Today, Široki Brijeg will turn into a living sanctuary and a place of international celebration – the Great Assumption, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is also the City Day, is celebrated.
The novena in honor of the Assumption began on August 6 and every day, from 6 p.m., they lead a prayer program and confession, while at 7 p.m. there are votive prayers and a Eucharistic celebration led by bishops from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The culmination of the entire celebration period will be tomorrow.
The observatory, held on Thursday, August 14, was the central event – a solemn procession with the statue of the “Shirokobriješka Gospa” left at 5 p.m. from the chapel of the Annunciation of the Lord to the shrine on Brig.
On the feast of the Assumption itself, many believers – from the early hours of the morning – gather in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This year, the central Eucharistic celebration will be led by Cardinal Vinko Puljić, archbishop in peace.
Široki Brijeg also celebrates its City Day on this date – in a festive atmosphere that is intended for all citizens.
During the previous days, a number of events were organized, including: laying of wreaths on Širokibriješka žrtiva Square, a formal session of the City Council, “An Evening of Folklore and Cultural Heritage” entitled “Brijeg Široki slavno je ime”, and the international fair of folk heritage “Kolo na kamenu” in Park Sajmište.
The highlight of the cultural celebration is the concert held on the Festival square in Širokobriješka veterans’ park. The residents of Široki Brijeg and their guests can expect a rich program, with performances by Antonija Čerkez, a popular young musician from Široki Brijeg, and Slavonia Band, a renowned Croatian group known for performing tambourine and pop music.
The program of the celebration will include numerous other contents as well as a diverse gastronomic offer of local specialties.
Along with Široki Brijeg, the Great Assumption is also celebrated in Posušje, where that day is celebrated as the municipality’s day.
Velika Gospa, or the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is also a national holiday in Croatia, which is celebrated on August 15, when believers throughout Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina make pilgrimages to Marian shrines.
On this day, the Catholic faithful remember the dogma of their faith: that the Blessed Virgin Mary, soul and body, after the end of her earthly life, was taken up to the glory of heaven in the company of her resurrected son Jesus Christ. This, as Catholics believe, is the end of her life dedicated to God, the peak and goal towards which every human existence is directed.
Believers first recognize Our Lady as a humble servant who accepted God’s challenge and aligned her life with God’s word: “Here is the Lord’s servant, may it be done to me according to your word!” According to Catholic theology, Christ’s mother Mary was taken up body and soul to heaven. On November 1, 1950, the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII. The official proclamation was preceded by a long tradition of celebration, as old as Christianity itself.
