by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The red brick church that sits on Strawberry Hill here overlooking downtown Kansas City, Missouri, is more than a place people come to worship.
It’s a community where Croatian culture and Catholic faith have thrived for more than a century.
St. John the Baptist Parish is “small but mighty,” said lifelong parishioner Donald Taylor. “That’s what Father Joseph [Arsenault, SSA], our parish priest, says.
“And those who are there have a lot of zeal for St. John’s and preservation of the Croatian community — the culture and the food, the dance, the song, the drink.”
The first parishioners put down roots here in 1900.
Their descendants proudly celebrated St. John’s 125th anniversary on Oct. 25 beginning with a Mass celebrated by Father Joseph, pastor. Father Mark Goldasich, a native son of the parish, concelebrated.
The maximum number of people allowed to attend the party afterward — 280 — attended.
A place to call home
Ella and Mia Tomasic have a deep appreciation for the St. John community.
The sisters’ great-grandparents joined the parish after emigrating from Croatia.
Three waves of immigrants have made their homes at St. John, beginning in the 1880s when the founding parishioners arrived to work in the packing houses in the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Missouri.
“A lot of Croatians huddled together and decided they wanted their own house of worship,” said Taylor, whose family ties with the parish began with his great-grandparents.
“They got permission from the bishop back in those days to build their own church,” he said, “and St. John’s was born.”
The next two waves of immigrants came during the 1960s, ’70s and ’90s.
“It is so fulfilling to be able to trace your lineage back through the generations and have this community of similar people,” said Ella. “It is indescribable.”
The Tomasics described the parish as a family.
“I know a lot of people [at other parishes] that go to Mass,” said Ella. “But they don’t know the person who sits next to them.
“Having such a tight community of everyone who knows everybody is so important, especially for young people today.”
The traditions at St. John are one of a kind in the archdiocese, like the St. John’s Catholic Club next door to the church, which houses a bowling alley and recreational space that can be rented out for events.
The club is famous for Croatian soccer watch parties.
“The bigger the game, the bigger the crowd,” said Taylor.
Community events like the annual parish festival, which draws nearly 2,000 people, have kept the Tomasics close to their faith.
“One of the issues with our country today and our age group is the lack of grounding and the lack of a sense of belonging,” said Mia.
“We do belong somewhere,” she continued, “and we are grounded and we have somewhere where we can go every Sunday and feel at home.”
A celebration to remember
St. John’s 125th celebration was “a labor of love,” said Taylor.
It was a year in the making.
The planning committee included a couple representatives from each of the parish’s groups, including Taylor and the Tomasic sisters.
The Mass featured traditional Croatian music performed by the parish’s tamburitza choir.
The food was catered, and entertainment was provided by the band Sinovi from Chicago so parishioners could simply enjoy the evening.
“You’re not going to see it anywhere else in the Greater Kansas City area,” said Taylor of the event. “It makes me very proud of pulling all of our groups together and making one fine celebration.”
Parishioners also marked the anniversary by creating a book that includes information on the parish’s history, priests and renovations. The link to purchase it can be found at: stjohnthebaptistcatholicchurch.com.
The Tomasics were grateful to play a part in honoring their parish.
They’ve heard stories from their relatives and other parishioners about “the shared experiences they have of fleeing communism,” said Mia, including their aunt, who as a child never imagined being able to worship in a Catholic church with Croatian music emitting from the choir.
“We’re aware of how lucky we are to be able to practice our faith and be proud of our heritage in the United States,” said Mia.
Taylor extended an invitation to the Croatians of the greater Kansas City area to visit the parish for Mass “and rediscover where you came from and your roots and your culture.”
The Tomasics also hope more people will check out St. John and that their parish will continue to thrive for the next 125 years.
“We’re trying to keep it going,” said Mia, “because it is so special to us.”
To view more photos from the anniversary Mass, follow us on Facebook. To view more photos from the party afterward, click here.
