Croatian Catholic mission courageously celebrates 40 years of faith!

Croatian Catholic mission courageously celebrates 40 years of faith!

Würzburg, Deutschland - What moves the believers in the region? On January 13, the Croatian Catholic Mission Würzburg celebrated St. Antonius of Padua, the patron saint of her church, with a festive service in the Franciscan Church. At this international trade fair, which was enriched by many believers of the Italian and Polish Catholic missions, readings and songs were heard in several languages. pow.bistum-wuerzburg.de reports how Guardian Pater Adam Kalinowski thanked the Croatian faithful for her loyalty to Antonius, head of the mission, in His inspiring sermon emphasized that Saint Antonius is worshiped as the saint of the whole world.

Antonius was not only an important spiritual leader, but also traveled to different countries to spread faith, including Portugal, Morocco and Italy. "Be brave, like Saint Antonius!", Penava encouraged the community to talk about faith in its environment, a call that visibly close to the audience. Next to him, the parish priest Walenty Cugier, Father Maurizio Luparello and Joaquim Carneiro da Costa also contributed to the celebration.

celebration of the 40th anniversary of the mission

Another important occasion in the Croatian community is the 40th anniversary of the Croatian Catholic Mission on the Lower Rhine, which was celebrated in Moers-Repelen. At a festival service in the St. Martinus Church, Auxiliary Bishop thanked EM. Dieter Geerling the faithful present and conveyed congratulations from Bishop Felix Genn. The celebration also included a concert and a sociable lunch in the best tradition. Kirch-und-leben.de

Around 2000 members from Bosnia, Herzegovina, Dalmatia and Istria have found a new home in Germany and the missions in Bocholt and Moers, which were founded in 1998, have now been formed into a "Croatian Catholic Mission on the Lower Rhine-Moers". In his sermon, Geerling referred to the symbolic meaning of the number 40, which in the Bible stands for preparation for something bigger. He emphasized how important it was for the Church to face current changes and to announce the message of the gospel under changed conditions.

a life -affirming cooperation

The Croatian Catholic mission lives from an active cooperation. There are regular services in Repelen, Dinslaken and Bocholt, which are supplemented with traditional festivals and cultural offers for young people. In addition, there is an adult and a youth choir as well as its own community leaf that informs the members about the activities. The Franciscan Father Josip Filipovic has headed the mission since 2016. Current information and event information can be found on the community's website, which can be called up at parrei-de-deutschland.de.