The region of Žumberak is south-west of Zagreb. Photo from www.camping.hr.

A unique Žumberak Museum can be seen in a small and lovely village of Stojdraga. It is placed immediately by the Greek Catholic Parish building, directed by rev. Mile Vranešić. My dear friend Juraj Filipić is on the left, with my brother Mladen.

In Stojdraga there is a small Greek Catholic Church of Sv. Juraj (St. George).

Blessing of the fields, forests and crops in Žumberak on the beautiful day of Sv. Juraj, April 23, 2008. Attentive flock carefully listening to centuries old custom of blessing. Many of them came from Zagreb, Greek Catholics as well as Roman Catholics. Rev. Mile Vranešić is second from the right, previously a Dean of the entire Greek Catholic community in Žumberak (Žumberak Deanery). His son Danijel, also a Greek Catholic priest, is with the microphone.

After about half an hour of ceremonial blessing around the churhc, with a lots of nice singing, the last part of the blessing of fields takes place in front of the entrence to the church. On the left is a group of women - singers invited from Slovenia, Krško, to take part in the ceremony. They accompanied the event a moment later, before entering the church. The village of Stojdraga is very near the Croatian border with the Republic of Slovenia, with spectacular view to the Krško valley.

My dear friend Juraj Filipić inside the church of Sv. Juraj, on the day of Sv. Juraj. Please, note the Croatian Coat of Arms on the left side of iconostas in this lovely Croatian Greek Catholic church. The coat of arms is here from the beginning of the 20th century, i.e. for more than 100 years.

Let's have a closer look on the Croatian Coat of Arms. Below is an inscription in Croatian Glagolitic Script:
BOŽE BLAGOSLOVI HRVATSKU - GOD BLESS CROATIA

And the continuation can be seen on the right-hand side of the iconostas. It sais, again in the Croatian Glagolitic Script:
ČUVAJ NAŠ ŽUMBERAK - PROTECT OUR ŽUMBERAK

On the main square in front of the church we can see a memorial plaque dedicated to Dr. Tomo Severović. We read that he was born in Stojdraga in 1879, and died in Zagreb in 1951. He was a director of the Greek Catholic Seminary in Zagreb, vicar of the Church of Sts Cyrill and Methodius in Zagreb, clergiman - cantor and reader of the Križevac Greek Catholic Bishopric, wise archdeacon and colonel (sic!), writer and Croatian patriot.

The town of Sošice in the Žumberak region has a fantastic symbol of church unity of Christians, regardless to (really inessential) differences in rite: Greek Catholic church of Sv. Petar i Pavao on the right and Roman Catholic church of the Asscension of St. Mary on the left, side by side, like two sisters. It corresponds to the fact that in the town there are people of both Christian traditions. Greek Catholic tradition is a result of migrations since the 16th century from parts of Dalmatia occupied by the Turks. It is interesting that rev. Željko Pajić, Greek Catholic priest in Sošice, is serving in both churches, i.e. he is qualified both for Greek Catholic rite and Roman Catholic rite. He is also the current Dean of the Žumberak Greek Catholic Deanery. Greek Catholic rite is identical to the Byzantine Christian rite, the only difference being that Greek Catholics recognize the supreme authority of the Vatican Pope. This centuries old tradition is of great value for Croatian history and culture. On the photo is the wife of rev. Željko Pajić, and myself.

This is the inside of the Greek Catholic church of Sv. Petar i Pavao in Sošice, more precisely, its part behind the iconostas. And please, note again a very nice Croatian Coat of Arms.

The Greek Catholic church in Sošice is nicely decorated.

The front part of the iconostas in Croatian Greek Catholic church in Sošice.

Very nice Coat of Arms of Žumberak

Photos by D. Tudjan. We invite you to see other very nice panoramic photos from Žumberak by D. Tudjan on
www.zumberak.hr and here.

Information for bycicling on Žumberak and for tourists.


Many thanks to rev. Mile Vranešić and rev. Željko Pajić for their kind hospitality and permission to take the photos.

