Croatian pilgrimages gather believers at Bistrica shrine and Križevci waypoint

On 27 June 2026, pilgrims from the Karlovački deanery, led by dean Monsignor Antun Sente, arrived at the Croatian National Shrine of Our Lady of Bistrica in Marija Bistrica. The ceremony included a Way of the Cross, a solemn Mass, and a homily that referenced historic Croatian clerics and the Marian devotion of the nation.

The following day, 28 June 2026, the town of Križevci hosted a stop of the "Marian Vow for the Homeland" pilgrimage. About 14 hours into the route, pilgrims bearing the relic of Blessed Ivan Merz reached the monument "Pride of the Veterans in the Sign of the Cross" at the local barracks. They were welcomed by representatives of veteran associations and deputy mayor Ivica Švagelj, who honored fallen and missing Croatian veterans. The pilgrimage, which began on 13 June in Osijek and will conclude on 26 August in Dubrovnik, links faith with remembrance of those who defended the Republic of Croatia.