The Director of the Croatian Heritage Foundation, Zdeslav Milas, spoke with the leadership of the Croatian Fraternal Union about further developing joint programs for young people, preserving the Croatian language, and strengthening ties between the Diaspora and the Homeland.
The Director of the Croatian Heritage Foundation, Zdeslav Milas, visited the head office of the Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU) in Pittsburgh, the oldest and largest Croatian diaspora organization in North America, which has gathered generations of Croats for 132 years and preserved their national identity, culture, and ties.
Director Milas was warmly welcomed by the President of the Croatian Fraternal Union Edward W. Pazo, Executive Vice President Franjo Bertović and National Secretary/Treasurer Bernadette M. Luketich-Sikaras, with whom he discussed further strengthening cooperation between the Croatian Heritage Foundation and the Croatian Fraternal Union, especially in working with young descendants of Croats of the 3rd, 4th and even 5th and 6th generation, forms of learning and preservation of the Croatian language, cultural heritage and connecting the Croatian Diaspora with the Homeland.
A special part of the visit was the tour of the Bernard M. Luketich Croatian Cultural Museum, located within the Croatian Fraternal Union’s head office. The museum is one of the most valuable treasures of Croatian heritage outside the Republic of Croatia and impressively testifies to more than a century of life, work and creativity of Croatian emigrants in North America. On the occasion, Director Milas presented representatives of the Croatian Fraternal Union with a valuable, unique gift – a traditional jewelry set from the Moslavina region, which will be exhibited in the Croatian Cultural Museum.
Its premises house authentic Croatian folklore costumes from different parts of the homeland, a valuable collection of tamburitzas and other traditional instruments, works by Croatian naive and other prominent artists, and numerous photographs, documents, awards, and artifacts that trace the history of the Croatian Fraternal Union since its founding in 1894. Special collections highlight tamburitza orchestras, folklore ensembles, social homes, youth programs, and humanitarian activities that have shaped Croatian community life in the United States and Canada over the decades.
A tour of the museum was a journey through the history of the Croatian diaspora. Each exhibit, photo and document testifies to the love of Croatian emigrants for the homeland of their ancestors, their perseverance in preserving language, customs and religion, and the generations of people who have built one of the most respected Croatian organizations in the world with their dedicated work.
The visit to the head office of the Croatian Fraternal Union once again confirmed that the Croatian Heritage Foundation and the Croatian Fraternal Union have been institutionally linked for decades by a shared mission: preserving Croatian identity, strengthening ties between the Homeland and the Croatian diaspora, and creating new opportunities for cooperation for the benefit of future generations of Croats worldwide.
Text and photo: CHF
