PHOTOS: President meets New York’s Croatian community

NEW YORK, 13 March 2019 – Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović has meet with New York’s Croatian community on Tuesday.

President Grabar-Kitarović, who is in New York participating in the United Nations Conference “Women in Power” presented the Charter of the Republic of Croatia to the Croatian parish of St. Cyril and Methodius and St. Raphael, the Croatian Catholic Mission of Blessed Ivan Merz and Croatian Radio Club New York, the Office of the President said.   

During the meeting with the Croatian community, the president thanked all those who put their years, patience and energy into the preservation of the Croatian community and who, in their second homeland, represented the best of Croatia, always caressed in their hearts. 

“I am very proud that I will give the Charter of the Republic of Croatia tonight to contribute to the preservation and strengthening of the connections between the homeland and immigrant Croatia, precisely to the Croatian parish of St. Cyril and Methodius and St. Raphael, to the Croatian Catholic Mission of Blessed Ivan Merz, as well as to the Croatian Radio Club New York, on the occasion of their 50th anniversary,”said President Grabar-Kitarović.

Thanks to the patriotic enthusiasm, the devoted and valuable work of professionals and volunteers, parishes and missions have for decades been the focal meeting points in the mother tongue, with history, culture and national identity, primarily thanks to the schools in which Croatian language are taught, the president highlighted, adding that the parish in Manhattan and the mission in Astoria were deserved of the social and spiritual preservation of the Croatian community in New York.

“Allow me to congratulate you on all the programmes of St. Cyril and Methodius and St. Raphael, where the Croatian School of Blessed Aloysius Stepinac and the Kolo Group is also active, which is also proud of the name of our Blessed One. The heart especially flutters when we hear dear Croatian words and our songs, when we see our costumes and dances miles away, “said President Grabar-Kitarović, congratulating all the generations of parishioners, who all these decades, away from the homeland, managed to preserve and transfer the culture it to their children and young people.

“I thank you also, the children and the young, because ahead of a variety of attractive ‘gamers’ and ‘YouTubers’, you have given priority to your parents, grandfathers and granddaughters to learn Croatian songs and dances. I am particularly proud of you performing all over the world, as well as in the most prestigious culture venues in New York City such as the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall,” the President said, who also thanked and congratulated the Croatian Catholic Mission of Blessed Ivan Merz who soon celebrate their 50th anniversary. 

“You’ve travelled to the whole of America, and your performance in Madison Square Garden, during the NBA match between the Nets and the Knicks as part of the Croatian Heritage Night was by especially echoed by the Croatian media. I hope that we will soon have an opportunity to host you in the Homeland, “concluded President Grabar-Kitarović.