Croatian Catholic Centre
CANBERRA & QUEANBEYAN
OUR NAME
It is estimated that somewhere between five to seven thousand Croatian immigrants and their Australian born offspring are presently residing in Canberra and nearby Queanbeyan. The immigration of Croatians to the Australian capital was particularly intensive in the post war decades. Traditional in their values, Croatians are typically known to be a people who preserve their religion and its values. They are predominantly Catholics. In the seventies, the Church authorities in Croatia, together with the archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, decided to give the pastoral care of Croatian immigrants in Canberra a permanent character. That was the beginning of organised work for the Croatian priests and sisters within this population.
Their efforts at The Croatian Catholic Centre in Canberra unite catholic believers of the Croatian language in Canberra and Queanbeyan (NSW).
WHO WE ARE
The pastoral stuff is consisted as follows:
Fr Miroslav MANDIĆ OFM
Pastoral Council:
A representative body of Christ's Faithful, sharing responsibility with the priests in serving the needs of the community and enabling community to come alive by living the Gospel. The members are:
1. Drago TURČIĆ
2. Šimun FRANJIĆ
3. Leopolda - Ana MELEK
4. Ljubo VRANKO
5. Marija SUBAŠIĆ
6. Pavao ROVER
7. Marija ČREP
8. Ljudevit ŠEŠELJA
9. Ivica SAJLER
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THE EMERGENCE OF THE
CROATIAN CATHOLIC CENTRE IN CANBERRA
The arrival of priests
After the Second World War, the number of Croatian migrants in Australia steadily increased. Croatians, well known for their religious upbringing, were loath to be without a pastor. So it was that following the arrival of Croatian migrants, came the first of many Croatian priests.
Rev. Ivan Mihalic came to Australia in 1953 from Canada. He lived at the Franciscan Fathers' monastery in Sydney, but from time to time he visited Croatians in Wollongong, Mildura, Bonegilla, Wodonga, Melbourne, Adelaide, Berri and Broken Hill, and later on, Canberra and Queanbeyan.
Fr. Rok Romac (alias Oswald Tot) came to Australia from Bolivia in 1955. In the beginning he was among the Croatians of South and Western Australia (Adelaide, Perth, Mildura and Broken Hill), after which he went to Sydney in 1957. From this point on, he more or less celebrated mass with the Croatians of Canberra and Queanbeyan on at least a monthly basis.
Fr Lambert Ivančić From 1966, Fr Lambert began to visit Canberra with Fr Rok Romac, eventually taking on the pastoral needs of Croatians in this area. In the beginning Fr. Lambert visited only once a month, then eventually twice a month, residing with the families of Stjepan Vuk and Marko Babic as the need arose.
Fr Euzebije Petar Mak arrived from Croatia in 1968, initially only living and working in Sydney. After a time, he assumed responsibility for the spiritual needs of Croatians in Canberra, Wollongong and Queanbeyan, typically staying a week in Canberra, and week in Wollongong. Following the death of Fr Rok Romac in Sydney in April 1970, Fr Euzebije returned to Sydney.
Fr Mato Bonic came to Canberra in 1970 for a brief family visit, staying on at the request of the Sydney Croatian priests until Christmas. However, soon after The Committee for Migration in Zagreb learned that Fr Mato was amongst the Croatians of Canberra, the Croatian bishops and the Franciscan Province of Bosnia, of which Fr Mato was a member, requested that he take over as spiritual leader in Australia. So it was that Fr Bonic was elected as spiritual leader on the 13th of March, 1971, with a decree from the Committee of Migration from Bishop's Conference. And as he was already in Canberra at the time, it was thought that it was better that he remained where he was.
That is why the date of the 13th of March, 1971, is considered the day on which the Croatian Catholic Centre for Canberra and Queanbeyan was founded.
In the early years, Fr Bonic, acting in a spirit of a true missionary, tried in earnest to gather the community, find space for liturgical celebrations, and obtain a permanent place of residence. Such were his efforts that with time, the need for another priest arose. In 1977 Fr Drago Prgomet arrived, becoming Fr Bonic's "right hand".
Eventually the original house for the Croatian Catholic Centre in O'Connor no longer catered to their needs, so a new house, at 23 Doonkuna St in Braddon, was purchased and extensions made. Many Croatian members assisted this project financially, some working on a voluntary basis to complete the necessary extensions.
At the request of Croatians from Brisbane who were without a priest, Fr Prgomet left for Brisbane during Christmas 1978. And with the intervention of the Committee for Migration from Zagreb, his role there almost became a permanent one. However, Fr Bonic, once more alone in Canberra, where he now faced both illness and increasing pastoral demands, again requested assistance from his superiors in Sarajevo.
So on the 26th of January 1980, Fr Tvrtko Slavko Gujic arrived from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The retirement of Fra Bonic in 1985 marked Fr Tvrtko's official beginning as director of the Croatian Catholic centre in Canberra.
During this time his helpers were Fr Mato Bonic, and Fr Mato Martic. Fr Nikica Zlatinic assumed a directorial role in the Brisbane Croatian Catholic centre in 1991, after which Fra Drago Prgomet returned to Canberra. He remained in Canberra until 1993. But Fr Stipe Seselja, formerly at the Croatian Catholic centre in Wollongong was no longer able to lead the centre, so Fra Drago once more departed Canberra, this time for Wollongong in order to assume this responsibility. Fr Mato Bonic passed away in Canberra on the 29th of May, 1995. In 1998, Fr Vjeko Tomic arrived from Bosnia, but by 2000. he returned home.
On the 23rd of November, 2001, Fr Anto Simunovic, arrived, assuming the position of migrant chaplain by 2002. Fr Tvrtko, now entering retirement, then returned to Bosnia and Hercegovina on the 23rd of July, 2002.
Fr Miroslav Mandic
Upon Fr Ivo Tadic taking the role of Chaplain for Wollongong, Fr Drago once more returned to Canberra on the 19th August 2002, and has remained there with Fr Anto.
OUR LOGO
This has been the logo of the Croatian Catholic Centre of Canberra & Queanbeyan for almost two decades. It is designed in order to express in a symbolic way, the feelings of Croatian immigrants who came to Australia mostly in the second half of the 20th century. The Croatian immigrants are represented by a human heart, while their native country, Croatia is recognised by its well-known coat of arms consisting of 25 red and white fields resembling a checkerboard. Various challenges connected with leaving the old country and settling in the new one are expressed by a strong cross rising from the heart itself and from the coat of arms as well. The crown of thorns symbolises the awareness of newcomers that they have to live far from their birth country and also be ready to make their new country a final resting-place. That crown of thorns in this cross represents Australia. The sunrays are shining from the cross. It is a sign of hope that all the sufferings of this world will be overcome sooner or later. The capital character M shows that while on the way of cross the believer relies on intercession of Mary - Mother of God, to whom Croatian Catholics are extremely devoted. The logo itself is put in the frame of a church's doors.
The Croatian people were baptised 1300 years ago. From that point on, their identity has been strongly linked to their membership in The Catholic Church.
