Klapa Sveti Juraj HRM Sings for Our Lady of Sinj in Chicago at 120th Anniversary of Tradition
Performance at St. Jerome's Church Features Spiritual and Patriotic Songs, with Voluntary Donation for Entry
Performance at St. Jerome's Church Features Spiritual and Patriotic Songs, with Voluntary Donation for Entry
On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, the Klapa Sveti Juraj of the Croatian Navy traveled to Chicago to enrich the celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The program, dedicated entirely to Our Lady of Sinj, will take place at the Croatian parish of St. Jerome, further strengthening the decades-long bond between the diaspora and the homeland.
According to the klapa members' announcement, the concert of spiritual and patriotic songs will be held on Thursday, August 13, immediately following the novena Mass at St. Jerome's Church. Organizers have not set a fixed ticket price; instead, visitors are invited to make a voluntary donation.
This year's gathering carries special weight as it marks 120 years of tradition associated with the image of Our Lady of Sinj within this Croatian community. Over the decades, immigrants arriving in the United States brought with them the religious customs of their regions, and Croatian parishes often became key points for preserving identity and maintaining ties with the homeland.
The veneration of Our Lady of Sinj, which transcends the borders of the Cetina region, takes center stage in the program. Chicago stands out as one of the best examples of this continuity, where Marian devotion and the feast of the Assumption have been bringing together Croats from the city and surrounding areas for generations.
The arrival of the Croatian Navy klapa combines the spiritual and patriotic components of the event. The klapa has expressed gratitude to the children, parents, and all organizers involved in the preparations, and their performance will be part of a multi-day program through which the Croatian diaspora prepares for the feast of the Assumption.
This performance is not just an ordinary guest appearance by Croatian musicians in America. It is an encounter with a community that, even after several generations, still regards the Assumption, Our Lady of Sinj, and Croatian song as an indispensable part of its identity.
