About St. Paul · Cleveland, Ohio
St. Paul Croatian Church (Hrvatska katolička crkva Sv. Pavla) is a Roman Catholic parish in Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1902 to serve Cleveland's Latin-Rite Croatian community. Located at 1369 East 40th Street on the outskirts of downtown Cleveland, it is the only Latin-Rite Croatian Catholic parish in the city and offers Mass in both English and Croatian. The parish is part of the Diocese of Cleveland and draws families from Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, Summit, Portage, and Lorain counties.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Zvonko Blaško
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cleveland
Why belong here
St. Paul Croatian Church is the spiritual home of Cleveland's Latin-Rite Croatian Catholics and one of the few places in Northeast Ohio where Mass is regularly celebrated in Croatian as well as English. A century-old parish with a school heritage and deep roots in Croatian culture, it welcomes families from Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, Summit, Portage, and Lorain counties, offering daily and Sunday Mass, Saturday confessions, monthly Adoration, and a parish Rosary — all under one roof at 1369 East 40th Street.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (Croatian and English)
Adoration times
- Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Croatian) — First Friday of the month
About St. Paul Croatian Church
St. Paul Croatian Church is the only Latin-Rite Croatian Roman Catholic parish in Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1902 to serve the city's growing Croatian immigrant community. Today the parish offers Mass in both English and Croatian and draws families from Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, Summit, Portage, and Lorain counties. It belongs to the Diocese of Cleveland and is pastored by Rev. Zvonko Blaško.
- Founded 1902
- Diocese of Cleveland
- Languages: English and Croatian
- Pastor: Rev. Zvonko Blaško
History
The first Croatian Catholics in Cleveland attended St. Vitus Church, but as their numbers grew they wanted a priest who could celebrate the liturgy in Croatian. On 21 July 1901 the community bought land on East 40th Street, just south of St. Clair Avenue, and after writing to Zagreb secured Fr. Milan Sutlić as their first pastor in 1902. The cornerstone was laid 2 August 1903 and the first Mass in the new Tenbusch-designed building was celebrated Easter Sunday 1904.
- 1901 – Land purchased on East 40th St.
- 1902 – Fr. Milan Sutlić becomes first pastor
- 1903 – Cornerstone laid August 2
- 1904 – First Mass Easter Sunday
- 1910 – Parish school founded
Parish School & Faith Formation
A parochial school was founded at St. Paul Croatian in 1910 under Fr. Nicholas Grsković. From 1920 the school was taught by the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Christ the King, and the parish continues to value its role in handing on the Catholic faith and Croatian heritage to new generations.
- Parish school founded 1910
- Taught by Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Christ the King from 1920
Building & Architecture
The church and adjoining parish house were both designed by Cleveland architect Gerhard A. Tenbusch and built in 1903. Tenbusch, a German-born MIT graduate who settled in Cleveland in 1900, specialized in church design in the early years of his career before moving on to commercial work. Both buildings are still standing.
- Architect: Gerhard A. Tenbusch
- Year built: 1903
- Status: Standing
Croatian Community & Outreach
Throughout the twentieth century, St. Paul Croatian Church served as the cultural heart of Cleveland's Croatian community. After World War II the parish helped resettle displaced Croatian refugees with housing and employment, and through the 1990s it helped fund Croatian community organizations throughout Cuyahoga County. It remains an important gathering point for Croatian Catholics across Northeast Ohio.
- Helped resettle Croatian refugees after WWII
- Supported Croatian organizations in Cuyahoga County through the 1990s
- Served approximately 5,000 parishioners at its 1970s peak
Visit & Contact
St. Paul Croatian Church is located at 1369 East 40th Street, Cleveland, OH 44103, on the outskirts of downtown Cleveland. The parish office can be reached at (216) 431-1895 or by email at [email protected].
- Address: 1369 East 40th Street, Cleveland, OH 44103-1194
- Phone: (216) 431-1895
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stpaulcroatianchurch.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/stpaulcroatianchurch
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Milan Sutlić1902–1904
First pastor, newly arrived from Croatia; later returned to the Archdiocese of Zagreb.
- Rev. Nicholas (Niko) Grsković1904–1917
Expanded parish support across Croatian, Greek Catholic and Slovenian communities; founded the parish school in 1910.
- Rev. Michael Domladovac1917–
Came from a parish in Youngstown, Ohio; shepherded the parish through the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak.
- Rev. Joseph Misich1937–
Paid off the parish mortgage and encouraged vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
- Rev. Mirko (Marko) Hladni1995–2018
Served St. Paul's 1,200-family congregation; died in office.
- Rev. Zvonko Blaško2018–present
Succeeded Fr. Hladni as pastor.