ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1956-08-01
Croatian immigration
To Allegheny County
BY STJEPAN GAZI, Member, Lodge 20
Copyright applied for Rights of republication reserved
CHAPTER vi - PART
RELIGIOUS LIFE
BY STJEPAN GAZI, Member,

he spiritual problem of the Croas established in Allie
gheny City, became and acute. The deeply
religious peasants from Croatia could longer be de-
prived of their religious rites.
But already existing Roman Catholic churches and
priests could satisfy their needs for of under
standing each other by means of common language.
Many good indicated the necessity of solu
ton Besides the celebration of and other ordinary
services the christening of children marriage and funeral
performances became inevitable in such large colony
The men, responsible for the establishment of the
Croaan Society," began now to occupy themselves with
the organization of the spiritual and religious life of their
counrymen The first and most important thing to
find priest who spoke Croatian.
z. " Muzina, already in touch with Bishop Stress
mayer turned to this patron of the Croatian national
for help He asked him to find priest who was
willing join the Croatian immigrants in America and
to send him to Allegheny City in order to establish with
them Croatan Roman Catholic Parish. Muzina dis
patched his letter to Bishop Strossmayer April 23 1894
Strossmayer replied May IL that he would send the Rev
Dobrosav Bozc, of Sutjeska, Bosnia.
In fact the Rev. Bozic arrived in Allegheny City on
August and became the first Croatan priest in America
to officiate for Croatan Roman Catholic Parish The
day after his arrival the Rev Bozic accompanied by Mu
zna and others, paid call upon the Right Rev Ricardo
Plehan Bishop of Pittsburgh, who gave him jurisdiction
all the Croats and Sovenes in Pittsburgh and vicinity
The Rev Bozic celebrated the first the chapel be-
low the old Saint Paus Cathedral on Sunday August
II, 1894.
The Croats living at that time the streets
known East Ohio Main, River Troy Hill, Manchester
and Woods Rum and outside Pittsburgh they had settled
in Sharpsburg Etna, Bennett Pine Creek, Rankin, Brad
dock and Mckeesport, to few of them.
On August 19, church committee, formed by Rev.
Bozic and of which Muzna president began to
ganze the parish Bozc and his committee suggested the
church be named after the Slavonc Apostles Saint Cyril
and Mehodius But the parishioners had the right to
propose saint of their The Bishop decided that the
majority among them would the patron of the future
church At meeting of October, the majority chose the
of Saint Nicholas This majority had mostly come
from the district of Jaska Croatia, where the church
claims Saint Nicholas its Patron Saint Until the pre-
sent day East Ohio Street is known among the Croatan
people as "Jaska Street"
Soon after, the committee bought house and trans
formed it into church When it opened it's doors for the
first time, January a. 1885, Bishop Plehan appeared
personally to naugurate the church and give his blessing
Many other Catholic mnores attended this Celebration
The site of the new church was on East Ohio Street.
Allegheny City Religious events Immediately reg
lsered in the parish books Thus they reveal that the
first christening that of Maria Magdaena Lovrencc
August IL 1894 the first funeral that of Ivan Andrjas
with the burial service performed by German priest
September 49, 1893 and the first marriage the union of
Peter Spelin and Barbara Johovic, October 8, 1894.
The apparent cordial relationship between the Rev.
Bozlc and his parishioners did not last Following dis
WIN lnem priest left the parish 1898
and was succeeded by the Rev Frano Glojnaric,
conner from Croatia. The Rev Gojnaric very
tunate in his dealings with the parishioners either.
1t was estimated that the parish of Saint Nicholas
IN Allegheny City had approximately thousand
bers When the Rev. Glonaric arrived, the tension be-
tween priest and parishioners grew Among the
latter the firm opinion prevailed that all affairs
ing the church had to be controlled by their chosen COM
mttee and not by the pastor himself.
This opinion greatly supported by such social
leaders as Muzna Pavnac Sepic Subasc and Marohnic
who Immediately disputed the first position of the priest
in the colony Of course the question chiefly one of
financial consequence Thus when the Rev Glonaric ar
rived parish member Jura Strhavic asked him bluny
to state the salary and conditions he expected find here
Gloarc showed surprise to be confronted with such an
inquiry and replied Il have to thousand
Croats for yearly salary of 800 dollars included
usual qualifications received for funeral marriage and
christening ceremonies"
1t not long before he met with his first defeat
when his proposition that each parish member contribute
at once ten dollars to the church funds refused The
members unanimously decided weekly contribution Of
10 cents Instead of the desired collaboration more con-
flcts seemed to be in store.
The church the East Ohio Street proved
no more adequate to the needs of the parish The Rev.
Glojnarc and his supporters proposed to build new
church on top of hill in Bennett, appropriate