Please, go to the next page below.

Saturday mass in the Greek Catholic church in the village of Kašt in Žumberak. Photo courtesy of Carmen Verlichak, Buenos Aires, who went on excursion with us to Žumberak.

Rev. Mile Vranešić on the right, rev. Milan Stipić on the left, and rev. Željko Pajić in the middle.

This church has nice Croatian Coats of Arms above the main entrance inside the church.

Old Coat of Arms of United Kingdom of Dalmatia, Croatia and Slavonia.

Rev. Željko Pajić, Croatian Greek Catholic priest responsible for the town of Sošice.

You can listen to parts of Greek-Catholic liturgy of St. John Chrysostom sung by male choir of the parish of Cyrill and Methodius in Zagreb under direction of Goran Jerković. Also hear dramatic sermon delivered by Rev. Nikola Nino Kekić in March 18, 1993. Propovijed (Sermon) Iže heruvimi (Cherubic song) Svjat - Tebe pojem (Holy - We praise Thee)

Prayer for inner peace, published in Žumberački krijes 2007.

A small Prayer Book for Greek Catholics in Croatia, described in Žumberački krijes 2007.


A continuation of description of the Greek Catholic Prayer Book.


Žumberački krijes 2007, year-book of the community of Greek Catholic Croatians in Žumberak.

A landscape from Žumberak.

