Zagreb, (IKA) – Two months after the opening of an exhibition in the European Parliament in Brussels on the life of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, owing to considerable media and public interest, the exhibition is now in Zagreb. With twelve additional sculptures of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, together with a timeline of his life and posters featuring quotations, the exhibition Stepinac: The Way of Holiness, organized by the Office of the Cultural Heritage, Archdiocese of Zagreb, was opened in the Domitrović Tower, Zagreb, on August 10, following evening Mass in the Zagreb Cathedral, where prayers were said for Stepinac’s canonization and the benefactors to the cause.
The Zagreb exhibition was opened by Auxiliary Bishop Ivan Šaško, who said that the Brussels exhibition, owing to the initiative and commitment of MarijanaPetir, Croatian Representative to the European Parliament, and under the auspices of the European People’s Party, was intended to present Blessed Stepinac in a concise and clear manner to representatives and visitors, and arouse interest in the life and values he promoted as a man, Christian, bishop, Croat and European.
“Our intention is to provide an opportunity for the Croatian faithful, as well as foreign pilgrims and tourists who come to Zagreb, to encounter and gain insight into the life of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, particularly since the texts are in the English language,” said Bishop Šaškoin the cathedral, after which the faithful headed to the nearby Domitrović Tower, where they prayed for Stepinac’s canonization and had the opportunity to view the exhibition, which occupies three floors. Using verified historical facts, authentic photographs and works by Croatian artists, the exhibition presents the heroic life of the former Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, a fearless witness to God’s truth and defender of human rights during the totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century.
Besides the art displayed at the exhibition, there is a unique exhibit on the second floor of the Domitrović Tower, an 8-meter-long timeline prepared by the Msgr. Nedjeljko Pintarić, Head of the Office of the Cultural Heritage, Archdiocese of Zagreb, and his associates, that includes many sketches and photographs taken during Stepinac’s lifetime as well as mementos of manifestations of the Croatian people’s great love for the Cardinal after his death. Photolanguage conveys Stepinac’s messages through eighteen posters on important segments of his life, permeated by his faith in God, which are still timely and thought provoking today.
In addition to the Brussels exhibition Stepinac: The Way of Holiness, a new element has been added in Zagreb that could not be exhibited at the European Parliament due to limited space. The people of Zagreb and tourists will have the opportunity to view works depicting Blessed Alojzije Stepinac by Ivan Meštrović, Kuzma Kovačić, Zlatko Kovačić, Ivan Kujundžić, Josip Bosnić, Belizar Bahorić, Ivan Jeger, Tomislav Kršnjavi, Anđelko Odak, Alojzija Ulman, Pavica Pirc, Mladen Iveković and Mila Wood. There are also works by the academic sculptors Josip Poljan and AntoJurkićand four medals by Damir Mataušić that were previously exhibited at the European Parliament.
These artworks are testimony that Stepinac provided a source of inspiration to artists who were his contemporaries, to artists who sought truth and hope during the regime of communist totalitarianism, and artists of today who regard him as a moral compass, according to the Office of the Cultural Heritage, Archdiocese of Zagreb.
The exhibition on Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, the second to be opened in Domitrović Tower this year, can be viewed Monday through Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Since the majority of the texts are in the English language, the exhibition will be of particular interest to the increasing numbers of tourists who are visiting the Croatian metropolis.