The Croatian community in Australia has always had a strong connection to its Catholic and cultural heritage.Whether it’s enlivening football games with their emotional and patriotic chants or publicly celebrating religious solemnities with zeal, the Croatian diaspora loves to share its traditions with our country.
On 1 July, the feast of the Most Precious Blood, Sydney’s Catholics were introduced to another tradition from the Balkan nation with the celebration of a High Mass according to the traditional Croatian Glagolitic Rite at St Michael’s parish in Belfield. The liturgy was celebrated by Fr Mateusz Markiewicz IBP, with the assistance of Dominican Prior Fr Laurie Foote OP from Adelaide and Carmelite Brother Jerome Voštan from Perth.
This tradition traces its origins to Saints Cyril and Methodius who translated the Greek liturgy into Slavonic in the ninth century.Though Latin was historically the language of the western church, Croatian Catholics were permitted to celebrate the liturgy in Old Church Slavonic and pass this tradition down throughout the generations.
Attended by hundreds of Croatian Australian Catholics
Attended by hundreds of Croatian Australian Catholics from across the country, the Solemn High Mass was celebrated with the last printed Glagolitic Missal from 1927 known as the “Vajs Missal”. Ante Cutuk, one of the organisers, drove down to collect the Missal, along with hand-drawn altar cards, from Fr Velimir Maglica of the Croatian Catholic Chaplaincy in Clifton Hill, Melbourne.
Having been shown a copy of the Vajs Missal years earlier, Ante was impressed that the Old Church Slavonic language and the Glagolitic script were not merely cultural symbols, but part of a real liturgical tradition that connects Croatian Catholics to the faith of their ancestors.
“The Glagolitic Mass is one of the most unique treasures of Croatian Catholic heritage,” said Cutuk.
It reminds Croatian Catholics that their ancestors preserved
“It reminds Croatian Catholics that their ancestors preserved the faith through their own sacred language, chant, and customs while remaining fully part of the Roman Catholic Church.
“Bringing it to Sydney helped show that this ancient liturgy is not dead or an object of nostalgia, but something still capable of moving people and strengthening their faith today.
“It also showed that Croatian identity is not only about food, music, sport or nationality, but also about the Catholic faith that shaped Croatian people for centuries.”
Many others helped behind the scenes to prepare
Many others helped behind the scenes to prepare the music, servers and necessary rubrics for the Mass. Two Croatians Branko Lovrinov and Danijel Uremović from its capital Zagreb came to Australia to assist with the coordination of the Mass and to guide weekly rehearsals.
“It was beautiful to see older Croatian Catholics, young people, priests, servers, choir members, and visitors all gathered for the same purpose,” said Cutuk.
“Seeing the church full, hearing the Old Church Slavonic and the traditional chant, and knowing that people had travelled from interstate and overseas made it feel truly historic.
“For me personally, it was a great honour to help bring this tradition to Sydney and to be part of something that will hopefully continue in the future.”
Source: catholicweekly.com.au
