Sinj, (IKA) – The celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15 began with a procession from the Franciscan monastery through the streets of Sinj, followed by the celebration of a Mass in commemoration of the three hundredth anniversary of the Shrine of Our Miraculous Lady of Sinj, which gathered some 100,000 pilgrims.
As the special papal legate, Archbishop Josip Cardinal Bozanić of Zagreb led the Eucharistic celebration in concelebration with Archbishop Marin Barišić of Split-Makarska; the President of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Želimir Puljić of Zadar; Bishop Franjo Komarica of Banja Luka, Bishop Ilija Janjić of Kotor, Vladika Nikola Kekić of Križevci, Auxiliary Bishop Marko Semren of Banja Luka; the Provincial of the Franciscan Province of the Most Holy Redeemer, Friar Joško Kodžoman; the Guardian of the Shrine of Sinj, Friar Petar Klapež; and the Dean of Cetina, the Rev. Stipe Ljubas.
Prior to the beginning of the celebration of the Mass, Archbishop Barišić welcomed and thanked the special papal legate, Cardinal Bozanić, and greeted all the participants in the celebration, among whom was the President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar Kitarović. Archbishop Barišić particularly welcomed the entourage of the papal legate, Friar Petar Klapež and the Rev. Stipe Ljubas. He pointed out that the presence of Cardinal Bozanić in Sinj as the legate of the Holy Father and as the Archbishop of Zagreb made “Sinj the capital city of Croatia today.” He asked the General Vicar of Split-Makarska, Msgr. Miroslav Vidović, to read the letter from the Holy Father by which he appointed Cardinal Bozanić as his legate to this great jubilee and congratulated the faithful of the Cetina region and the Church among the Croats for their exceptional veneration of the Mother of God.
In the introduction to the homily, Cardinal Bozanić noted that the treasury in Sinj preserves the remembrance of events from the past and we look with gratitude upon the manifestation of God’s presence through the Blessed Virgin Mary three centuries ago. He urged the faithful not to permit the separation of their faith from social reality and commitment to the good, not to be ashamed to bear witness to the truth of heaven in worldly problems, and not to deny God or lose confidence in him. “Right here, in Sinj,” said the cardinal, “it is particularly evident that only in humility can genuine spiritual equality be achieved in the relationship between the earthly child and the heavenly Mother, who day and night teaches us that only in humility can man exalt himself to the level of the dignity of a child of God.”
Pointing to Mary as an example of femininity and generous maternity, he said that the Croatian society often needs the feminine strength that lives in tenderness and creative imagination; that defends life and manifests the faith, that knows how to tell the truth in a way that penetrates to the core, without rejecting a person; that recognizes danger but is not afraid to confront any destructive power; that warns against going astray and does not give up on the community; that is acquainted with goodbyes and waiting, without losing hope in the joy of return.
“We’ve had enough divisions!” emphasized the cardinal, and added, “If we want progress for our nation and homeland, a general consensus on basic questions is needed. Openness to the gift of life and safeguarding the family and human life in the family are burning issues today, on which the future of our nation depends. Ideologies solely based on economic calculations lead to confused values.” He said that the Blessed Virgin is always our fellow traveler on the paths of life. “May she help us to live everywhere under her gaze; may she safeguard us so that we do not have to leave our homes and homeland; may her grace accompany the journeys of all who had to leave their land and may she grant grace to those who have strayed, that they may return to the embrace of their Mother,” said Cardinal Bozanić.
The celebration concluded with the cardinal’s blessing, the hymn Our Lady of Sinj (O Gospe Sinjska) and the national anthem, Our Beautiful Homeland (Lijepa naša).