The Croatian Community at Most Precious Blood Church in Astoria, Queens, has a long and vibrant history. 

The Croats have been gathering at Most Precious Blood since the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, when a large wave of Croatian immigrants started settling in Queens, particularly Astoria.  These immigrants gravitated towards Most Precious Blood because Croatian language Mass was occasionally celebrated there by a young Croatian priest, Father Andrea Niccoli, who resided in the parish.  

In 1971, the Diocese of Brooklyn founded the Catholic Migration Office and helped to establish a foundation at Most Precious Blood which would allow Croatian priests to minister to the spiritual needs of these immigrants.  It has been more than 35 years that Mass has been regularly celebrated in the Croatian language at Most Precious Blood Church. Croatian cardinals, archbishops, and bishops, both Croatian and American, have visited and celebrated Mass in the Croatian language at Most Precious Blood.  The Holy Sacraments have been administered, there have been spiritual seminars and retreats, an all-night vigil was held before the Blessed Sacrament, and a prayer group has been formed. People have organized and gathered together in social events as well.  A Saturday language school, where Croatian language and traditional dances and songs are taught, has been organized as well. In 1992, the Croatian Community at Most Precious Blood was officially designated an apostolate with an assigned coordinator.  This change in status to apostolate only more strongly confirmed that the Brooklyn Diocese recognized that Croats had always been gathering at Most Precious Blood Church.   

The hard work and dedication on the part of the priests and laity, as well as the support and understanding of the pastors of Most Precious Blood, and the pastoral concern of the Diocese of Brooklyn, in the past as well as today, have sustained the spiritual life of this community.  And although the community is a celebration of the Croatian culture, which is deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, it is more importantly a testament to the oneness of the people of the Most Precious Blood Parish who through their diversity unite in their faith in God.  

 

by Maria Žic