The solemn Holy Mass celebration was led by the Archbishop of Vrhbosna in peace cardinal Vinko Puljić, in the company of about 20 priests, among whom was the national director of the Papal Missions of BiH (PMD), Msgr. Luka Tunjić, Charge d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in BiH Msgr. Amaury Medina Blanco, Provincial of the Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena, OFM Jozo Marinčić, Vicar General of the Diocese of Sisak, Msgr. Marko Cvitkušić...

Also, numerous nuns from several congregations were present at the Holy Mass, and the most numerous were members of the Society of the Daughters of God's Love led by the Provincial Superior sister Gordana Igrec and the National Director of the Croatian PMD, sister Ivana Margarin. Some of the diocesan directors of the PMD from BiH and the Republic of Croatia, as well as numerous believers and representatives of social and political life, also gathered.

It is important to be a permanent disciple of Jesus

Greetings were initially sent by Msgr. Tunjić by saying that the Eucharist is by its nature a thanksgiving to the risen Lord for his constant presence in His word and in the occasion of bread and wine. „I invite you to add to this Holy Mass our thanksgiving for all the deceased and the living who in any way during these 50 years helped shape and publish our celebrant, the missionary newspaper Radosna vijest“, he said, among other things.

Introducing the celebration of the Holy Mass and building on those words, the Cardinal, with the original intention of this Mass, also called for a prayer for peace for the wounded Ukraine.

After the biblical readings and the proclaimed Gospel, the Archbishop in Peace in his sermon first reminded how Jesus gathered the disciples around him and taught them, but not only the disciples, but also the people. „In order for Jesus to continue this work, he wants his disciples to take on the role of proclaiming the Annunciation. That's why he sent them at the ascension - go all over the world. This is actually the mission of the Church - from the very beginning the goal is to bring Jesus to people, and in order to do that, it is important to be a permanent disciple of Jesus (…) In a special way the Church feels that the essence of its mission is missionary. And we are all invited and sent“, the cardinal emphasized.

He then referred to the very message of the Radosna vijest. „Let us follow Christ, let us adopt his gospel, and that gospel must be witnessed to. This was in a special way the desire of the Good News - to connect the Church in Croatia with people who proclaim - to others who do not know Christ - the Gospel. Bind them to feel - they are not left alone in the whole world where they came from, but behind them are people who pray, support them and are brave. And so, in the Good News, we had a little opportunity to follow the events in the missions“, said the Archbishop in Peace and shared some personal memories of Radosna vijest and its publishing.

The celebration of the Holy Mass was animated by harmonious singing by theologians of the Archdiocesan Missionary International Seminary Redemptoris Mater in Vogošća, who themselves come from various parts of the world.

The Holy Mass was followed by a ceremonial academy in the auditorium of KŠC.

A message of Christian hope and optimism

The speech was first given by the National Director of the PMD BiH, Msgr. Tunjić, who after the greetings, said that Radosna vijest was initiated and operated in the lead communist, and then in the war and post-war period, which gained more respect and gained even greater value. „Anniversaries have more eyes because they look back, but their eyes are always on the future (…) The mission newspapers Radosna vijest prepared and prepares people for new life, life in Jesus Christ in Holy Spirit and resurrection and the salvation of souls. This paper has been and will remain a message of Christian hope and optimism radiating from every article no matter who writes it. For 50 years, it has been a prophetic voice that raises the often dormant spirit and makes the true face of the Church as Jesus Christ himself wanted“, said, among other things, the director of the PMD BiH.

This was followed by the song O, Jesus, Jesus by Lajos Bardos, performed by the Magnificat octet under the direction of OFM Emanuel Josić, Professor at Franciscan Theology.

„Pioneers“ of Radosna vijest

Sister Sniježna Stjepandić, a nun of the Society of the Daughters of God's Love and one of the two sisters who in 1972 began to help in the editorial board of Radosna vijest, gave her presentation. During her religious service, she was twice the Provincial Superior of the Province of Divine Providence, and during these periods she continued to encourage the work of the sisters at the then Mission Headquarters, opened a mission station in Albania in 1992 and sent the first sisters to Uganda in 1998.

Afterwards, those gathered sang songs Tamo gdje palme cvatu and Kriste u tvoje ime (Where Palm Trees Bloom and Christ, in Your Name), recorded and sent by members of the choir of the Tatale Mission Station in Ghana, where the Salesian rev. Ivan Stojanović works.

Msgr. Marko Cvitkušić, Vicar General of the Sisak Diocese, who as a theologian in Sarajevo began cooperating with the editorial board with the first issues of Radosna vijest, addressed the present. He has collaborated with the missionary monthly in various ways for 28 years, and today he regularly reads it and monitors the activities of Church missionaries in Croatia. In his presentation, he spoke about the appearance and concept of the newspaper Radosna vijest and the conditions of its operation.

Gratitude

There was a special joy among those gathered because a missionary was also present. Sister Zlata Vrbić, a native of Zavidovići, a member of the Society of the Daughters of Mercy of St. Francis, heard her mission call 50 years ago, and her mission work was done in South America, and full of impressions and memories she returned to our region.

After her address, for 49 years and nine months of missionary life, a symbolic gift - a bouquet of flowers on behalf of the National Administration of PMD BiH was presented to her by cardinal Vinko.

Then young guests from the very missionary active parish of St. Michael in Drinovci Andrea and Filip Pandžić came to the stage who presented him with an artistic painting, the work of an unknown artist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as a thank you for cooperation and assistance to Radosna vijest and missions, which he showed for 31 years as Archbishop of Vrhbosna.

He also gave a commemorative speech.

Along with that came several congratulations and apologies from those who wanted to be at the celebration but were prevented. Among others, the Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Msgr. Tomo Vukšić, who was in Florence at the meeting of the Bishops of the Mediterranean, as well as the former national director of the Papal Missions of BiH, and today the Bishop of Kotor, Msgr. Ivan Štironja who is in Canada.

The gathering, which was a kind of window into the world of missions, concluded with the song Tebje poem by Dmitri Bortnianski, which was also performed by the Magnificat, and the gathering continued with a reception in the dining room of the boarding school.