP DIUD,YDQ VD VYRMRP QHL]PMHUQRP VWUSOMLYRãüX QDVWDYOMDMX WX WUDGLFLMX QHVHELþQH SRVYHüHQRVWL VYRPH KUYDWVNRPH SXNX 1MLPD L VYLPD YDPD GUDJL åXSOMDQL RG VUFD þHVWLWDPVWRWXREOMHWQLFX+UYDWVNHNDWROLþNHåXSH6YHWRJD-HURQLPDX&KLFDJX Croatians from the Eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, its hinterlands and other parts of medieval Illyricum have long worshiped St. Jerome as their own, as he was born in Dalmatia. In particular, Croatians who left their homeland, while aspiring to extend their knowledge of the world and themselves, often chose this Doctor of the Church as their pa- tron. It is this thirst for growth in doctrinal and other learning, so inherent to St. Jerome that has also endowed and VWUHQJWKHQHGKLV&URDWLDQ&KXUFKLQ&KLFDJRLQLWVILUVWFHQWHQQLDO1RZRQGHUWKDWWKH'RFWRU¶V&KXUFKZDVWKHILUVW&URD tian church to go on the internet and embrace other means of contemporary communication. Hence I have no doubt that 6W-HURPH¶VLQWKHIXWXUH-- while guarding the legacies of its honorable past -- will continue to meet and fulfill the needs of Croatians and all of their fellow learners in faith. -HOHQD*UÿLý3ROLý//03K' Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in Chicago 11 13 15 =DJUHERåXMND 3RãWRYDQLLGUDJLIUD-R]RIUD,YDQHGUDJLåXSOMDQLåXSHVY-HURQLPD 100-WD JRGLãQMLFD åXSH VY-HURQLPD VYMHGRþL SRVWRMDQMH WUDGLFLMH L SRYLMHVWL D povijest kontinuirane prisutnosti hrvatske crkve u Chicagu daje sigurnost da znate tko ste i kome pripadate. 7UDåHüLEROMHVXWUD]DVHEHLVYRMXRELWHOMEURMQHVXJHQHUDFLMHGRãOHX6MHGLQMHQH $PHULþNH'UåDYHDQHNHRGQMLKVYRMGRPVXQDãOHX&KLFDJX1DNRQãWRVXQDãOL novi dom on nije bio pravi dom bez crkve, crkva i tada a i danas ima ulogu mjesta JGMHVHGROD]LORPROLWLDOLFUNYDMHELODLMHVWPMHVWRGUXåHQMDPMHVWRVDVRFLMDOQLPL