HOLY MASS CELEBRATION OF THE WEEK OF SOLIDARITY AND COMMUNION WITH THE CHURCH AND THE PEOPLE OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The Week of Solidarity was marked on March 12th with a Eucharistic celebration in Aladinići parish led by the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno and apostolic administrator of Trebinje-Mrkan Petar Palić, and the president of Croatian Caritas, Bishop of Varaždin Bože Radoš preached with the concelebration of several priests.

With the concelebration of the current bishop of Kotor and the newly appointed bishop of Poreč-Pula, Msgr. Ivan Štironja, the participation of the president, national and arch/diocesan directors and employees of Caritas from the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, many believers from this and other parishes were present at the Holy Mass celebration in the parish church of All Saints.

On the eve of the Eucharist, the director of Caritas of Herzegovina’s dioceses, rev. Željko Majić, greeted those present, thanking the Church in Croatia and the state of Croatia for the spiritual support and material assistance they selflessly provide.

Strengthen the community

Introducing the Holy Mass celebration, with greetings to those present, Bishop Palić mentioned that last year this parish marked 1 000 years since its first mention, and in a special way thanked Msgr. Radoš and priests from Croatia for the support they have been providing for years. He also expressed his thanks, through the directors, Msgr. Tom Knežević and OFM Tomislav Glavnik, to the employees of Caritas BiH and Caritas Croatia. In addition, he especially greeted the local son of the bishop of Poreč and Pula, Msgr. Štironja.

After OFM Tomislav announced the gospel, at the beginning of his sermon, Bishop Radoš said that they had gathered with the desire to show their unity, the unity of the Church and people in Croatia with the Church and people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“And not only do we want to show, but we want to strengthen our community. Today we want to go to the same well together, the well of life. I believe that in front of us is a fresh jug of water that flowed from the spring of John the Evangelist. It is a deep well into which evangelist of God’s love has dug and wants to give us water. He wants to bring us even closer to the well where the conversation about life takes place. We want that conversation from Jacob’s well to continue in us and let it bring freshness, joy of life, love that comes from God. We want to follow Jesus, hear his words, be interlocutors of his Good News”, encouraged the bishop, emphasizing that the student is the one who follows the teacher.

Navigation of the heart

“Today the teacher is leading us through Samaria. At the beginning of this reading it says: Jesus had to pass through Samaria. He returns by way of Galilee. He could have chosen a better path. A better way, humanly speaking. Along the Jordan River valley, it is always fresh there, there is fresh air. There is the freshness and purity that his compatriots breathe, they don’t want to be polluted by the area that is defined as the area of heretics and outlaws”, explained Msgr. Radoš, noting that Jesus has another “navigation”, the navigation of the heart that leads him through Samaria. He then asked if this was the first message in the Week of Solidarity with the Church and the people in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Why Caritas?

“The first message for each of us: Christ walks that way, he goes beyond borders. He goes where people are in need and leads his students there. They are always, says Jesus, at the centre of his heart, his occupation, and then also at the centre of the heart of the Church, the heart of the students, the heart of all of us”, said Bishop Bože, and answering the question: “Why Caritas?”, he said: “Because it constantly reminds of this love of Christ”.

Let us remind you that the annual Week of Solidarity and Unity with the Church and People in Bosnia and Herzegovina action, organized this year under the motto Drink from the Well of Life (John 4), has been prepared and implemented by Croatian Caritas since 2007, based on the agreement of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference and the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

KT