Today, May 21, 2024, the 30th pilgrimage of the Croatian army, police and veterans to the Marian shrine of Lourdes in France began with a mass celebration in Zagreb's Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Siget.
The pilgrimage will last from May 21 to 28, during which Croatian soldiers, policemen, veterans and firefighters, Croatian war invalids, firefighters, family members of Croatian veterans, more than a thousand of them, will participate in the 64th international military pilgrimage. This year too, it is planned that more than 14 thousand pilgrims from more than 40 countries from various parts of the world will participate in the International Military Pilgrimage, which takes place under the motto "Let them come to me in procession".
In his homily, Bishop Bogdan emphasized that the pilgrimage was successful if it helped in the experience of personal faith, in the meeting of me with God and God with me: "In hope and love we look towards heaven, we go to Mary and the place where in a special way in 1858 heaven and earth met," said the military ordinary.
"Pilgrimage is the common goal of the sons and daughters of God", emphasized Bishop Bogdan, calling on all pilgrims God's blessing and the intercession of the Mother of God.
Before leaving for the journey, the vicar general and coordinator of the pilgrimage, Don Marko Medo, addressed the pilgrims, who greeted the pilgrims and invited everyone to represent their church and their country, Croatia.
The commander of the 30th pilgrimage, Brigadier General Željko Ljubas, emphasized that on this pilgrimage, all pilgrims are personally building a chapel, that is, strengthening their faith: "All those who are no longer with us are in our thoughts. Faith helped us in the most difficult moments".
Welcoming the pilgrims, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Croatian Veterans Tomo Medved thanked Military Bishop Jura Bogdan and the Military Ordinariate for everything they do in their mission and called on the pilgrims not to forget how they represent the Republic of Croatia, which was created in the Homeland War. "Carry your intentions, never forget our victims. Pray for the families, for our people to give us togetherness and optimism," said the minister.
At the end of the mass celebration, Bishop Bogdan prayed over the pilgrims the blessing prayer of the departing pilgrims. After that, the pilgrim column headed to the border crossing Bregana and on to France.
The mass celebration in the full Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Siget was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and the Minister of Croatian Veterans Tomo Medved, the Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister's envoy, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Branko Hrg, and the Minister of the Interior's envoy, as well as the deputy commander of the pilgrimage, Dragan Tokić. The mass was led by the military ordinary in the Republic of Croatia, Monsignor Jure Bogdan, in concelebration with the Vicar General Don Marko Med and other military and police chaplains.
The pilgrimage is led by the military ordinary in the Republic of Croatia, Monsignor Jure Bogdan. The main coordinator of the pilgrimage is the Vicar General of the Military Ordinariate, Don Marko Medo. The commander of this year's pilgrimage is Brigadier General Željko Ljubas, the commander of the Command Operations Center of the Main Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, and the deputy commander is police advisor Dragan Tokić.
Military and police chaplains, employees of the Independent Department of the Ministry of Defense for support of the Military Ordinariate, employees of the Independent Service of the Ministry of Interior for cooperation with the Military Ordinariate, and employees of the Military Ordinariate provide accompaniment and spiritual help and support during the pilgrimage.
The Croatian army has been participating in the International Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes since 1993. The pilgrimage is traditionally organized by the Military Ordinariate in the Republic of Croatia with the support of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Croatian Veterans. This year's military pilgrimage is the thirtieth jubilee.
In addition to the pilgrims from the aforementioned ministries and their family members, the employees of the Croatian firefighting community also set out on a journey of prayer and faith to the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The pilgrimage was created on the initiative of several military chaplains in the spirit of reconciliation and consolidation of peace between the former warring parties of France and Germany. The first pilgrimage of soldiers was organized after the end of the Second World War, and soon the idea of reconciliation and building lasting peace grew stronger and spread among the armies of different countries. Since 1958, the Military Pilgrimage has taken on an international character.
Source and photo: MOD
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