“Holy Rosary Homecoming”

There won't be a football game, cheerleaders, a band, floats or royalty. There will be coffee, donuts, pastry and perhaps Potica. And pictures - everyone should bring pictures. (start now, looking through those scrapbooks and notebooks)

Did you attend Holy Rosary Church? Or the school? Were your parents or grandparents married at Holy Rosary? Do you remember the sisters, priests or lay teachers who taught you? Did you learn to play the piano from Sister Mary Magdalene? Are you a member of one of those families with eight or nine children who were connected to Holy Rosary? Or to those large numbers of cousins who called the parish home? Are you a current parishioner? Did your children attend religious education at Holy Rosary? Did you enjoy the many pancake breakfasts and the stories?

Picnic about 1934 Holy Rosary Choir

Right now, the plan is to hold some social get togethers several times a year in the school cafeteria - sometime during Lent would be good since no weddings or quinceañeras take place then. And bring your scrapbooks, notebooks, photos, and jokes. Bring your cousins, too. You might find out some family history!

Information will be forthcoming on the parish website 

http://holyrosarydenver.com

and our facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/HolyRosaryChurchDenver

Queen of the Holy Rosary - Kraljica sv. Roznega Venca

The dedication program is written in Slovenian. The community of Southern Slavs wished to both celebrate their religion and preserve their culture in their new country. (And working twelve hours a day, six and seven days a week didn't allow much time for learning English).

Slovenes and Croats had been arriving in Globeville since the late 1880s and found low-paying, industrial jobs in one of the area's three smelters, its foundries, brickyards, railroads and meatpacking plants. At the urging of Bishop Nicholas Matz, Catholics attended St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church in the neighborhood, but Slovenes and Croats didn't contribute financially, since they were saving to build a parish of their own. In 1918, new bishop Henry Tihen gave his approval for a Slovenian church and the fund raising continued in earnest. Money was raised in the lodges; St. Jacob's Croation Lodge, KSKJ, the Western Slavonic (WSA) and the American Fraternal Union. And there were concerts, plays, and a week-long festival to raise funds.

Ground for the new parish was broken in May 1919 and construction moved swiftly. The parish was dedicated on July 4th, 1920 to the Queen of Holy Rosary - Kraljica sv. Roznega Venca.

Today, a new group of immigrants shares this devotion to the Queen of Holy Rosary. A bi-lingual Mass will be held on the feast day of the parish, Saturday, October 7th at 7:00 pm with refreshments and fellowship in the parish hall. Holy Rosary Parish is located at 4688 Pearl Street in Globeville.

 

A Slovene Glee Club gave concerts to raise money

Photo ® Betty Zalar Praprocki

 

Father Cyril Zupan celebrates May crowning at Holy Rosary

photo ® Mary Lou Egan

 

Potica!

Tradition Continues at Holy Rosary

In the photo of the first Holy Rosary Parish bazaar in 1919, the men are wearing suits and the ladies are in their native Slovenian and Croatian dresses from the “old country.” They are hoping to raise money for their new church and one can imagine that there was singing, dancing, ethnic food and games.
Holy Rosary will continue this tradition on Sunday, August 29th from 8:30 am to 8 pm in the school parking lot. There will be music, dancing and ethnic food favorites from pancakes to potica and tamales. Music and entertainment will begin at 11:30 with Matachin dancers, live bands, a DJ and Slovenian accordion master, Joann Birsa. Activities for the children include face painting and pony rides. Historic Holy Rosary Church will be open for tours at 1 pm after all the Masses.

Holy Rosary Parish is located at 4688 Pearl Street in Denver, off of I-70 and Washington Street in the Globeville neighborhood. For more information call 303-297-1962 between 9 am and 1 pm.

1919 bazaar photo courtesy of Holy Rosary Church

photos of pony rides and potica by Mary Lou Egan