Washington DC- On Sunday September 8th, about 100 Croatians attended an annual mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the celebration of Mala Gospa (the Nativity of the Virgin Mary). This celebration was organized by the Hrvatska Katolička Misija Sv. Blaža (Croatian Catholic Mission of St. Blaise) and was celebrated in the Croatian language by Fr. Maurus Dolčić at the Crypt Church. in the largest Catholic church in United States and one of the 10 largest churches in the world. Croatians came from various counties and cities, including Frederick, Maryland; Richmond, Virginia; King George, Virginia; Greenville, South Carolina; Pittsburg and Steelton, Pennsylvania. After mass, parishioners walked to the narthex (antechamber) of the Crypt Church to venerate the two Marian chapels that represent the faith and national identity of the Croatian people, the Chapel of Marija Bistrica and the Chapel Our Lady Queen of Peace.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception houses over 80 Marian chapels that honor the different cultures and traditions through the Catholic faith and artwork from around the world. Croatia has a special place among the Basilica’s Marian collection with the two chapels that represent the faith and national identity of the Croatian people. Both chapels of Marija Bistrica and Our Lady Queen of Peace serve as significant monuments to the unity of Croatian cultural identity and faith among Croatians Americans. As Pope Leo X once said in 1593, “Croatia is the bulwark of Christendom,” these chapels truly demonstrate the living testament of the Croatian people’s quest to achieve national freedom and preserve the faith against insurmountable odds, and peace. The accomplishments of the Croatian American community must always be cherished, and these Marian chapels serve as living witnesses to the faith and freedoms that Croatian communities enjoy in the United States.
The Croatian Catholic Union and the origins of the Chapels
The chapels of Our Lady of Bistrica and the Queen of Peace were erected by the Croatian Catholic Union (CCU) and sculpted by Croatian born sculptor and artist, Josip Turkalj. The CCU was a national organization organized by both Croatian American and Canadian immigrants. Founded in 1921 in Gary Indiana, the CCU was formed due to the urgent religious and national needs that were of great interests to the Croatian immigrants in America and served to be the source of Catholic and Croatian national heritage through strengthening education of Croatian history and religious faith as well as a fraternal society to assist families in financial need and raising money for charity causes. One of their most prominent charitable events was their organization of golf and bowling tournaments and sponsoring of folklore festivals to raise funds for the construction of both the Chapel of Marija Bistrica and the Chapel of Our lady of Peace. The CCU also called upon the bishops to provide funding and supplies for the chapels, and the National Shrine was able to hire Josip Turkalj, to sculpt the Marian statues; the Polish artist, Jan Henryk de Rosen, who created the mosaics; and Eugene F Kennedy, Jr to design the Chapels. The two chapels were dedicated on October 18, 1970, by then Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić.
Our Lady Marija Bistrica, Queen of Croatia
Marija Bistrica or “Our Lady of Bistrica,” is well known to the Croatian diaspora. According to oral tradition the statue of Blessed Mother of Bistrica was carved by an unknown artist in the 15th century and placed in a little chapel in Vinski Hill. During the Ottoman invasion the statue had to be relocated to the parish of St. Nicholas hiding the statue under a stain glass window due to threat of it being destroyed. In 1684, the statue was rediscovery and became the prominent shrine for devotion and pilgrimages for all Croatians to travel and pray at the place of the statue. In 1716, the church expanded, and the Croatian parliament approved the main altar’s creation in gold as a symbol of gratitude for miraculously preserving the land from its Turkish invaders and sparing it from a grasshopper infestation. The Blessed Virgin was coronated “Queen of Croatia” in 1935. It has been said that at least 1,000 miracles were reported among the community. One of the most famous ones was a story that was recorded on July 16, 1684, by a local noble woman who brought her paralyzed daughter to the Church on the year of its rediscovery. The woman prayed before the statue gazing above the alter and circled it three times where suddenly, the girl was healed and can walk again. The location of the statue is where Pope John Paul II famously celebrated mass on October 3, 1998, and declared the beatification of Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, who defended the Jews during World War II and publicly criticized Communist crimes under Soviet occupation.
Early photo of the Chapel of Marija Bistrica circa 1970
Josip Turkalj designed the shrine as an arching statue of the Holy Mother holding the Christ Child wearing the 12-star halo surrounding her head. Around the Our Lady is a turquoise mosaic background with seven portraits featuring famous Croatian saints and historical figures. Starting on the left side is St. Nicholas Tavelić with Blessed Ozana Kotarska, an image of the Croatian people converting to Christianity in 664 AD, Our Lady of Sinj, and the Hrvatski Grb (Croatian Coat of Arms) on the very top. On the right-hand side is Our Lady of Trsat (Grace), King Zvonimir wearing a crown given by the Holy See in 1076 AD, and Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac. The statue honors Mary under the title “Queen of Croatia” as the guardian of peace to protect the evil forces, hence the Blessed Mother standing upon the head of Satan. Under the statue lies a marble alter inscribed of the image of the fleur-de-lis and a message in Croatian that translates to “Maria Bistrica, pray for us.” Above the entire shrine is a huge inscription on the arch of the chapel that reads, “Our Lady Bistrica Queen of Croatia, pray for us.” Pilgrams would flock to Our Lady Bistrica and venerate her during special events, including the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 8th. Since 1970, local Croatian American communities in the Washington metro area and neighboring states have held pilgrimages each year during the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Croatian and venerate the chapels by praying and singing Croatian Catholic songs like “Rajska Djevo, Kraljice Hrvata.”
Our Lady Queen of Peace
On the left side of the narthex of the crypt, is the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Peace. Constructed in the same Vermont marble and turquoise mosaic with two angels holding the crown above the Blessed Mother holding Christ Child with olive branches perking from the ground to symbolize peace. In response to pleading from the Bishops of the United States for world peace during a critical point in the Vietnam War, the CCU raised funds for the Marian chapel during the same year of the Marija Bistrica chapel. This makes the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Peace 11 years older than the pilgrimage site to Our Lady of Medjugorje founded in 1981 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who allegedly is called “Our Lady Queen of Peace. The entrance welcomes visitors to its beautiful message reading “may the peace of Christ hold sway in your hearts.” Like the Marija Bistrica statue has a marble alter inscribed “Our Lady Queen of Peace,” Pray for us” with “PAX” or “peace” inscribed in upper case letters in Latin, and below is the same Our Lady message translated in Croatian. Like Marija Bistrica, the arch of the chapel has a beautiful message that reads “May the peace of Christ hold sway in your hearts.” On the north wall of the alter has the Croatian coat of arms carved on the right-hand side.
The Croatian coat of Arms on the right side of the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Peace
Special Croatian guest from the Apostolic Nuncio
Fr. Maurus chatting with Msgr. Tumir (left) and Msgr. Rossi (right) after the vigil
The Croatian community was honored to have Msgr. Većeslav Tumir to celebrate the Holy Mass where he serves as the newly appointed diplomat for the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See. Msgr. Tumir is a Croatian priest from Osijek and was previously the Nuncio’s Deputy Head of Mission to Japan from 2018 to 2020. The parish shared their special thanks to Msgr. Walter Rossi the Rector of the Shrine, Msgr. Vito Buonanno the Associate Rector and Director of Pilgrimages in the Shrine, and to everyone who attended this beautiful celebration of Our Lady’s Nativity.
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