By: G. B.
Together with Donald Trump, his wife, Slovenian-born Melania, is also returning to the White House. Melania, born in 1970 with the maiden name Knavs, was born in Novo Mesto but spent her childhood and youth in Sevnica.
It is somewhat less known that Melania Trump was baptised in the parish of Raka, near Krško, where her recently deceased mother, Amalija Knavs (née Ulčnik), was from. Melania was baptised on June 14th, 1970 (in secret, as was not uncommon at the time), by the then parish priest of Raka, Franc (also referred to as France) Čampa.
The mentioned priest previously served in Mengeš, where he arrived in 1945. According to the Radovljica parish newsletter, Čampa was assigned to the Mengeš parish by decree after the end of World War II, a fact also mentioned in the biography of Tone Kompare, a native of Mengeš, now a priest in Ljubljana’s Trnovo parish and a golden jubilarian this year. “He arrived by train to Jarše. From the station, he walked to Mengeš with a suitcase in hand. Workers awaited him in front of the Melodija factory. They were given a break from work in exchange for a litter of wine and half a sausage. They hurled insults at the passing priest, shouted at him, and demanded that he go back where he came from. It is understood that this scene was orchestrated under the direction of the Communist Party. They also yelled at him: ‘Parasite of society! We will not feed you!’ This incident deeply etched itself into the priest’s heart and soul, prompting him to resolve to support himself. He tilled the land, kept a cow and pigs, mowed grass, and harvested hay in the summer. In every way, he sought to respond to the attack and earn his bread by the sweat of his brow.”
Among the great sufferings endured by Father Čampa during his time in Mengeš, two stand out. In January 1952, he was a direct witness to the barbaric attack and burning of Bishop Anton Vovk in Novo Mesto. Čampa and the cathedral canon (and composer) Franc Kimovec were accompanying Vovk on the train. The bishop was supposed to bless new organs in Stopiče in the Dolenjska region, crafted by Andrej Benda, a native of Mengeš. Such hostility from incited crowds was not new to Father Čampa, as he had experienced a similar “welcome” himself in 1945 upon arriving in Mengeš. On the day of the attack, it was Vovk’s secretary, Ivan Merlak, who celebrated Mass in Mengeš instead of Čampa.
Bishop Vovk frequently mentions Čampa in his book In Memory and Warning.
In 1955, Čampa experienced another painful event. On June 24th of that year, the feast of St. John the Baptist, the Mengeš Municipal Assembly ordered the demolition of the Marian monument on the main square in Mengeš. “Our then parish priest, France Čampa, was a great Slovenian. He deeply loved the people of Mengeš and suffered greatly because of the cruel decision to remove the statue of Mary from the main square,” recalls Tone Kompare, who served as an altar boy under Čampa at the time.
Cardinal Franc Rode, retired Archbishop of Ljubljana, who hails from Rodica, just a few kilometres from Mengeš, also knew Čampa well. He described him as an extraordinarily good priest – pious, educated, and very close to the people – a sentiment Melania Trump reportedly echoed when Rode shared these memories with her years later. According to Slovenian Vatican Radio, Melania said, “My mother described him exactly the same way you do.”
Unfortunately, little information is available about Franc Čampa. However, records show he was born in 1909 in Zapotok near Ribnica, one of nine children of Simon and Neža Čampa, and he passed away in 1983 in Raka. A single photo of him is accessible on MyHeritage.si.
An article from Družina, dated November 27th, 1983, provides some additional details. It notes that Čampa was born on the Matičevi homestead in Zapotok, part of the Sodražica parish. He later attended the St. Stanislav Institute, where he graduated in 1928. He was ordained a priest in 1932. After completing his military service, he served as a chaplain in Zagorje. Professors Anton Breznik and Jakob Šolar from the St. Stanislav Institute intended for him to succeed them in Šentvid, but circumstances changed. In 1940, he was appointed chaplain in Mengeš but did not take up the position because the Germans arrested him in 1941 and deported him to Croatia, where he remained for several months before returning to his family home in Zapotok and serving as a chaplain in Sodražica.
Čampa finally arrived in Mengeš in 1945 and as mentioned, was met with hostility by an incited crowd. He left a lasting impact on the parish during the 20 years he served there, during which the parish celebrated six new priestly ordinations. In 1965, he moved to Raka, where he continued his ministry. He introduced marriage preparation courses and won over the male local community with his wise words. In 1982, he celebrated his golden jubilee in the priesthood and retired due to frailty. On Raka, he built a modest house, but a week before his death in late October 1983, he requested to stay with the Sisters of Charity at the local manor. That same day, he suffered a severe stroke. After a week in the Novo Mesto hospital, he passed away.
His funeral on November 8th, 1983, was attended by over 60 priests and led by Ljubljana Auxiliary Bishop Stanislav Lenič.