Here is an article published in the journal entitled Hrvatska Zastava (Croatian Flag) in 1908 in Chicago, USA, i.e. more than hundred years ago, illustrating the patriotism of the Žumberak Croatians living in the USA. The article was submitted by Dr. Ante Čuvalo, Chicago, and we express our sincere gratitude for this very nice contribution. Članak koji slijedi objavljen je u Hrvatskoj Zastavi (Chicago) 9. srpnja 1908. Tekst prenosimo kako je napisan. Stare i nove prilike u Hrvata Hvaliti hrvatsko junačtvo to bi bilo suvišno, jer cieli sviet znade za Hrvate barem to, da su četiri stotine godina branili svoj prag i ognjište od Turčina, branili i obranili. Da naši djedovi i pradjedovi nisu bili junaci, našeg plemena i naroda ne bi već davno bilo na svietu. Junački djedovi naši obranili su našu domovinu najprvo od Avara, onda od Niemaca, Franaka, onda od Madžara, pa od Tatara i Turaka. A što bi bilo od Niemaca, pa i od Talijana, da Hrvati nisu stotine godina bili na krvavoj straži proti Turcina, to je drugo pitanje. Svakako je istina da oni nemogu kazati: Mi smo se sami obranili. Što se posebice tiče Talijana (čast njihovom junaštvu) njima je već pred dviesto godina doviknuo jedan Hrvat, da bi već odavna bila potonula Italija, da se tursko more ne odbija od hrvatske stiene. I to je istina, da tu su bili naši djedovi i pradjedovi, koji su na potoke krvi prolili za svoj mili hrvatski dom. U njihovim žilama tekla je prava hrvatska krv. Ali upitamoli se za današnje Hrvate, to ćemo odmah uvidjeti, da u njihovih žila teče mlieko. Da me ne bi koji od vas krivo razumio, neka sdušno prosudi današnje tužno stanje u miloj nam domovini Hrvatskoj, koja stenje u robstvu divljem mongolskom plemenu. Ovom prokletom robstvu doprinieli su najviše naši domaći sinovi. Izrodi Hrvatskog Naroda. Tirani kova Hedervarijeva, koji nastoje učiniti Hrvatsku provincijom Madžarskom! Prokleto društvo baruna Rauha koje u hrvatskoj pašuje protiv volje naroda, a neznadu tirani da je glas naroda glas Boga, tko je protiv narodu taj je proti Bogu! Zato rode moje mili, ako samo jednu kapljicu krvi imaš u svojim žilama. Na noge, te brani svoja sveta prava hrvatska od Boga nam dana, van sa strancima, dolje tirani i krvoloci potlačenog našeg naroda. Napried rode za krst časni i slobodu zlatnu! Pokažimo zlotvorima našim da smo vriedni unuci i praunici naših junačkih pradjedova. Tad će doći sunce i pred naša vrata. Crni dani ostavit će Hrvatsku!! Marko Smičiklas Primjedba. Marko Smičiklas, pisac gornjeg teksta, rodjen je godine 1875. u staroj i poznatoj hrvatskoj, podrijetlom uskočkoj, obitelji u selu Sopote u Žumberku. Spisi koji se čuvaju na Ellis Islandu u New Yorku, a u zadnje vrijeme su i na internetu, svjedoče da je Marko doplovio u New York 18. travnja 1892., kad mu je bilo 17 godina, a zatim je došao u Chicago. Radio je kao radnik u željezari, s mnogim drugim Hrvatima tog vremena. Premda nije imao puno školske naobrazbe, Marka je gonila žeđ za znanjem, te je puno čitao, a zatim i pisao. Postao je prepoznatljiv pučki pisac i dopisnik nekoliko hrvatskih novina u Americi (Hrvatska zastava u Chicagu, Hrvatski Svijet u New Yorku i drugih). Tako je 1915. u dopisničkoj ulozi bio prisutan na poznatom i krvavom štajku radnika McCormickove tvornice International Harvester i tom prigodom dobio je takav udarac u glavu da je ostao napola gluh: Marko je umro 26. srpnja 1957. u Chicagu, u staroj žumberačkoj naseobini oko Central Park avenije. On i žena mu Marta (umrla 1945.) imali su 3 kćerke (Caroline, Martha i Mary Helen) i dva sina. Oba sina (Peter i Emil) bili su policajci u Chicagu. Emil je postao jedan od najpoznatijih detektiva u povijesti chicaške policije, posebice za provale i krađe. Bio je živa legenda i primio najviše policijskih odličja u povijesti ovog velegrada. Emilova kćerka Pam Smicklas O'Connor (obitelj je malo amerikanizirala prezime od Smiciklas u Smicklas radi lakšeg izgovora) je gradski vijećnik, a bila je i gradonačelnica grada Santa Monica u Californiji (1997, 1999. i 2005.). Još jedna poznata osoba u američkoj politici je Markov potomak, sin njegove kćeri Marthe, Fred V. Malek, bio je na raznim vrlo visokim dužnostima u vladi predsjednika Richarda Nixona i Georga Busha starijega, a sada je u užem krugu predsjedničkog kandidata John-a McCain-a. Kako vidmo iz njegova pisanja, premda daleko u Americi, Markvo srce je živo kucalo za Hrvatsku. Doprinosio je koliko i kako je najbolje znao i mogao za slobodu svog naroda. Nažalost, on tu slobodu nije doživio, a potomstvo se raspršilo i razvodnilo; samo je ostalo sjećanje na djeda i njegovu rodnu grudu. Ali Markova poruka iz koje žari ljubav može nas i danas ogrijati, kao što nas može i potaknuti na razmišljanje njegova tuga nad "domaćim sinovima". (Ante Čuvalo - Chicago)

For those wishing to know more about Croatian Greek Catholics from Žumberak and their paritcipation in the creation and defense of the Republic of Croatia we can recommend the following reference: Janko Schandor: Žumberčani Grkokatolici u stvaranju i obrani Republike Hrvatske (Žumberak Greek Catholics in the Creation and Defense of the Republic of Croatia), published by Žumberački Krijes, Zagreb 2008. We indicate a few chapters from the book: - Raseljavanje Žumberka tokom komunističke Jugoslavije - Borba žumberačkih glasila protiv klevete malobrojnih agitatora - Žumberčani grkokatolici u obrani suvereniteta Republike Hrvatske Journals in Croatia dealing with Žumberak: Žumberački krijes Glas Žumberka Žumberačke Novine Many thanks to Mr. Vlatko Bilić, Zagreb, for information about the booklet.