As in previous years, the organizers were the Archdiocese’ Centre for Youth pastoral Ivan Pavao II (NCM) and the parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Komušina. The celebration of the Youth Day of the Vrhbosna Archdiocese in this Marian shrine began the day before, on Friday, May 30^th, with a vigil Holy Mass led by the parish vicar in Lug-Brankovići, Rev. Nilson Gerardo Andrade Ibarra.

Prayer to Our Lady of Komušina

On Saturday, pilgrims began arriving early in the morning – on foot and by car, and were welcomed by NCM volunteers. According to a long-standing tradition, they first gathered at the external altar behind the parish church, where a penitential service was held. This was followed by an invitation from the parish priest and guardian of the shrine, Rev. Boris Salapić, to pray before the image of Our Lady of Komušina, led by Archbishop of Vrhbosna Msgr. Vukšić.

Then Archbishop Tomo blessed those carrying the image, and a solemn procession began, in which this year a large number of believers from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as from Croatia and other European countries, participated. Along the way, the image of Our Lady was carried to Kondžilo Hill, the rosary was prayed, and Marian hymns were sung. Arriving at the hill – Kondžilo Hill, where the external altar and chapel are located, there was once again an opportunity for confession before the start of the Eucharistic celebration led by the Archbishop of Vrhbosna in communion with about 15 priests, including the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna, Msgr. Slađan Ćosić, and the parish priest, Rev. Salapić.

Christ is our hope

The Archbishop began his sermon by reflecting on this year's motto Pilgrims of Hope, recalling the words of St. Paul: "Grace to you and peace, from the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope", with which he greeted the readers of his letters that he sent out to various places on his missionary journeys. In addition, he pointed out that Jesus is called "our hope" in several places in the Holy Scriptures.

"In fact, everything we do as Christian believers, including this gathering today together with the celebration of Holy Mass in this region, is that we believe that Christ is our hope. And that all our hopes are in Christ, that they will be fulfilled in him," the preacher reminded us, adding that this hope of ours brings us every time to our prayer spaces, to Holy Mass and other sacramental celebrations - to our pilgrimages, including this one as well as all other Marian shrines. Because we believe, he explained, that Jesus is our hope - that is, that with his resurrection everything that the human race hopes for has been fulfilled, i.e. that life has no end.

"Therefore, we who place all our hopes in Christ have come today to the shrine of his Mother, before his Divine face, and through her intercession to present these hopes of ours. Through her intercession, primarily because she is the Mother of hope. If we call Jesus our hope, and she is the Mother of Jesus Christ, then she is also the Mother of our hope. That is why we have chosen as prayer forms for this Holy Mass those that bear the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our holy hope, or Mother of holy hope", said Msgr. Vukšić, emphasizing that this today's gathering is a call to unity and our imitation of Our Lady's example as the mother of hope.

Youth Responsibility on Multiple Levels

"This gathering of ours is also an opportunity to demonstrate unity, an opportunity for joint prayer and for interpersonal fellowship. It is also an opportunity for song, joy, for encounters between us. But also for the encounter of all of us and each of us with the Mother of God and especially with her Son", explained the preacher and encouraged that this is an opportunity to strengthen our hope, to make it even more alive and visible to the people of this world and to thus transform ourselves into witnesses of our hope.

Furthermore, Archbishop Tomo emphasized the necessity of responsibility for our own lives and the talents that our dear God has given us. "Everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God. It could not have been, but God in His providence wanted us to be and have the talents we have. It is an honour and our mission in this process of witnessing hope to be responsible for our own lives and in our own lives. And to responsibly use the talents that God has given us", said the preacher, explaining that he primarily means young people who have responsibility for their own lives on multiple levels: from family, parish, school to responsibility for the society in which they live.

The liturgy was musically animated by the vocal-instrumental ensemble Rim from Zagreb.

At the end of the Holy Mass celebration, the host pastor addressed the present, expressing gratitude to all those who came, and especially to those who participated in any way in organizing the Youth Day.

Youth Program

After the Holy Mass, the faithful again headed to the church in a dignified procession, during which the rosary was prayed and Marian songs were sung, where Archbishop Vukšić brought the prayer part of the Youth Day to an end.

There, refreshments were organized for everyone, followed by a youth program in which participants presented their group work from the previous day and animation games were organized.

This year's program was also complemented by the distribution of contracts for small grants to support youth projects at the level of parish communities and deaneries, which are traditionally awarded by the NCM Ivan Pavao II.