When the temporary hall was built in the Slovenian Home in Carapachay around 1963, Slovenians began gathering there for the monthly Slovenian Mass.

The Masses were celebrated by Fr. Albin Avguštin, Fr. Matija Borštnar, and others. A few years later, in 1974, we began holding regular Sunday Slovenian Mass. Since 1974, our parish priest has been Fr. Jure Rode.

On the anniversaries of the establishment of the house, Msgr. Anton Orehar always participated. All the Slovenian bishops who visited Argentina also celebrated Mass in front of our image of Mary Help of Christians: Bishops Alojzij Šuštar, Anton Jenko, Metod Pirih, Alojz Uran, and Peter Štumpf.

The hall is transformed into a place of worship, and on the stage, we uncover the framed image of Mary Help of Christians, measuring 60 × 90 cm. In front of it, a movable altar is placed.

The author: painter Ivan Plahuta, a folk artist born in Maribor in 1916, painted it on canvas in the refugee camp of Trani in 1947, where it was placed in the camp chapel.

Plahuta was forcibly drafted into the German army in 1943. He was sent to the Western Front. In France, he was captured by the Allies. As a prisoner of war, he was transported to southern Italy. He was then accepted into the Yugoslav army, which was likely already disbanding at the time.

After the war, Plahuta ended up in the refugee camp in Trani, near the city of Bari, where more than 200 Slovenian refugees were staying. For all of them, Our Lady Help of Christians was a great source of support, comfort, and refuge.
Plahuta married a Slovenian woman, Vika Šarec, from Rafolče near Brdo pri Lukovica, who traveled to Italy to be with her fiancé after the war. In Italy, they had a son.

Most of these refugees decided to move to Argentina. In 1948, they took this image of Our Lady Help of Christians with them to Argentina.

The Plahuta family first settled in the city of Lujan in Argentina, and later moved to Mendoza, where Mr. Plahuta got a job in a ceramic workshop run by Slovenians.

In 1971, the expanded Plahuta family returned to Slovenia. They settled near Zagorje, where they found their new home, and the artist supported himself through painting. His last known work was the restoration of the church in Kisovec near Zagorje.

The Slovenian community in Carapachayu is very grateful to have such a precious image of Mary among us and we cherish the beautiful memory of Mr. Janez Plahuta.

Author: Ivan Žnidar, born in Suhadole on May 19, 1920, residing in Carapachay, Argentina.

Queen of the Slovenes

1. The Main Queen of the Slovenes,
Behold, here abroad, your people now weep,
Have mercy on us once,
Guide us to the beautiful lands of Slovenia.

2. We, the holy ones, remain your sons,
We would sing a song in your honor,
We wish to honor and pray to you
On the homeland’s soil of Slovenian land.

3. And our fate was such,
That we had to leave Slovenia,
To go abroad to the far corners of the world,
Where hunger, horror, and fear are at home.

4. Among us, the bullets whistled,
And every countryman trembled before them,
But all who hoped in you,
Received God’s help through you.

5. Therefore, listen to us, dear Mother,
We want to come to you with our plea,
For we remain yours, and peace
Grant us in the beauty of our Slovenian land.

30. 6. 1945, napisal Ivan Pravdič