Saints Louis and Zélie Martin in the heart of the Balkans
After Ukraine and Poland (Crakow province), Saints Louis and Zélie, thanks to their traveling reliquary, went on a mission last May to Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia. This month was marked by powerful moments and numerous graces that resonate within us.
With Father Ivan Nikolic, parish priest of Saint John the Baptist Church in Rijeka, we can say that this pilgrimage was " an opportunity to pray for families, married couples, children and young people, those being confirmed, spiritual vocations, but also for the renewal of personal faith and trust in Divine Providence. »
Accompanied by the Carmelites of Remete, she made several important stops on her journey from Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, both at the beginning and end of the trip. Of particular note was her visit to Rijeka, the major Adriatic port, where the archbishop spoke eloquently about the holiness of the Martin couple.
In Herzegovina, at the Carmelite monastery of Saint Ilija (Elijah) on the shores of Lake Busko, a beautiful cultural and interreligious project is underway, including a folk art museum, to foster closer ties between Croats, Bosnians, and Serbs, as well as between Catholics, Muslims, and Orthodox Christians—rapprochements that remain difficult in these Balkan regions given the lingering wounds of war. The Croatian Carmelite friar Ante Slavic recounted the many graces he had witnessed.
