The program started as early as 9:00 a.m. when there was an opportunity for holy confession. Then followed the blessing of the pilgrims, and then the procession with the miraculous image of Our Lady of Olovo with the prayer of the rosary.

At 11:00 a.m., the Archbishop of Vrhbosna began the Holy Mass celebration, in concelebration with the Provincial of the Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena, OFM Zdravko Dadić, the custodian of the shrine in Olovo, OFM Ilija Božić and about 40 other priests

Numerous pilgrims from various parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as from abroad, took part in the Holy Mass celebration.

Don't forget spiritual vocations!

At the beginning, the host OFM Ilija greeted those gathered in the sanctuary, as well as those who listened to the broadcast of the Holy Mass, and watched the live video, through the Croatian Radio Bobovac Vareš, by listing all the priests by name and thanking everyone for coming.

After that, Provincial Dadić gave a short speech, who, in addition to everything, especially greeted the seminarians, postulants and theologians, stressing that it is important to pray for spiritual vocations at the opening of the May devotion. "Blessed Virgin Mary is the mother of all priests and I always use that opportunity to talk about how important it is for this nation and to always be encouraged. It seems to me that this year there are even more of you in Olovo than usual, this shows that we still have life in us, and the best way to witness the Christian life is if we are able to separate a child for the priestly and religious vocation", said OFM Zdravko.

Introducing the Holy Mass celebration, Msgr. Vukšić called for this Holy Mass to be a prayer of gratitude to the Lord because he gave the Saviour of the world through the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A humble link

After the scriptural readings and the proclaimed gospel, Archbishop Tomo gave an appropriate sermon.

He first noted that in the life, piety, theology and faith of the Church, Our Lady is called the Mother of God precisely because she is the mother of the Lord. "As today's generation of Jesus' disciples who, in addition to everything else that we are and what is expected of us because of our dignity and mission, continuing the uninterrupted series of generations of Christians who profess faith in Mary's motherhood, we are also proof that throughout history without interruption fulfils Our Lady's prophecy that, precisely because God chose her to be the mother of the Lord, all generations will call her blessed because the Lord looked at the insignificance of His servant. We are also a humble link with future generations who will continue to profess the same faith where we stop (...) The mother of our Lord Jesus Christ was not only a 'vow chest' in which God had a proper abode, but she also brought and gave to the world and the human race the Savior. And following her example, all disciples of Jesus are called to be the spiritual 'chest of the Lord'", said Msgr. Vukšić.

The celebration of the Holy Mass was animated by harmonious singing by the theologians of Franciscan theology, led by OFM Emanuel Josić, who also assisted at the altar.

At the end, OFM Ilija spoke once more, expressing his joy at the large number of pilgrims, which, he said, was a surprise even for him, who has been there for 12 years. He also thanked everyone involved in this celebration in the Olovo sanctuary. He also mentioned the work on the restoration of the church, which should be completed this year.

Traditionally, after the Holy Mass, members of the BiH Ministry of Defense prepared lunch for all those gathered.

Let us remind you that the Our Lady's shrine in Olovo is considered the oldest in the Balkans since there are traces of the original Franciscan monastery with a church there as early as the 14^th century, and it is on the list of monasteries of OFM Bartolo Pizanski from 1385/'90.