by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Cold drinks, fresh povitica and spirited music are staples of any good Croatian party.
But it’s the heart of the people at St. John’s Catholic Club on Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kansas, that make its celebrations feel more like a homecoming.
“This place — the word special doesn’t even cut it,” said Stephanie Taylor Glenn.
“This is your grandmother and grandpa’s house,” said Denny Tokic. “It’s [like] coming back home.”
St. John’s Club has been a home for parishioners of next-door St. John the Baptist Church since 1922.
In recent years, the club has become the place in town to watch Croatian soccer.
With Kansas City hosting six games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the watch parties are sure to be bigger and better than ever.
Setting the stage
“It really kick-started in 2018,” said Glenn of the club’s watch parties, “but the parties actually started even before that on a much smaller scale, where our Croatian friends just needed a place to watch their games.
“And then it grew and grew.”
Soccer fans who visit the club to watch Croatia this summer are in for a treat.
“We’ve been investing constantly on technology and things that you don’t see behind the bar,” said Tokic. “We bought some new chairs.
“We’re trying to make it an experience that [patrons] come and enjoy.”
The atmosphere is pure energy, with emotions ranging from elation to devastation and everything in between.
“People will eat and drink, but during the game there’s really very little bar sales,” said Tokic.
“They’re locked in,” said Glenn.
Croatia’s success on the world’s stage has been exciting for its fans.
The country had only become a sovereign nation in 1992 before its team placed third in its first World Cup appearance in 1998.
Two decades later, Croatia made it to the finals, and in 2022 it reached the semi-finals.
“Our players — they’re all Croatian, and it’s a small country,” said Kenny Yarnevich. “It was amazing that we could go that far against the big boys.”
The team’s success during the last two tournaments meant games were happening every few days.
“These watch parties, it’s like planning a Croatian wedding every three days,” said Jaime Clark. “Because you’ve got hundreds — 200, 300, 400 people [showing up].”
During the 2018 final against France, St. John’s Club hosted around 1,000 patrons.
This summer, it will be open for watch parties on days Croatia is playing. But you don’t have to be Croatian to attend.
“Anyone is welcome,” said Glenn. “Anyone is invited.”
Rich in tradition
Croatian hospitality is on full display at the club’s parties.
“A lot of people will bring their own homemade snacks and drinks,” said Glenn, “and they are all about sharing.”
“It’s like having a party or an event at your house,” said Tokic. “A lot of people keep up with the tradition of how they did things in the past — of how they make their own beverages and things like that.
“Down here, we share everything. When you come, there will be food on the tables. People will bring dried meats, cheeses and fresh breads.”
A popular offering is ćevapi — skinless sausages wrapped in pita.
“We fire up the grill, and we try to keep up with the demand,” said Tokic.
Clark described the gatherings as “a giant family reunion.”
Ahead of this year’s World Cup, the group wondered what the late parishioners of St. John who were passionate about the beautiful game would think.
“If they could see where the country is now and where the club is with soccer, I think their hearts would’ve [been full],” said Tokic.
A place to call home
At the core of the St. John community is its Catholic faith.
“It’s a big part of being us,” said Yarnevich.
“And that goes back to the home country,” said Glenn. “If you ask, ‘What religion are you?’ and they say, ‘Croatian,’ they mean Catholic.
“That is our bloodline from start to finish.”
The faith of its ancestors has been a big motivator for the parish to keep the club and its traditions alive.
“In the good times and especially the bad times . . . people step up,” said Tokic. “That’s what really makes us special.
“It’s not our church. It’s our church and our home.”
Although many St. John parishioners belong to an additional parish since they no longer live in the area, Tokic said they always have a home on Strawberry Hill.
“What’s beautiful about our church is people come from all over the place to come back,” he said, “because they know what it’s like.
“You may be gone for 10-12 years,” he said.
“But you always come back,” said Clark.
The group hopes the wider community will have the opportunity to experience all the parish and club have to offer.
“There’s a ton of heart — not just with Croatian soccer but with Croatian people,” said Glenn. “And that comes from our religion, that comes from our passion, that comes from tradition.
“And the tradition of the Catholic Church is so intertwined with the Croatian people.”
History of St. John’s Catholic Club
St. John the Baptist Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, was founded in 1900 by Croatian immigrants. Since then, two more waves of immigrants have found a home at the parish.
St. John’s Catholic Club was formed in 1922 to provide the men of the parish with a place to go for fellowship and recreation.
Social gatherings were initially held in the hall beneath the church, but by the next year they needed more space, and planning began for a larger two- story building.
That building, which consists of a clubroom on the lower floor equipped with a now-six-lane bowling alley, and an auditorium on the upper floor, was blessed in 1925.
Nearly 100 years and multiple upgrades later, it continues to host watch parties, parish activities and wider community events.
