On January 25, 2026, the film, Exodus 1945: Our Blood will be shown as the first film in Slovenian history to visually show what was happening in the chaotic days of early May 1945, when opponents of the communist regime fled Yugoslavia toward Allied-controlled province of Carinthia, the southernmost region in Austria. This area was under the military and political jurisdiction of the British military. There were two medical doctors, Dr. Janez Janež and Dr. Valentin Meršol, who was with his family, who were part of the refugees traveling on a medical train departing from Ljubljana. The journey encounters air attacks, delays, and mounting threats by Slovenian Communists. The refugees were forced from the train and continued on foot to reach Austrian Carinthia. Safety was the utmost concern, but a different outcome and fate would intervene for many of these Slovenian refugees.

The Slovenian writer Karel Mauser called Dr. Meršol the “Slovenian Moses” when comparing his role in the Vetrinje tragedy. “For all of us, the Slovenian Moses in 1945 was Dr. Meršol, the primary care physician on the Vetrinje field. God gave him the right words and the strength to move those who were then deciding the fate of the refugees.”

Exodus 1945: Our Blood, is under the direction of David Sipos and made possible by Studio Siposh through private donors.

11:45AM (after the 10:30AM Mass)

St. Vitus Parish Social Hall, 6022 Lausche Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44103

Runtime: 60 Minutes.

Pastry and refreshments will be provided.
No admission charge.