Nin, (IKA) – The Mass held for the Homeland on Sunday, September 6, in the church of St. Anselm in Nin, celebrated by Archbishop Ivan Prenđa of Zadar, commemorated two anniversaries, 1,130 years of fidelity to the Holy See by the Croats and 30 years since the celebration of the Year of Branimir in Grgur, Nin, the latter of which had the following motto: “The Croatian Catholic family prays daily and celebrates Mass on Sunday.” Nin, 879 – 1979 – 2009 / 1,130 Years of Fidelity of the Croats to God and the Catholic Church is the name of the commemoration of the event of the pan-Croatian celebration held 30 years ago in the communion of the Croatian bishops of Europe by Cardinal Franjo Šeper and 250,000 Croats gathered from all the continents. The Year of Branimir was the anniversary of the exchange of letters among Pope John VIII, the Croatian duke Branimir and Bishop Theodosius of Nin regarding recognition of Croatian sovereignty and confirmation of the fidelity of the Croats to the Holy See.
The faithful from throughout Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina assembled in Nin, where the roots of Croatian statehood and fidelity to the Church are tangible.
In the former cathedral of Nin, the chapel of the Croatian rulers located next to the church of the Holy Cross, the archbishop said that the Year of Branimir was a great historical assembly of Croatian Catholics, a reminder of the bleak and difficult times for the faith, daily religious life and the Church. Now, under different circumstances, we celebrate the anniversary of the year of Branimir as partakers in joy, proud and with our heads erect as Catholics and Croats.
“We are a nation that has accepted the gospel and implemented it in our personal, family and national life. Thus, our ancestors were wise people who transmitted the gospel from generation to generation. The Light of the Lord was their path,” said Msgr. Prenđa, noting that the baptistry of Duke Višeslav from the 9th century, with the inscription that the helpless enter it and the enlightened emerge, also provides testimony and symbolizes our Christianity and belonging to Christ’s Church. This path was not easy in the least. Some times are turning points and some events leave an imprint. Such an event was the exchange of letters between Pope John VIII and Duke Branimir, in which the Pope wrote that Branimir was returning to the arms of the Apostolic See, his mother, as the clearest spring from which our ancestors drew the holy Apostolic teachings and that the Church would favor him with apostolic goodness to safeguard him from visible and invisible enemies. Today, 1,130 years of unbroken connection with the Apostolic See signify union with the head of our Church, led by Christ and the Successor to Peter who have followed us through all time with prayer and compassion,” said the archbishop.
He also spoke about the spiritual program during 1979, the Year of Branimir, “The Croatian Catholic family prays daily and celebrates Mass on Sunday.” The family then and today has experienced difficulties. The concept of marriage and family are under attack. Marriages are made in heaven, before God, and with God. Praying together has a beneficial effect, the best training for children and parents and the best way to eliminate conflicts during the day. The family opens to God during prayer, said the archbishop, stressing the necessity for the family to protect and develop itself in order to bear witness at this time. The nourishment and source of this is the Mass, which binds the family to Christ and family members to each other.

Archbishop Prenđa recalled the appearance of the Croatian Votive Cross that the Croatian bishops urged people to place in every home and family 30 years ago. On the cross was the crucified Christ, with the Early Croatian interlacing ornament (pleter) in the background. On the top was the baptistry of Višeslav, the symbol of our baptism, and at the bottom were the keys of St. Peter. To the right was the inscription of Duke Branimir and to the left was the figure of Our Lady of the Great Baptismal Vow. “All of this leads us to Christ through our Church, with which every pore of our being is imbued,” concluded Msgr. Prenđa, expressing the desire for the bishops, priests and faithful to fulfill their baptismal mission.
The pastor and dean of Nin, the Rev. Šime Kevrić, expressed greetings and recalled that the votive cross of the Year of Branimir was called a “symbolic catechism of our faith and history of salvation,” adding: “On the occasion of the blessing of the cross at the end of the Mass in the Year of Branimir, 1979, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, with sorrow in his heart but loudly and clearly said: ‘The cross, indeed, has been removed from our schools, hospitals and courts,’ referring to the communist violence against the cross in the system under which we lived, but also added with pride: ‘However, it was not removed from our hearts.” We returned it to the schools, hospitals and courts, choosing independence. We defended it during the Homeland War but, unfortunately, today the sons of those who drove it from public institutions and places want to remove it again. Therefore, in our time as well we need John VIIIs, Branimirs, Theodosii, Alojzijes, Kuharićs and the faithful who preserved the faith in their families and transmitted it to us,” said the Rev. Šime Kevrić.