Washington, D.C. (IKA) – On the eight day of Cardinal Josip Bozanić’s visit to the United States, September 3, he celebrated Mass at Our Lady of Victory Church in Georgetown, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Croatian Catholic Pastoral Mission of St. Blaise in Washington, D.C., and administered the sacrament of Confirmation. The concelebrants were Fr. Ilija Živković, general secretary of the T.O.R. Franciscans and the first pastor of the mission; the Rev. Damir Stojić, current pastor of the mission; the Rev. Elvis Ražov, former pastor of the mission, and approximately twenty priests serving in the Croatian missions of North America.

During the sermon, Cardinal Bozanić urged the young candidates for confirmation to accept consciously and responsibly that which already existed since the day of their baptism and was now being confirmed in the sacrament of the Holy Spirit: “To receive the sacrament of Confirmation means to receive a sacramental guarantee that God through his Spirit will always be present in your lives, both when things go well and when difficulties arise,” said the cardinal. He also told the confirmation candidates that they are not alone because God is with them, and they can always find a friend they can count on in Jesus Christ. People in America are very religious. It does not seem so at first glance but we know that there are various religious options you encounter or will encounter in your lives. It is precisely for this reason that Pope Benedict XVI urges young people not to allow themselves to be seduced but to follow the path of truth and life, which is Jesus Christ. To live Christian lives is not easy but it is something beautiful, said the archbishop of Zagreb to the confirmation candidates. Christianity is not merely man’s relationship to God but something that lives in interpersonal relationships. Therefore, we need a community through which we shall experience our religious affiliation and celebrate the sacraments, said the cardinal, and noted that the community is celebrating twenty years of regular Eucharistic assembly in the Croatian language. We thank God for this assembly, for the priests, because without them there is no Eucharist, and we pray all together to God that we shall be faithful to our Croatian Catholic community in the capital city of the USA, said Cardinal Bozanić, adding that Croatian Catholics will be recognizable as long as they assemble in their Catholic religious communities.

The Mass was attended by the ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the United States, the Honorable Neven Jurica; embassy personnel and Croatians who are employed or study in Washington. The celebration of the Mass was enhanced by the tamburitza group Kolo of Steelton, Pennsylvania and the singing of Marena Rušinović of the St. Blaise community.

The Mass was followed by a dinner celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Croatian Pastoral Mission of St. Blaise and the 35th anniversary of the Annual Marian Pilgrimage to the Croatian Chapels of Our Lady of Bistrica and Our Lady, Queen of Peace, in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which is organized by the Croatian Catholic Union of the U.S.A. The dinner was also attended by Bishop Blaise Cupich of Rapid City, South Dakota, who is of Croatian ancestry. On this occasion, Cardinal Bozanić acquainted those present with the project of the Catholic University in Zagreb and expressed the desire for the greatest possible ties between the Croatian diaspora and the Homeland. In the time of globalization, communication is easier. Therefore, it is necessary to count on the Croatian diaspora and find ways to build bridges because together we make a great circle that has its center in the Croatian homeland and spreads throughout the whole world, said the archbishop of Zagreb.

The history of the Croatian Catholic Pastoral Mission of St. Blaise in Washington, D.C., dates back to 1956 when the Third Order Regular of St. Francis (T.O.R.) purchased a property in Washington, D.C. This property became known as the St. Jerome Croatian House of Studies and was used primarily to house Croatian priests and students of theology, who served the local Croatian community on an informal basis. In September 1985, Archbishop James Hickey signed a document establishing the Croatian Pastoral Mission in the archdiocese of Washington. In 1987, with materials, funding and labor donated by the local Croatian community, the St. Jerome Croatian House of Studies was completely renovated and remodeled, including a new chapel and large meeting room.

The mission owes its survival to the dedication of its regularly assigned pastors, the Rev. Ilija Živković,T.O.R., the Rev. Gariel Badurina, T.O.R., the Rev. Zdenko Spajić, the Rev. Elvis Ražov and the Rev. Damir Stojić, S.D.B., in addition to the generosity of other priests who participasted in mission life and worship on an informal basis while studying or doing research in the Washington area: Bishop Valentin Pozaić, the Rev. Tonci Matulić, the Rev. Ivica Mršo, Msgr. Vjekoslav Huzjak, the Rev. Vjekoslav Mestrić, the Rev. Josip Galić¸S.V.D., the Rev. Ante Jerončić, S.V.D. and the Rev. Petar Runje, T.O.R.

The mission community is especially proud that one of its members, Maurus (Mavro) Dolčić, joined the Franciscan T.O.R. and is now serving as a priest in Croatia.

In February 2002, the St. Jerome Croatian House of Studies was sold and the Croatian Catholic Mission of St. Blaise moved to Our Lady of Victory Church in Georgetown, where weekly Masses in the Croatian language continue, as well as religious education classes, parish socials, meetings and cultural events.