Rome, (IKA) – “I came together with other pilgrims from Croatia to pray at the grave of Brother Bonifacije Pavletić, to pray with him and seek his intercession for our nation to follow the correct path, especially the new generations to whom he devoted such love,” said the archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić in his sermon during the Mass on the occasion of the transfer of the earthly remains of Ivan Bonifacije Pavletić from the Verano communal cemetery for religious in Rome to the chapel of the Sons of the Immaculate in the Bravetta section of Rome on Sunday, September 28. The festivities, which were enhanced by the string orchestra of the Roman municipal police, were attended by the superiors of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart, the Croatian ambassadors to Italy and the Holy See; the head of the Liaison Office between the Zagreb Archdiocese and the Roman postulator for the cause the beatification of Bonifacije Pavletić, Prelate Vladimir Stanković; and the mayors of Rome, Kutina, Saron and Capranika, places in which Brother Bonifacije lived and worked. His earthly remains were placed in a marble sarcophagus at the entrance to the church. Over the sarcophagus carved in marble are symbols of a shoemaker and medicine, characterizing Bonifacije’s life. For this occasion, the Zagreb Archdiocese also arranged a pilgrimage to Rome in which approximately 200 of the faithful from Bonifacije’s birthplace and all of Moslavina participated.
The mayor of Kutina, Davor Žmegač, pointed out that all are proud that they are able to participate in this event and represent his nation, following the example of Bonifacije, to exalt the modest and the little. “We are proud of Ivan Bonifacije owing to the holiness of his life, marked by the power of humility and sacrifice,” he said and invited the Sons of the Immaculate to open their institutions in Croatia as well, so that in this way Brother Bonifacije would return to his native land. The mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, noted that people of Bonifacije’s caliber contribute to the unification of Europe and expressed his conviction that Croatia would soon enter that community.
Fra Bonifacije was born in the year 1864 as Ivan Pavletić in the village of Zbjegovača, the former parish of Kutina, presently the parish of Illova, which is part of the Zagreb Archdiocese. He died in 1897 at the age of 33, with the reputation of saintliness. The diocesan process for his beatification began last year in Rome, as this was the place of his death.

On September 29, Cardinal Josip Bozanić celebrated Mass in Acquaviva Collecroce in the Italian region of Molise. The occasion was for the Franciscan Province of the Most Holy Redeemer in Split to assume the pastoral care of three parishes in the diocese of Termoli-Larino, which are inhabited by Croats of Molise. These three parishes are Acqaviva Collecroce, San Felice del Molise and Montemitro or, as they are called by the Croats in Molise, Kruč, Stifilić and Mundimitar.
A Croatian missionary who served in Kruč up to the 1980s has now has returned with two fellow brothers from the region from which the ancestors of the people presently living in these places came approximately 500 years ago. The Croats in Molise have preserved their native language. The parishioners welcomed the priests Fra Petar Milanović, Fra Drago Gverić and Fra Josip Cvitković with great joy. In addition to religious dignitaries, including the local bishop Gianfranca De Luca and the provincial of the Franciscan Province of the Most Holy Redeemer, Fra Željko Tolić, this event was also attended by the highest representatives of the municipal authorities, including the mayor, president of the province, president of the region of Molise and Croatian ambassadors to the Italian Government and Holy See. All the speakers referred to the bond between Croatia and this region of Italy.