The Holy Mass and consecration rite were led by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Msgr. Tomo Vukšić, joined by the Archbishop Emeritus of Vrhbosna, Vinko Cardinal Puljić, and the Military Bishop, Msgr. Miro Relota. They concelebrated with the Provincial of the Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena, OFM Zdravko Dadić, and approximately 30 other priests, including the Dean of Kreševo and parish priest OFM Josip Tomas, and the parish priest of Kiseljak, OFM Antun Perković.

Assisting at the altar were Franciscan seminarians led by the master of ceremonies, OFM Ilija Alandžak—guardian and parish priest of the St. Anthony of Padua parish in Belgrade.

"God of All Nations"

At the beginning of the Holy Mass, the Archbishop first explained the rite of consecration and then sprinkled the congregation, the altar, and the church walls with holy water.

In his homily, he reflected on Jesus’ parable of the labourers in the vineyard, noting that through it, Jesus sought to explain the nature of the Kingdom of God to His disciples by using imagery from everyday human life.

As he explained, the parable emphasizes goodness: "Why are you evil if I am good?"

"To understand what Jesus truly meant to convey to that specific community of His disciples, we must recall that in the religion they had previously followed—and the religion into which Jesus was born—God was a national God. The chosen people had their own God, and followers of that religion could not include those who were not members of that people. Consequently, even associating with members of other groups was barely acceptable... Jesus was thus preparing His disciples for their future mission: to show that the God He preached and the Kingdom of Heaven He proclaimed is the God of every person—the God of all nations", Msgr. Vukšić explained, emphasizing that Christianity is, therefore, not a national religion.

He went on to speak of God's goodness and the principle of giving everyone what is rightfully theirs, adding that "to those who have nothing and those in need, one should give even more than what is strictly theirs—more than what they have objectively earned." "That is the purpose of Christian love. It is a step beyond justice into love and goodness. In this regard, the saints and great figures from our Church's past serve as a special example to us. Therefore, it is a beautiful custom to embed the relics of saints into altars whenever possible during their consecration", Archbishop Tomo explained, adding that the altar of the Kiseljak church would house the relics of saints whose remains were discovered in Roman catacombs.

In conclusion, he urged the faithful to cultivate holiness in their own lives, following the example of the saints, and to let love and goodness guide their thoughts, actions, and everything that unfolds in their lives.

A Significant Jubilee

The rite of consecration of the church and altar followed; before the final blessing, the parish priest, OFM Antun, expressed his gratitude to the Archbishop and to everyone who had contributed in any way to organizing the celebration.

After Holy Mass, the gathering continued in the parish courtyard.

It is also worth noting that the Kiseljak parish spiritually prepared for this consecration and the celebration of its 150^th anniversary with a three-day series of Holy Masses. OFM Mario Knezović—parish priest and guardian of the St. Peter and Paul parish in Mostar—presided over the Holy Masses on the first and second days, while OFM Damir Pavić, Secretary of the Province of Bosna Srebrena, celebrated the vigil Holy Mass. On the day of the main celebration, a Holy Mass was celebrated in the morning—presided over by the Dean of Kreševo, OFM Josip—for all deceased parishioners, priests, and religious sisters, as well as for all victims of war and the post-war period.

The Kiseljak parish was established in 1876 through a separation from the Banbrdo faith community. Initially, Holy Masses in the parish were celebrated in a small chapel, while the first church—designed by Josip Vancaš—was built on a hill only in 1897. That church was demolished in 1984 because it could no longer meet the community's needs; a new church, designed by Antun Karavanić, was completed in 1986. At its inception, the parish had approximately 800 believers; it reached its peak in 1991 with 5 990 parishioners, and today it has around 4 500 parishioners.