United in prayer for the homeland of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and all the people who live in it, hundreds of believers made a pilgrimage to the royal town of Bobovac, remembering the famous Bosnian queen Katarina Kosaca. This tradition, which promotes peace and togetherness, was started by Cardinal Vinko Puljic 23 years ago.
The prayer for peace, well-being and preservation of the homeland gathered many believers again this year at the remains of the royal city of Bobovac, remembering the glorious past of BiH.
Traditionally, the pilgrimage to Bobovac gathered members of the Armed Forces of BiH (AFBiH), police and security agencies, the Ministry of Defense, as well as state officials from among the Croatian people.
“This is a beautiful tradition, an organization of the Archdiocese of Vrhobosnia and the Ministry of Defense, where we pray to BiH for peace, coexistence and a much better life,” says Slaven Galic, Deputy Minister of Defense of BiH.
“At this place, the altar of the homeland of BiH, let us all come to show how we have given to our homeland, how we should pray for peace, of course we should also work, we should contribute with public speech, but also with institutions, to preserve peace, to preserve the well-being of constitutive people and all people who experience BiH as their homeland”, says Marinko Cavara, a representative in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly (PABiH).
The mass celebration in Bobovac was led by the Archbishop of Vrhbosnia, Monsignor Tomo Vuksic, who emphasized the importance of preserving just peace.
“We hope that forever, on behalf of all of us, peace on these sides will last forever, because any form of peace, especially if a just peace can be preserved, is a huge blessing from God,” said the archbishop of Vrhbosna.
The prayer trip to Bobovac was started by Cardinal Vinko Puljicin 2002, in commemoration of the death of Queen Katarina Kosaca. This year also marks the 600th anniversary of her birth, and the goal of the pilgrimage remains unification in prayer for the people and the homeland, BHRT writes.
E.Dz.
