The groups hoping to establish an immigration museum at the St. Nicholas Church on East Ohio Street got a commitment of support yesterday from the Croatian ambassador to the United States.

Mark Masterson, executive director of the Northside Community Development Fund, said his trip to Washington with Bill Vergot, president of Preserve Croatian Heritage Foundation, and Mark Fatla, executive director of the Northside Leadership Conference, garnered the ambassador's support for networking with Croatians nationally and people from other embassies.

Ambassador Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic's deputy chief of mission, Vice Skracic, said the ambassador is "happy to have a reception at the embassy where we would do outreach and would hope the diplomatic community" with offer help.

Mr. Masterson said he believes they came away with "a pretty solid commitment."

The ambassador is visiting Pittsburgh in May for a conference of the National Federation of Croatian-Americans and will be invited to see the site, said Mr. Masterson.

The groups estimate they need $10 million to establish the museum at the site of the old church, which was closed in 2004 and is pending a sale to Lamar of Pittsburgh, a billboard advertising company. Lamar has said it's willing to work with the groups so the church can be reused.

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