Jubilee, 30th, meeting of the Missionaries of the Church in Croatia gathered 18 missionaries from 11 countries in the Zagreb Archdiocese, all through a series of work and spiritual contents, from June 30th to July 4th.
The meeting began with a working meeting of the director of the pastoral and pilgrim center Vincentium in the parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Novigrad on river Dobra where the participants were accommodated.
Holy mass followed, which was led by the National Director of Papal Missionary Work (PMD) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Luka Tunjić in communion with the director of PMD of the Republic of Croatia rev. Antun Štefan, the archdiocese’s directors of PMD, local parish priest p. Filip Vicić and missionaries.
Spreaders of the Good News
At the beginning of the program, welcoming words were said by the Director of PMD of the Zagreb Archdiocese rev. Juraj Jerneić and Novigrad parish priest who expressed the satisfaction of the meeting being held in his parish (which celebrates this year 1000 years of existance). While greeting many believers, Msgr. Luka, in their prayers, included all the missionaries who diligently carry out their first task – evangelization, and in doing so, do many good deeds.
“The Catholic Church in Africa has 1 298 hospitals, 5 256 ambulances, 229 leprosy treatment centers, 632 nursing homes, 1 728 marital counseling centers, 1 398 nursing homes, 2 099 nursery schools, 14 711 preschools, 48 673 primary schools … The Church in Africa cares for 1 444 069 children in kindergartens, 21 713 116 elementary school students, 83 298 high school students and 177 395 students”, said Msgr. Tunjić. He also recalled other needs of the poor in the world to which the missionaries respond in various ways, as did the late missionary OFM Vjeko Ćurić who also made a significant contribution to the development of agriculture in Rwanda.
Rev. Štefan said that this meeting with the 30-year-old tradition is extremely important because it gathers and unites the glory of God’s missionaries and those who help them. He presented the directors of the PMDs and missionaries: rev. Ivan Stojanović (Ghana), p. Tomislav Mesić (Tanzania), OFM Ivica Perić (Rwanda), p. Milan Knezović (Brazil), rev. Velimir Tomić (Tanzania), sister Ana Marija Maleš (Nigeria), sister Mirjam Filipović (Haiti), sister Jacinta Petrović (Benin), sister Fides Babić (Chile), sister Agnezija Bilić (Rwanda), sister Blaženka Barun (DR Congo) sister Mirjam Bubnić (Russia), sister Lenka Čović (Ecuador), rev. Danko Litrić (Rwanda), sister Klementina Banožić (Ecuador), sister Beatrice Krstačić (Brazil). Sister Liss Mata Soto of Ecuador was also with them.
Visit to parishes
On the second day of the meeting the missionaries celebrated Holy Mass and testified of their mission in the parishes of Karlovac area: Karlovac – Banija, Karlovac – Hrnetić, Karlovac – Heart of Jesus, Karlovac – Švarča, Karlovac – Kamensko, Karlovac – Holy Trinity, Mahično, Rečica, Parish of Bl. Aloysius Stepinac – Duga Resa, Župa Sv. Petra – Duga Resa, Ozalj, Novigrad on Dobra, Draganić, Dol and Krašić.
The believers listened carefully to testimonies from the missions, and many were buying missionary souvenirs to give their contributions to the missionaries’ actions and promised to pray for them and the people entrusted to them.
There was a visit to the parish of BVM of Snow and the old town Dubovac, a meeting with young people at the National Shrine of St. Joeph in Karlovac where rev. Ivan Stojanović led the Holy mass celebration together with by Fr. Ivan Stojanović in communion with the rector of the shrine and parish priest of BVM of Snow parish venerable Antonio Sento jr. and participants of the meeting
The working part
The working part of the meeting was held on July 2nd in the Vincentium pastoral center in the parish of Novigrad. It was an opportunity for missionaries to testify and exchange experiences. At the beginning, rev. Štefan greeted the attendees and introduced new employees of PMD Croatia, and then addressed Msgr. Tunjić especially calling on cooperation for the good of the missions. He particularly emphasized the excellent co-operation of PMD’s national administrations in BiH and Croatia, which he always mentions as a positive example that many, from politicians to others, should look up to.
After the meeting, the participants went to Jastrebarsko, the parish of St. Nicholas, where they participated in the Mass celebration led by the Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb Msgr. Ivan Šaško. Addressing in the name of the Archbishop of Zagreb metropolitan Josip cardinal Bozanić, Msgr. Šaško thanked the missionaries on the occasion of the meeting, and in the sermon he reflected on their features. He said that missionaries by proclaiming the gospel and trying to create living conditions embody Christ’s love in education, health, economy, upbringing and culture.
Prayer of the pilgrims
The program of the fourth day of the meeting was in a sign of pilgrimage. Led by the PMD’s national directors and PMD arch/diocese directors, 18 missionaries met with the parish of the Holy Trinity in Krašić. From the parish priest, rev. Ivan Vučko they learned about the birthplace and churches of Bl. Aloysius Stepinac and relevant events from his life, and besides the sacred space in which Stepinac was baptized and prayed, the missionaries also visited his memorial room.
Then they went to the Greek-Catholics to the neighboring Pribić, where vlad from Križevci Nikola Kekić, acquainted them with the Greek Catholic Church community and the Church and led them through the history of the Žumberak region. Then Msgr. Kekić led the worship together with the Greek Catholic and the Catholic priests in the chapel of St. Elijah’s hill. Then they went to Sošice where Msgr. Kekić presented the local parish of Greek Catholics. They also visited the Ethnographic Museum of Basilica sisters here.
The last point of pilgrimage was the visit to the nearby Jazovka. At this well-known murder place of the Croats, Msgr. Juraj Jerneić spoke about the history of the place of suffering in which the pilgrims prayed for the peace of the dead.
The meeting ended on July 4th with the Holy Mass that Msgr. Tunjić led at the Novigrad parish church.
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Written by: Lidija Pavlović-Grgić
Translated by: Ksenija Ninić
