The Slovene Chapel in Washington

In one of the grandest cathedrals in the world, a Slovenian chapel was unveiled in Washington, D.C., marking a momentous step in the cultural and religious life of the diaspora. On August 15, 1971, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., welcomed the dedication of the Slovenian Chapel of the Virgin Mary of the Valley, a long-planned project that brought together generations of Slovenians living abroad. According to the Reverend Thomas Grady, who later became a bishop, this day signified Slovenia’s place on the international map. The ceremony took place in the basilica, which is among the largest Catholic churches in the world, and was attended by over three thousand faithful from across the globe. The idea for the Slovenian Chapel had been taking shape since the mid-1960s, when several other immigrant communities had already established chapels within the shrine. The administrators of the shrine had reserved one of the last available spaces for the Slovenian Chapel, recognizing its significance to the growing Slovene-American community. A group of active promoters, including Professor Dr. Ciril Žebot, Vladimir Pregelj, Brother Dr. Ciril and Konrad Mejač, and Antonija Turek and Albina Novak from the Slovenian Women's Union, quickly turned their efforts into a nationwide and American campaign. In 1967, a committee was formed in Cleveland to support the chapel, while the Washington-based committee took charge of coordinating with the shrine’s administration, Boston-based architectural firms, and Slovenian artists. To fund the construction, approximately $70,000 was needed, equivalent today to roughly half a million dollars. Contributions came from Slovenian-American Catholic fraternal organizations, ethnic parishes, individuals, and even relatives from regions such as Carinthia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Argentina, and Australia. Remarkably, the project transcended ideological boundaries, as contributions were also received from individuals belonging to political groups outside the Catholic fold. The chapel was adorned with symbols representing key historical figures and events from the Slovenian homeland. Academic painter Leon Koporc, based on original designs by Layer, painted the image of the Virgin Mary of the Valley. Sculptor France Gorše created four relief groups depicting pivotal moments in Slovenian history: the baptism of King Kotromanić, Bishop Anton Martin Slomšk as a teacher of faith and the mother tongue, missionary Frederic Baraga among the old settlers near the Great Lakes, and a working-class family of Slovenian immigrants as a symbol of their contribution to American society. The ceiling features patterns reminiscent of traditional Slovenian folk embroidery, including nails, hearts, and linden trees. The dedication ceremony was conducted by Archbishop Maksimilijan Držečnik of Maribor and Archbishop Janez Jenko of Koper, with the presence of more than three thousand worshippers. Attendees included Slovenians from the “old homeland,” from the diaspora, from Argentina, Canada, and from all corners of the United States. Among the attendees was a somber mood, as many believed this might be the final large gathering of Slovenian Americans. Indeed, twenty years later, during Slovenia’s independence, another such gathering would take place. Dr. Ciril Mejač, born in Savni Peči near Hrastnik in 1924, graduated from high school in Ljubljana in 1944. During World War II, he served as an editor of the Domobran journal Tolminski glas. After the war, he moved to Trboška and later to Spain, where he earned his doctorate in Romance philology in Madrid in 1955. He soon relocated to the United States, teaching languages at secondary and higher schools in Maryland. He was one of the key organizers behind the construction and dedication of the Slovenian Chapel in Washington, D.C., in 1971.