The Holy Mass was led by the Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Metropolitan Msgr. Tomo Vukšić, in concelebration with the Vicar General of the Vrhbosna Archdiocese, Msgr. Slađan Ćosić, the Rector of the Cathedral, Rev. Marko Zubak, and 11 other priests. At the beginning, the Archbishop greeted the gathering, emphasizing that this celebration will be remembered as the first in the Vrhbosna Archdiocese during which the services of readers and acolytes are conferred on lay faithful who will serve in their parish communities.

A merciful event

In the homily of Msgr. Vukšić, starting from a passage from the Epistle to the Romans, recalled that all baptized persons are incorporated into Christ through the sacrament of baptism and called to live the newness of life as members of his mystical body – the Church. He emphasized that each member of the Church, although having their own gifts and mission, participates in the common mission of proclaiming the Gospel and bearing witness to Christ. He recalled the words of the Apostle Paul that in one body there are many members, but not all of them have the same function. He also explained the relationship between the general and ministerial priesthood, emphasizing that both are directed towards the building of the Church of Christ and that each believer, according to the gifts they have received, has their own place and responsibility in its life and mission.

He particularly addressed the importance of introducing the services of readers and acolytes in the local Church, emphasizing that this is an important event of grace for the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna. "The appointment of readers and acolytes, who are not candidates for the ministerial priesthood, is an important event of grace for the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna. Therefore, we look forward to your readiness to help proclaim the Gospel and contribute to the liturgical life of the Church even more than before", said Msgr. Vukšić, recalling the provisions of Pope Francis' moto propria Spiritus Domini, according to which the Holy Spirit permanently endows the Church with various charisms that become services for the good of the entire community. Speaking about the decision of the bishops of the Bishops' Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina to introduce the services of readers and acolytes where there is a pastoral need, he emphasized that the newly appointed ministers will assist in the proclamation of the word of God and liturgical celebrations in their parish communities, in accordance with church regulations and after appropriate preparation. At the end of the homily, he thanked the candidates for their willingness to serve and called on them to always carry out their mission in the spirit of love.

Induction into service

The homily was followed by the rite of induction of candidates into the offices of readers and acolytes. After the roll call of the candidates and their confirmation of their readiness to take up the service, the candidates for the office of readers received the Holy Scriptures from the bishop's hands, and the candidates for the office of acolytes received a bowl with bread for the celebration of the Eucharist. Seven readers and seven acolytes were inducted into the service, among whom were nine women and five men.

The liturgical singing was animated by the cathedral mixed choir Josip Stadler under the direction of Rev. Marko Stanušić.

The first cycle of formation of candidates for readers and acolytes was held from January to March 2026 in the premises of the Vrhbosna Theological Seminary and the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Sarajevo. Through six two-day meetings, 34 candidates – 15 for the ministry of reader and 19 for the ministry of acolyte – were introduced to the history, theological significance and practical performance of the ministries for which they were being prepared. The candidates come from five church regions in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Mostar-Duvno Diocese (15), the Vrhbosna Archdiocese (14), the Trebinje-Mrkan Diocese (2), the Banja Luka Diocese (2) and the Military Ordinariate in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1).