Written by: Lidija Pavlović-Grgić
Translation: Ksenija Ninić

This event, organized by the national administrations of the PMD of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, gathered under guidance of the PMD National Directors, rev. Antun Štefan (Croatia) and Msgr. Luka Tunjić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), with the presence of the bishopric directors and associates of PMD offices in Croatia and BiH, missionaries from all over the world: rev. Ante Batarelo (Tanzania), rev. Boris Dabo (Zambia), Msgr. Drago Balvanović (Peru), OFM Ivica Vrbić (Bolivia), rev. Nikola Sarić (Tanzania), rev. Danko Litrić (Rwanda), p. Tomislav Mesić (Tanzania), sister Erika Dadić (DR Congo), sister Agnezija Bilić (Rwanda), sister Marta Jelić (Madagascar), sister Marta Nikolić (Solomon Islands), sister Roza Raič (Solomon Islands), sister Bogdana Markić (Uganda), sister Zlata Vrbić (Chile), sister Bernardina Galić (Russia), sister Marica Jelić (Madagascar), p. Ante Jerončić (Antigua and Barbuda), Gabrijel Jukić (Tanzania) and sister Adriana Galić (future missionary in DR Congo).

Drops of kindness

The participants of the meeting were accommodated in the Catholic primary School of Šibenik, from where they went to different locations of the program during the meeting.
On the first day, missionaries witnessed their missionary work by visiting the parishes of Knin, Vodice, Primošten, Rogoznica, Njivice, Drniš and Gospa van Grada in Šibenik.
"Gathered this year at the meeting of missionaries in Šibenik, we came to you, dear believers, thanked you for the love of the carriers of the Joyful News, for our missionaries. Jesus has given us his life and always has it for others as well. And who will bring Jesus' life to others than our missionaries. They are our extended hand to the poor around the world. Let’s help them with our prayers and sacrifices. Our missionaries give a glass of water to the poor of the world. Let there be our drops of kindness in it", said rev. Štefan.
On the second day, on the name day of St. Thomas the apostle, in Šibenik's Cathedral, was celebrated a holly mass guided by the Bishop of Hvar-Brač-Vis and the President of the Council of Croatian Bishop’s Conference for Missions Msgr. Slobodan Štabuk concelebrating with the bishop of Šibenik, Msgr. Tomislav Rogić, bishop in peace, Msgr. Anto Ivas, the national and archdiocese director of PMD in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and domestic priests.
Bishop Rogić greeted the gathered expressing particular joy in the presence of missionaries and that the diocese of Šibenik hosts their meeting this year. He said that he hoped that this event would contribute to the growth of missionary awareness in Croatia and BiH, and in the preaching, he referred to the biblical reading of St. Thomas that said that encountering God, man can not find life's meaning and accept life with everything he carries, and he also looked back at the missionary spirit of the Church, which should engage every believer.
Near the end of the worship rev. Tomislav Puljić, PMD director for the Šibenik diocese, presented the present missionaries, which the believers welcomed with applause of enthusiasm, and then they were praised. Rev. Štefan reminded that without the missionaries the Church can not go forward.

Decades of Commitment Work

The working part of the meeting was held on 4th July in Šibenik parish of Our Lady of Vrpolje, where the parishioners and parish priest rev. Ante Omazić welcomed the participants. It was led by bishop Rogić, bishop Štambuk and PMD’s national directors. At the beginning, about the importance of the missions was spoken by rev. Štefan, and PMD’s worker from Zagreb, Ines Sosa Meštrović, reminded of the previous meetings of missionaries.
Then the missionaries presented themselves and talked about spiritual and material facts and the needs of their missions, as well as about the challenges they encounter daily in serving God in the far world.
"To all our missionaries, I want to express my admiration, for the courage to go to the mission, and for everything that is an integral part of your missionary life. When you were thinking of going to the missions, I believe it was clear to you that honey and milk were not waiting for you, but poverty, misery, suffering, cross at every turn ... ", said Msgr. Luka Tunjić emphasizing that thanks to the missionaries, with God's help and their daily will and personal sacrifice, the number of Catholics is growing daily.
Bishop Štambuk praised the commitment for the PMD missions in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and the cooperation of the two institutions, as well as the hospitality of the host mons. Rogić.
In the afternoon of July 4th, the witnessing of the missionaries took place in the parishes of Baldekin, Brodarica, Vidici, Srima, Mandalina and Vrpolje and in the monastery of Sv. Francis.

At Prvić and Murter

On July 5th, the missionaries traveled to the islands of Prvić and Murter. At Prvić they visited the Faust Vrančić Museum, where they were acquainted with the life and work of Faust Vrančić (1551 - 1617) under the guidance of the director Ivana Skočić. Then they were accompanied by the parish priest of Prvić Luka, rev. Boško Škember, and visited the birthplace of the servants of God Ante Antić (April 16, 1893, Prvić - March 4, 1965, Zagreb) and the church where he was baptized. Then, on the island of Murter, thanks to the parish priest rev. Lazar Čibrić met the parish of Tisno and in it the diocese's marian shrine of Our Lady of Karavaj, and then the pilgrimage ended in the parish of St. Mihovil in Murter where Mass was led by Msgr. Štambuk in concelebration with the bishop in peace, Msgr. Anto Ivas, parish priest rev. Ivan Katić, missionaries and directors of PMD.

The parish priest expressed satisfaction for the arrival of the missionaries, and in his preaching Msgr. Štambuk, brought closer the missionary action in the world affected by poverty and other disadvantages.

He reminded of the name day of Cyril and Methodius, linking them with the activities of timely missionaries, some of whom have given their testimonies to the enthusiasm of a large number of believers.

The meeting ended on July 6th with a Mass Celebration in the chapel of the Catholic School in Šibenik from where the participants went spiritually empowered and enriched with the program contents.