At the beginning, the present believers, especially the pilgrims from Neum, were welcomed by the rector of the cathedral, Msgr. Ante Meštrović. “In the fall of 2019., it will be 100 years since Pope Benedict XV. published the apostolic letter Maximumillud, known as the magna charta of contemporary missionary endeavours and the beginning of the new era of evangelization. At the session of BK BiH 2018. in Banja Luka, the Bishop decided to invite believers, priests, monks and nuns to join, especially with prayer and good deeds, to these efforts of the Church, which is missionary in nature, to strengthen the missionary mission in the life and pastoral of all our communities”, he said, and emphasized that for years the capitol of Vrhbosna organized Lent Friday Mass celebrations and sermons in the Sarajevo Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Theme of sermon of Msgr. Tunjić was the Missionary Mission of the Church. “The missionary mission of the Church is a complex matter and can only be understood in the faithful relationship with God's trinity. The founder of the missions is the heavenly Father who sends his Son in the Holy Spirit. Jesus' mission is to make all people children of God, bring them to the heavenly Father to be saved. The Jesus' order to Apostles is to go all over the world and make disciples in all nations, is the permanent mandate of the Church. In the very nature of the Church is its missionary activity”, said, among other things, in the sermon the National Director of the Papal Missionary Work of BiH.

After the communion prayer the priests went to the tomb of the servant of God, Josip Stadler, praying for him to be proclaimed blessed.  

KT