In Padua to join the numerous ethnic Croatian community living in Italy and pilgrims from the homeland and from other diaspora communities were our ambassadors in Rome and the Vatican, our general consul in Trieste, and our consuls and the representatives of Croatian associations in Italy.
The local ethnic Croatian community in neighbouring Italy’s Veneto region and the Dubrovnik branch office of the Croatian Heritage Foundation headed by Maja Mozara staged the 13th Meeting of Croatians in Italy and the celebration of St Leopold Bogdan Mandić Day in Padua at the shrine dedicated to this saint on the 4th and 5th of May.
The two-day programme kicked off on Saturday with a concert featuring Glazba Ston with conductor Dražen Laskač and the Klapa Stina a cappella ensemble out of Ploče. Sunday opened with a Roman Catholic mass celebrated by Josip Barišić, the parish priest at the Sveti Nikola parish in Čilipi. The mass was concelebrated with Friar Nikola Rožanković and saw a performance by the Klapa Stina ensemble.
On hand for the meeting in Padua to join the numerous ethnic Croatian community living in Italy and pilgrims from the Croatian homeland and from other diaspora communities were the Croatian ambassadors in Rome and the Vatican, our general consul in Trieste, and our consuls and representatives of Croatian associations in the Italian Republic.
Also on hand was Vedran Antunica, the mayor of the Municipality of Ston on Croatia’s southern seaboard, and Fani Slade, the director of the Tourism Board of Ston. The musicians from Ston and Ploče performed before a packed church at the St Leopold shrine to the delight of everyone on hand.
Glazba Ston is a recipient of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Award for contributions to the good standing and promotion of the county and is celebrating its ninetieth anniversary this year.
This year’s gathering once again reaffirmed the traditional unity of homeland and diaspora Croatians.
See more at: urednik.dubrovacki.hr