by Father Mark Goldasich
From the first moment I experienced the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” I was hooked. The shtetl Anatevka reminded me so much of where I grew up: the Croatian neighborhood of Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kansas.
The father Tevye in “Fiddler” could have been my dad or other men on the Hill who loved to break into song and dance at a moment’s notice. The devoted and spunky wife Golde of “Fiddler” could have been my mom, my “kuma” (“godmother”) or so many other incredible women.
“Fiddler”-like memories came flooding back to my mind as I returned to my home parish of St. John the Baptist on Oct. 25 to mark the church’s 125th anniversary. (See the story on page 5 for more details.) I attended grade school there and received all my sacraments in that church — baptism, first penance, Eucharist, confirmation and ordination to the priesthood.
As I concelebrated Mass with pastor Father Joseph Arsenault, SSA, my mouth sang the familiar Croatian hymns like “Isusa Ljubim” (“Jesus, I Love You”) and the “Jaganjče Božji” (“Lamb of God”). And I could practically feel the church shake as voices proclaimed the recessional “Tebe Boga Hvalimo” (“Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”).
I was honored to do the prayer at the festive meal and dance in the parish hall following Mass. I recalled those “old-timers” who founded the parish and were around in my early years who have passed on to eternal life. (Now I’m one of those old-timers!)
Among the invited guests were six School Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King from Lemont, Illinois, the religious order that taught for years at the parish school. Although all my former teachers have died, it was appropriate to pay tribute to these women who formed so many of us in the Catholic faith and instilled in us a love of learning.
My eyes teared up at the end of the meal to see the hall packed to the gills and everyone raising a toast and shouting, “Živili!” (“To life!”) And no gathering on the Hill would be complete without tamburitza music and dancing, especially the kolo (circle dance).
In my mind, I could hear Tevye belting out the song, “Tradition.” How my life was influenced by Croatian traditions. Why do we have three meats at every wedding or funeral meal? Tradition! Why do family gatherings so often include povitica (nut bread)? Tradition! (As a side note, I consider “povi” as “bread from heaven.”) Why do Croatians bravely consume šlivovice (plum brandy, which, I think, is also useful for removing rust from garden tools or your car’s chassis)? Tradition! Why should a male be the first to enter your home on New Year’s Day? For good luck, of course! Hey, it’s tradition!
So, what are the traditions celebrated by your family? If you have none, Advent is the perfect time to adopt some. Start by putting out shoes on the evening of Dec. 5, so that St. Nick can fill them with goodies on Dec. 6! Go out and take in Christmas lights on Dec. 13, the feast of St. Lucy, whose name means “light.” You can also plant some wheat seeds in a dish on her feast day — another Croatian tradition called “psenica.” By Christmas Day, the wheat should have grown pretty tall, signaling a prosperous year. (If it didn’t grow, replant with some different wheat seeds!)
I concluded my prayer at the anniversary meal with words that might fit all our lives: “For all that has been accomplished, we’re thankful, Lord. For all that we have yet to do, we ask for the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. In short, all we can say is, “Hvala ti, Bože, na svemu” (“Thank you, God, for everything”).
