OLB History

Croatian and English Mass 1619 Abbott Road Lackawanna, NY, 14218-2999
Phone: (716) 822-0818 http://www.ourladyofbistrica.org

The statue of our Lady of Bistrica is the beloved symbol of the Croation people and is revered as Queen of Croatia.

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Father Christopher Coric, O.F.M., Conv.

History of Croatian parish

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church
(1917 to 1976)

The Croatian settlers who come to Western New York around the beginning of the 20th century petitioned His Excellency Most Reverend Dennis J. Dougherty, Bishop of Buffalo in 1916 to build a Croatian church in Lackawanna. Members of the “Zora Krajisnik” fraternal organization raised the interest for the Croatian church and parish at a meeting held on Simon Avenue. On January 8, 1917 Bishop Dougherty consented to their petitions and appointed Reverend Leon Josip Medic, O.F.M., a Croatian Franciscan from Chicago, Illinois, to come to Lackawanna, New York.

Father Medic was originally from Dubrovnik, Croatia. Holy Masses were celebrated at St. Hyacinth’s Polish Roman Catholic church. Father Medic with the original pioneers Philip Pericak, Grga Mekic, Antun Ribaric and Paul Empric, formed a committee and on March 19, 1917 bought property for the church for the sum of $8,400.00 at 108 Ridge Road, near Simon and Gates Avenue. On May 20, 1917, a small wooden structure was dedicated in honor of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The holy ambition of Father Medic and his parishioners was to replace the small wooden church with a larger, brick structure. On September 6, 1920, a new beautiful church was dedicated by Most Reverend Bishop of Buffalo, H.E.Turner, assisted by Monsignor Nelson H. Baker, known as the “Padre of the Poor.” Father Baker had blessed the first wooden church and also the cornerstone for the new church.

Several priests serve the parish:Rev. Leon Josip Medic, O.F.M., first pastor, from 1917-1923; Rev. Bohumil Badura from 1923-1939; Rev. Earl J. Kleis from 1939 -1945, Rev. Thomas E. Fernan from 1945-1949.

Croatian Church in America

It is very difficult to establish when the first Croatian Catholic came to the American continent. Some written documents indicate that individuals or small groups of Croatian Catholics landed on this continent two or three hundred years ago. But in the late 1890s and early 1900s, many Croatians, Roman Catholics, began emigrating to the United States. Many were economic immigrants, while others considered themselves political refugees.Croatian Roman Catholics in America form a vital part of the American Catholic Church, because of the pioneering efforts of their priests and sisters, whose witness has enabled the Croatian immigrant community and their children born in the United States to remain faithful to their Catholicism and their Croatian roots. A good number of Croatian priests, religious and diocesan, came to the United States following World War II. As the Croatian immigrant community grew and spread, new parishes needed to be organized. Thus the life of the immigrant priest, like the lives of his people, became more parish centered, more stable.With the liberation of Croatia in 1990 and its establishment once again as a sovereign and democratic nation, it is expected that Croatian emigration to the United States will continue to decline. Based on the religious principles Croatian Catholic Church through its charitable, educational, religious programs and activities, serves multiple needs of its members and the Croatian people in the United States and Canada.

Our Lady of Bistrica

Our Lady of Bistrica Church (built in 1976)

Msgr. Stephen Lackovic, S.T.D. a native of Marija Bistrica, Croatia, was appointed to serve in the parish as assistant Father Fernan. From Oct. 24,1948. Msgr. Lackovic was named the parish’s administrator, and remained as the administrator until his retirement on December 8, 1981.

A building committee was formed, after 60 years at 8 Ridge Road, to select a new site for an auditorium and church. The Cardinal Stepinac Auditorium was built at the corner of Abbott Road and West Elmview and was dedicated on Sunday October 29, 1961. The auditorium served the parishioners and community as a mission for holy Masses on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation until the new church was completed in 1976.

The new “Our Lady of Bistrica Croatian Church", was blessed and dedicated by Most Reverend Edward D. Head, Bishop of Buffalo, on Sunday June 13, 1976. Bells from the old church on Ridge Road were saved and installed in a bell tower at front of the church in 1984. A new gazebo and pavilion were built in 1990. Rev. Christopher Coric, O.F.M.Conv. was appointed as an assistant to Msgr. Lackovic on Oct. 4, 1977. He became Pastor of Our Lady of Bistrica church in December of 1981. and is still serving and inspiring our very diverse community. In his guiding role he is helping, supporting and encouraging parishioners in their search for deeper meaning and God in their lives.

The parishioners and community are to be proud and congratulated for the great accomplishments of our parish since 1917.

Beauty of Croatia

In Croatia, where the Mediterranean, the mountains and the Pannonian valleys come together in a unique harmony of natural beauty, within just a little more than a hundred kilometres, you can come across excitingly different landscapes.The Adriatic, with one of the most indented coastlines in Europe with its 1,185 islands and islets, of which only 66 are inhabited, is undoubtedly the most popular tourist destination. Continental Croatia, however, also abounds in beauty: it is a land of forests, rivers rich in fish, swift mountain streams, deep gorges of Gorski Kotar, and the magnificent Plitvice Lakes in Lika. It is a land of golden wheat fields, oak woods and wide rivers of Slavonia and Baranja, a land of quaint little villages, romantic castles and manors, and picturesque hills and vineyards of the Croatian Zagorje.

History of Marija Bistrica

Marija Bistrica is a town in central Croatia, located on the slopes of the Medvednica mountain in Hrvatsko Zagorje, not far away from Zagreb, and is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year. Marija Bistrica has an old Marian shrine which is a famous place of pilgrimage. The miraculous statue of the Blessed Virgin & the Christ Child that is enshrined in the city of Marija Bistrica in central Croatia is known as Our Lady of Bistrica, Queen of Croatia. The statue of late Gothic design is the work of an anonymous artist. The statue was first placed in the ancient shrine in Vinski Vrh in 1499. When the Turks advanced on the town, the frightened villagers buried the statue in Marija Bistrica for safekeeping. In 1588 it was rediscovered and given a place of honor. After a short time, it was then walled into the church and discovered for the second time in 1685. and in 1923 the church was designated a minor basilica. It was also during this year that the Archbishop of Zagreb placed golden crowns upon the heads of the Madonna & Child. On October 3, 1998, Pope John Paul II visited Shrine of Our Lady of Bistrica and beatified the Croatian Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac.

History of Medjugorje

Medjugorje ("between the hills") is a small village in Western Herzegovina.
It has become well known in Bosnia-Hercegovina, and the world, because on June 24, 1981. a beautiful young woman appeared to six children whom they recognised as the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was an event which was to change not only the lives of the villagers, but millions of pilgrims. Our Lady has appeared to the visionaries and the essence of her message is peace - peace in our hearts, peace in the world, peace between God and Man. She invites us to conversion and through her messages guides us towards a new understanding and love of God. The Blessed Mother told the visionaries God sent her to our world to help us convert our hearts and lives back to Him. Our Lady's call is one of Peace, Love, Faith, Conversion and Prayer. Medjugorje itself has become synonymous with "The world in miniature". Over 20 million people visited Medjugorje since 1981. Why do pilgrims have a desire to go to Medjugorje? Medjugorje is a place of inspiration and tranquility where millions have rediscovered their faith and opened their hearts to the true peace and love towards themselves and humanity. We are challenged to answer Our Lady's call to change our lives, and hearts back to God.