Blog Posts

BRANIMIR’S YEAR – AD1979

Published on: by KOFPB
Croatian Bishop Franjo Kuharić at the head of Croatian bishop’s and papal envoy, Cardinal Franjom Šeper in Nin 1979.

In the second half of the 20th century, the Catholic Church in Croatia, implemented a project to commemorate thirteen centuries of Christianity of the Croats.

It consisted of several major celebrations:
1975/76 Croatian Marian or Jelena Year.
1978, at Solin, Zvonimir’s year.
1979, near the Diocese of Knin, in Nin, Branimir’s year.
1984, the National Eucharistic Congress in Marija Bistrica.

1979, marked the year of Branimir. The 1100th anniversary of the exchange of letters between Prince Branimir and Pope John VIII. And the renewal of the alliance of the Croatian people with the Holy See. The papal blessing and recognition had particular weight in the early Middle Ages – the Popes were the greatest international authority with the right to recognize the legality of rulers and authorities in a country. Pope John VIII, sent a letter to the Croatian prince Branimir in 879, during the time of the Nin Bishop Theodosius, announcing that he had served Holy Mass for him and the Croatian people on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord (May 21, 879), at the grave of St Peter and blessed the entire Croatian people and prince Branimir. As the ruler, who renewed the alliance with the Church of Rome, recognizing his princely authority and Croatia as an independent state.
This act signified the ultimate affiliation with the western circle of countries and Latin culture, as opposed to being subjected to Byzantium and the Patriarch of Constantinople. On the eve of the 1979 celebration, a national pilgrimage by Croatian bishops and believers to Rome was organized with the newly elected Pope St. John Paul II. In this way, he blessed the pilgrimage which could not be undertaken, by Blessed Aloysius Stepinac, (1941 due to war) – a great national pilgrimage on the occasion of the 1300th anniversary of the first connections of the Croats with the Roman Church (641-1941).

John Paul II then became the first pope in history – on April 30, 1979 – to celebrate Holy Mass for Croats in the Croatian language. The great public celebration of Branimir’s year was held on September 2, 1979, in the area of Grgur, near Nin, the Croatian royal city and the first political and ecclesiastical centre of Dalmatian Croatia from the time of the Croatian “national rulers” (9th-11th centuries). Holy Mass, was led by Cardinal Franjo Šeper, the Pope’s envoy, in conjunction with all Croatian bishops and hundreds of priests and monks. It was, until then, the largest gathering of Croatian believers, at the time of ungodly communism. At that time, the Church gave a vow to the Croats, which was expressed in the motto: “Croatian Catholic family prays daily and celebrates Mass on Sundays.”
For this occasion, the Croatian Testament Cross was designed and constructed as the main symbol of Branimir’s year. This Cross is a summary of Croatia’s religious history and the faith of Croat Catholics. A campaign was then launched to bring this cross into the homes of every Croatian Catholic family. Today, we are renewing that idea and continuing it.

Translated into English from original article in Croatian at  https://zavjetnikriz.hr/

40 Years Later – A reflection on Branimirs Year 1979

The Story of the Croatian Covenantal Cross

Hrvatska Zavjetna Krunica – Jubilarno ograničeno izdanje za 125. obljetnicu

U duhu svetog sjećanja i nacionalnog ohrabrenja, izrađen je ograničen broj jubilarne „Hrvatske Zavjetne Krunice“ kako bi se proslavila 125. obljetnica posvete 160.000 mladih Hrvata Presvetom Srcu Isusovu 1900. godine. Ova jubilarna krunica ima dvostruku misiju: sjećanje i ohrabrenje.  SJEĆANJE Sjećati se svete prošlosti našeg naroda, našeg saveza s Kristom i Njegovom svetom Katoličkom Crkvom...Continue reading→

Croatian Covenant Rosary – 125th Anniversary Jubilee Limited Edition

In the spirit of sacred remembrance and national encouragement, the “Hrvatska Zavjetna Krunica” (Croatian Covenant Rosary) 125th Anniversary Jubilee Limited Edition has been created to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the consecration of 160 000 young Croatians to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in AD 1900. This Jubilee edition rosary bears a twofold mission: to...Continue reading→

Miles Christi 2020 – “Budi Čovjek” – 2nd National Croatian Men’s Conference

Published on: by KOFPB

The last weekend of February 2020 ushered in the second annual Croatian Men’s Conference – Miles Christi 2020 with the theme “Budi Čovjek”. Building on the foundations set in the inaugural Croatian Catholic Men’s Conference “Man up” of 2019, the event was once again held at the St Benedict XVI Retreat Centre in Gross Vale, NSW. Over 75 Croatian-Australian men gathered together in fellowship and fraternity for this increasingly popular event. With access to the healing sacrament of Reconciliation during the weekend, participants listened to inspiring and gifted speakers, engaged in group workshops, and participated in Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, to help them to face up to the challenges of today’s world and to live out their God-given potential as men.

