Zvonimir Milas, the head of the Croatian Government’s State Office for Croats Abroad was on hand for the event in Padua, joined by Croatian Ambassador to Italy Damir Grubiša, the ambassador’s envoy to the Holy See Hrvoje Franušić and Croatian Heritage Foundation director Marin Knezović.
Vinko Rožić’s book Providnosti ususret (Meeting Providence) was presented in Padua on the 15th of May in the frame of the 10th jubilee Meeting of the Croatian Community of Italy. The event was organised by the Croatian Community of the Veneto region, the Dubrovnik branch office of the Croatian Heritage Foundation and the Pula-based Krasna Zemljo club of Croatian returnees from abroad. The book presentation was held on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Croatian Capuchin Saint Leopold Bogdan Mandić, one of the two patron saints of the Year of Mercy.
As was noted at the opening of the book presentation by the head of the Dubrovnik branch office of the CHF Maja Mozara, this is the first book to be printed by the Family Counselling Centre of the Diocese of Dubrovnik in the frame of their Prevention of Behavioural Disorders in Children and Youth programme.
Zvonimir Milas, the head of the Croatian Government’s State Office for Croats Abroad was on hand for the event in Padua in the capacity of special envoy of the President of the Republic of Croatia. Also on hand were Croatian Ambassador to Italy Damir Grubiša, the ambassador’s envoy to the Holy See Hrvoje Franušić and Croatian Heritage Foundation director Marin Knezović. The hosts from the Croatian Community of Veneto were joined by the leaders of associations gathering Croatians in other parts of Italy, Croatian emigrants living in Italy and many pilgrims.
The Meeting also saw a lecture given by friar Jakov Rafaela Romić from the monastery of the Order of the Franciscan Friars Minor in Dubrovnik. On the Pentecost friar Rafael led a holy Catholic mass with Conventual Franciscan friar Nikola Rožanković, a Croatian pastoral worker in Padua.
Books signed by author Vinko Rožić and two paintings by academy educated painter Ivana Jovanović Troostmann Dubrovnik were presented as gifts to the rector of the Shrine of Saint Leopold Mandić friar Flaviano Giovanni Gusella and to Dr Nela Sršen, a physician and the Croatian honorary consul in Italy.
A concert was staged for the event featuring the vocal ensemble of the Music Academy of Juraj Dobrila University in Pula, conducted by mezzo-soprano Sofija Cingula. The event also saw the premiere performance of a song by singer-songwriter friar Šimun Šito Ćorić dedicated to St Leopold Bogdan Mandić.
See the photo gallery at: dubrovacki.hr
