The Veneration of St. Cyril and Methodius among Slovenian Emigrants in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Nik Trontelj

The Veneration of St. Cyril and Methodius among Slovenian Emigrants in the 19th and 20th Centuries

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62983/rn2865.26a.2

Keywords: Cyril and Methodius, emigrants, veneration, religious and national belonging, ecumenism

Abstract:
The article examines examples of Slovenian emigrant communities in the USA, Argentina, Egypt, and Australia, highlighting the presence and significance of the veneration of St. Cyril and Methodius among emigrants. The research considers various overseas destinations to which Slovenians migrated during different historical waves, demonstrating that wherever they settled, they brought with them the veneration of the two saints. The analysis covers several periods of Slovenian emigration: from the late 19th century to the First World War, the interwar period, and the decades following the Second World War. In each of these periods, emigrants developed distinct forms of venerating the holy brothers, shaped significantly by the political and social circumstances in their homeland. Before the First World War, the veneration of Cyril and Methodius was closely linked to resistance against Germanization and other forms of national pressure. This is confirmed by examples from Egypt, where Slovenians dedicated their activities to Cyril and Methodius as protectors of their national rights. After the First World War, the veneration of the saints among some emigrants continued to grow out of opposition, as illustrated by the case of Argentina, where many Slovenes from the Julian March settled following the rise of fascism in Italy. The Second World War and the post-war communist period in Yugoslavia profoundly reshaped Slovenian history and significantly altered the cultural and spiritual identity of the Slovenian people. In the homeland, new state structures obscured the earlier, distinctly Christian inspiration associated with Cyril and Methodius. Among post-war refugee emigrants, however, the presence of both saints in Slovenian consciousness and public life remained strong. Their veneration—especially in the USA and Argentina—took on a distinctly anti-communist character. The nature of this veneration often reflected the situation in the homeland or served as a reaction to it. The article also traces the development of ecumenical activity among emigrants, which had been central to the Cyril–Methodius revival since the mid-19th century and was rooted in efforts to promote Christian unity through the rapprochement of Catholic and Orthodox Slavs under the auspices of the Catholic Church. Among emigrants, the character of ecumenism followed broader theological developments as well as contemporary political circumstances. Attitudes toward non-Catholic Slavs gradually became more understanding within the framework of spiritual ecumenism. After the Second World War, ecumenism also acquired a political dimension, as the unification of Christians was seen as an opportunity to oppose communism.

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