Despite the lower temperatures, pilgrims from different parts of Croatia and Bosanian Posavina have flocked since early morning hours to six mass celebrations throughout the day. About 6,000 believers came in total, and more than 2,000 pilgrims gathered for the central Holy Mass celebration which, with the help of the Auxiliary Bishop of Đakovo-Osijek, Msgr. Ivan Ćurić, parish priest and administrator of the shrine Ivan Lenić, and 15 other priests, was led by Archbishop of Vrhbosna cardinal Vinko Puljić.

In his homily, the cardinal asked Our Lady to convey to the believers “what she heard from the cross from Jesus so that they, like her, would be brave in their lives”. Pointing to spiritual “contagions”: unforgiving to others, interference with others in matrimonial community, infidelity, sin, selfishness, greed, anger, he explained in concrete life examples how they destroy marriage and human relationships. He recalled that the remedies for this were: prayer, living the sacraments, forgiveness, humility, solidarity, trusting in the Lord ...

The celebration was animated by a large choir of that parish under the direction of sister Cecilia Kolarić. The feast day was preceded by a three-day spiritual preparation.