On September 30, 2023, the patronal feast day of the Province of St. Jerome in Croatia, the friars of the Province celebrated their annual Province Day. The celebration took place at the Marian shrine in Marija Bistrica, Croatia. The event also coincided with the 25th anniversary of the beatification of Cardinal Alojzije Viktor STEPINAC.
During the first part of the day, the friars celebrated Mass presided over by the Most Reverend Dražen KUTLEŠA, Archbishop of Zagreb, Croatia. During the same liturgy, the archbishop received the pallium, a sign of his metropolitan service.
After the Mass, the friars met in another room of the shrine where they were greeted by their Minister Provincial, Friar Miljenko HONTIĆ. In his speech, Friar Miljenko briefly evaluated the life of the Province over the last year. He then presented some new candidates with the Province: a seminarian and three postulants. Others present for the Province Day included the Assistant General for the Centralis Europae Foederatio (CEF) Friar Igor SALMIČ and the Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Joseph in Slovenia, Friar Milan KOS.
Next, there was a presentation on the new Provincial Directory for the Use of Mass Media, with a lecture by Dr. Siniša KOVAČIĆ, Editor-in-Chief of the Catholic Media Network at the Croatian Bishops’ Conference, and a member of the Commission that prepared the document. During his lecture, Dr. KOVAČIĆ emphasized the importance of the presence of the friars in Mass Media, the responsible use of social networks and other current challenges. Paper copies of the new directory were handed out to all of the friars.
As per tradition, the friars acknowledged the confreres who were celebrating a jubilee in the current year, such as a birthday, profession of vows or priestly ordination.
The Province Day celebration ended with a fraternal dinner.
Friar Zlatko VLAHEK, Provincial Secretary