The inaugural conference was an important event in the Croatian community as it also commemorated the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Mass in Nin, celebrated by the Croatian Bishop, Franjo Kuharić, and attended by the largest gathering of Croatian faithful at that time. During that time, the Church gave a vow to the Croats expressed in a motto: “The Croatian Catholic family prays daily and celebrates Mass on Sundays”. The first group of men who attended the first conference, numbered at over 40, have continued to live this motto.

In preparation for the conference, over 30 men prayed the 54-day Rosary Novena with the intention of drawing the Lord’s blessing upon the Conference and for spiritual renewal amongst Croatian men. They were joined in spirit by religious Sisters from an orphanage in Zagreb and a ‘Braniteljkski’ rosary group in Zagreb, who were also praying for the Lord’s favour on the conference.

The conference MC was Stuart Brady from menAlive, promptly nicknamed ‘Stipe’ by the attendees and thus becoming an honorary Croatian for the weekend. ‘Stipe’ did an excellent job introducing each session, and managed to practise his Croatian at the same time by throwing in a word or two where he could.

Conference highlights included dynamic talks from dignified speakers such as internationally renowned Raymond de Souza and Robert Haddad, as well as our gifted home-grown Croatian speakers, Mijo Ticinović and Jakov Periša. The talks generated a great deal of thought-provoking discussion in the small groups and served as vehicles to ignite the fervour for faith, Church, family and society in the attendees.

Auxiliary Bishop Richard Umbers graced the conference with his presence on Saturday as he spoke about the current culture in society and the challenges the Church faces not only in Australia, but the world. The ‘Budi Čovjek’ conference was also blessed to have the Eucharistic celebration led by Don Marinko Mlakić from Šibenik, together with our newest local Croatian Franciscan friar, Fra Davor Filko.

Feedback from the conference attendees confirmed that they had, indeed, gained a great deal of clarity over the weekend, both in their understanding of the faith and in their relationship with God. One of the men present wrote, “Thanks to all the men for organising such a wonderful retreat. I’m really glad I came and got a lot out of it. I finally bought a journal and started with my takeaways from the weekend. May God bless you for all the work you put into helping the rest of us.” Another revealed, “This was my first time [attending the conference], really felt closer to God and there were quite a few light bulb moments”
Other great testimonies revealed that the conference led to healing and reconnection for some of the men: “That was a great weekend and it helped resolve my personal shame and my shame of the Catholic Church. So great to see all the old faces!”
Others attested to lives being turned around and to prodigal sons returning to the fold of Holy Mother Church. One attendee reported, “I just talked to someone who was at the conference and in a dark place before the conference. On Monday after the weekend he took the day off work, went to confession, went to Mass yesterday and received communion for the first time in a long time. Sounds like a different man today. The crew organising these conferences need to understand the impact they are having.”
Looking back, ‘Budi Čovjek’ was an inspiring event that changed lives for the better and roused men to grow in their relationship with God, their families and the Croatian community. It taught them that making a positive impact on society is being a real man, a man of God. The next conference, to be held in 2021, will only look to improve on this year’s success and blessings. The organisers hope to attract more Croatian Men who are willing to reconnect with God, and with other like-minded men, to fulfil the promise the Croatian nation made in the year of Branimir 879, to devote themselves to Christ and to the Catholic Church. Until next time, Budi Čovjek.

Bog i Hrvati.

Miles Christi 2020 Photos:  https://www.kofpb.org/photo-gallery/

Men’s Conference article Domovina: https://domovina.info/index.php/2020/03/08/mens-conference-2020-u-sydneyu-veliki-izvestaj/

Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled.” (Pet. 1:18-19)   The Precious Blood of Our Lord is the charism of the Knights. According to the...Continue reading→

Hrvatska Zavjetna Krunica – Jubilarno ograničeno izdanje za 125. obljetnicu

U duhu svetog sjećanja i nacionalnog ohrabrenja, izrađen je ograničen broj jubilarne „Hrvatske Zavjetne Krunice“ kako bi se proslavila 125. obljetnica posvete 160.000 mladih Hrvata Presvetom Srcu Isusovu 1900. godine. Ova jubilarna krunica ima dvostruku misiju: sjećanje i ohrabrenje.  SJEĆANJE Sjećati se svete prošlosti našeg naroda, našeg saveza s Kristom i Njegovom svetom Katoličkom Crkvom...Continue reading→

Croatian Covenant Rosary – 125th Anniversary Jubilee Limited Edition

In the spirit of sacred remembrance and national encouragement, the “Hrvatska Zavjetna Krunica” (Croatian Covenant Rosary) 125th Anniversary Jubilee Limited Edition has been created to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the consecration of 160 000 young Croatians to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in AD 1900. This Jubilee edition rosary bears a twofold mission: to...Continue reading→

January 13, 1578 :: Gvozdansko – A Shining Pearl in the Crown of Croatia’s Glorious Military History

Published on: by KOTPB2

Gvozdansko, the fortress of the Croatian Šubić-Zrinski nobility

The Croatian fort Gvozdansko, on the road from Glina to Dvor na Uni, was established by the Zrinski nobles as a defense against the Muslim invasion into Croatia and Europe. After the fall of Dvor na Uni (then Novigrad) in 1556, Gvozdansko found itself under attack by the Turks. Several years prior to that, however, the fortification proved itself to be unconquerable. For that reason, in 1577, the Turkish Army built a bridge over the Una River which allowed them to bring in heavy artillery and troops.

