Before 1912 there was only one church and parish for the Croatians in Chicago. It was the Roman-Catholic Croatian Church at South Marshfield and West 60th.

This church was too far for some of the Croatian colonies and for that reason it became necessary to organize another Croatian parish around Wentworth and 25th street, where Croatians, especially those coming from Dalmatia, were numerous.

Dr. J. E. Quigley, archbishop of Chicago, on request of Rev. George Violich, a Croatian pastor from Joliet, Ill., asked the Pope to send a Croatian Franciscan to Chicago as pastor, and have a new Croatian parish organized. With this purpose in mind, Rev. Father Leo. F. Medich came to Chicago in May, 1912. On August 22, 1912, Rev. Medich received orders from Archbishop Quigley to organize a parish at 25th and Went-worth Avenue. At that time there were in that district several Croatian 2families, 210 from Dalmatia, 200 from Croatia proper, 50 from Istria, 35 from Slavonia, 10 from Bosnia-Herzegovina, altogether about 5,000 souls.

At first services were held at the Czech church of St. Ivan Nepomuk, Princeton and 25th Street.

With the help of the parishioners, Rev. Medich bought in November 26, 1912, a church and rectory for $15,000 from the German protestants. There were other plans to buy another church or to build a new one, but with the consent of Rt. Rev. Dr. Quigley, the archbishop, it was decided to use the newly purchased church at least temporarily. The Croatians were satisfied, waiting for the newly acquired Protestant church to be consecrated soon, after the Roman-Catholic ritual.

The Chicago papers brought the news that the Croatians had bought a church which would be called "Croatian Roman-Catholic Church of Saint Jerome."This fact was misinterpreted by some misguided men from 3Dalmatia, and they started a harangue against the pastor and archbishop, saying that they were not Croatians, but Dalmatians, and requesting that the church be called Dalmatian, not Croatian.

A committee was sent to the bishop to tell him that in the colony there were no Croatians, but only Dalmatians. The archbishop saw at a glance that they were a misguided and uneducated lot who did not know the history of their own country. He explained to them that Dalmatia is just one part of the Croatian state, that there is not a Dalmatian nationality, and that even if they are from Dalmatia, they are Croatian, remain Croatian and nothing else. This explanation did not satisfy the malcontents and one of them said to the archbishop: "If the church is not called Dalmatian, we will not support it." But the archbishop did not change his decision that the church should be called Croatian.

The few malcontents started against the bishop and pastor a campaign among 4the parishioners, urging them to use violence. The night before the dedication the windows were smashed on the rectory. After that, a strong police force was ordered around the church for protection of property and keeping order during the dedication ceremonies on December 15, 1912.

As soon as Dr. J. E. Quigley, with his entourage of clergy, started the ceremonies, the few malcontents started a demonstration against the bishop and the pastor. The police cleared the church of demonstrators and the dedication proceeded quietly. After the dedication of the church the bishop gave a beautiful sermon, congratulating the Croatian people. The bishop said that he loved the Croatians, that he knew their history and the Croatian merits in the defense of the Catholic religion and their country. Dr. J. E. Quigley cautioned those coming from Dalmatia to be calm and said that Dalmatia was and is a part of Croatia, adding that he could not accept there any other nationality than the Croatian. The bishop implored the people to honor their pastor, because he had confidence in him.

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After the bishop the pulpit was taken over by Father Leo. J. Medich, O. F. M., who exhorted his parishioners to be devout to their God, to their Roman-Catholic religion, to remain Croatians and honor this free country, the United States of America.

The pastor criticized sharply those who were misguided against their own Croatian nationality. The Croatian Catholic parish of St. Jerome prospered and grew better than any Croatian parish in the United States.

The successor of Father Medich was Rev. Father V. Vukonic, in 1922. As stated before, the old church was a wooden structure bought from the German Protestants. Rev. Vukonic bought a church, a school and a rectory at 28th Street and Princeton Avenue from the Swedish Protestants. On Decoration Day, 1923, the solemn dedication of that church was held.

A parochial school with four nuns as teachers was started. The school 6staff was increased to five, then seven, and later ten sisters as teachers. There were more and more pupils in the school. In 1925 an addition of four schoolrooms was built. In 1927 was the first graduation from St. Jerome's School.

The former old wooden church was rebuilt into a hall for lectures. A teachers' dormitory was also built.

Rev. Father V. Vukonic left St. Jerome parish in 1928, and was succeeded by Rev. B. Yerkovic. This priest, also an energetic man, established a kindergarten and added two bells to the church belfry and organized many church societies which have to take over many needs of the parish.

May God grant that under the patronage of St. Jerome this Croatian church prosper for the spiritual benefit of the Croatian people in Chicago.