Due to its remarkable beauty, as well as spiritual and historical importance, the cathedral has been attracting people from all over the world for centuries, especially during the tourist season. One of the most famous of its visitors was Pope John Paul II, who visited BiH back in 1997. The Pope gave great importance to Sarajevo, but also to BiH, so it is not odd that his monument is placed just in front of the “Sacred Heart”.
“The cathedral is a church that is always in function, because masses are served every day, especially on Sundays,” said Mestrovic, adding that people are very eager to come even during Christmas, Easter and other holidays.
This church attracts a large number of tourists from the East and the Middle East, and there are frequent visitors from Turkey, South Korea, Japan, as well as a large number of people from the region.
Mestrovic also noted that they have masses served in the English language, mostly for diplomats who are residing in Sarajevo.
“Sarajevo is very interesting from several angles. The Cathedral talks about the Catholic presence here in Sarajevo. Her style, the new Gothic, especially from the outside of the Cathedral, i.e. the stone, as Vancas wanted, gives a special harmony. In the end, the Cathedral is a witness of an era, the one at the end of the 19thcentury. The Cathedral testifies about culture, a general understanding of art and culture of that era,” said Mestrovic, who has been the rector of the Cathedral since 2009.
He said that the main difference between the Cathedral in Sarajevo and the one in Mostar is that it was constructed in a different style and it is a witness of another time, but it also talks about the culture, time and people of the place where it is located.
The highest merit for the construction of the Cathedral of “Sacred Heart” in Sarajevo belongs to Archbishop Josip Stadler and architect Josip Vancas.
The cathedral was completed back in September 1889, and it has been renovated several times after that.