On November 3, 1577, under the command of Ferhat Pasha, over 10,000 Turks surrounded Gvozdansko with heavy artillery. Among them were Turkish mercenaries made up of Orthodox Vlachs who also attacked their Christian brothers. Gvozdansko itself was defended by merely 50 soldiers from the Zrinski group, together with another 250 Croatian miners and peasants, along with women and children.

According to historical records, the winter that year was extremely cold, to the point that the bark on the trees was breaking off.

On January 9, 1578, Ferhat Pasha offered Gvozdansko’s defenders one last chance to surrender. The Croatian defenders, who were completely devoid of food, reason being that even the remaining pack of dogs they were forced to eat for survival were now being poisoned and killed by the Turks, rejected the call with the words: “It is better to die for freedom and the Cross than to surrender!”

Soon after that, Pasha attacked Gvozdansko with three great assaults, but each assault was repelled by the Croatian defenders.

Shattering report of the resistance and death of the Croatian soldiers in Gvozdansko

The records state that on “that night of January 12th to 13th, 1578, Ferhat Pasha ordered his guard to collect more firewood and stoke a greater fire as he could not sleep because of the bitter cold. The air temperature dropped to such an extent that even the horses, who were out in the open, started dying from the cold. The sound of trees breaking under freezing conditions was heard throughout the whole night. In the fortress, however, everything was silent and the last fires were extinguished, which terribly disturbed the Turkish watchmen who immediately informed their commander. Pasha was not keen to begin the assault. Instead, he raised the alert and prepared his army for defense. The Turkish and Vlachian soldiers, nervous and fearful, spent the whole night monitoring the fortress.”

On January 13, the Turks undertook another assault, but this time they met no response from Gvozdansko. The Turkish soldiers entered the fort to discover a confronting scene: in the completely ruined fortress, with no food nor ammunition, were the frozen remains of the Croat defenders of Gvozdansko, icily preserved in their fighting positions.

The scene of the frozen Croatian defenders, together with the heroism they displayed, so shook and impressed the Turkish commander, that he ordered a Catholic priest be brought in to bury the Croatian soldiers with a Christian burial, coupled with military honours. In addition to being captivated by the Croat heroes, the few remaining Croatian inhabitants of the entire region were relieved of the heavy taxes and tolls that other Turkish-occupied lands were burdened with.

In the numerous battles for freedom throughout the history of the Croatian people, Gvozdansko shines among the brightest stars in the sky.

Superb military skills, resistance down to the last man, and a conscious sacrifice for the homeland have made Gvozdansko a symbol of Croatia’s desire for freedom and its resistance to foreign invaders. The defense of Gvozdansko is to Croatian history what the Masada is to Jewish history, or the Alamo to American history. It is for this reason that every Croat must become familiar with this unique event in his history.

During World War II, precisely on Christmas Day in 1941, Tito’s partisans killed 55 Croatian Catholics who were returning home from Mass, including 13 members of the one Grabarevic family. In the Homeland War, Chetniks killed 3 Croat civilians in Gvozdansko and burned down the Catholic Church. Following its glorious and bloody history, there remain only a few older Croats living in Gvozdansko today.

For some more information on The Fall of Gvozdansko  

Hrvatska Zavjetna Krunica – Jubilarno ograničeno izdanje za 125. obljetnicu

U duhu svetog sjećanja i nacionalnog ohrabrenja, izrađen je ograničen broj jubilarne „Hrvatske Zavjetne Krunice“ kako bi se proslavila 125. obljetnica posvete 160.000 mladih Hrvata Presvetom Srcu Isusovu 1900. godine. Ova jubilarna krunica ima dvostruku misiju: sjećanje i ohrabrenje.  SJEĆANJE Sjećati se svete prošlosti našeg naroda, našeg saveza s Kristom i Njegovom svetom Katoličkom Crkvom...Continue reading→

Croatian Covenant Rosary – 125th Anniversary Jubilee Limited Edition

In the spirit of sacred remembrance and national encouragement, the “Hrvatska Zavjetna Krunica” (Croatian Covenant Rosary) 125th Anniversary Jubilee Limited Edition has been created to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the consecration of 160 000 young Croatians to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in AD 1900. This Jubilee edition rosary bears a twofold mission: to...Continue reading→

Do Not Fear, Little Flock

Message 580 – “Do Not Fear, Little Flock” From the blue book “Marian Movement of Priests”, Zagreb (Croatia), September 20, 1996. Italian priest, Fr. Stefano Gobbi (1930. – 2011.) Our Croatian people have endured significant suffering throughout the centuries, particularly in the face of aggression from the Ottoman Turks, satanic forces, and the communist regime...Continue reading→