The Austrian Croatians met with the head of the Dubrovnik branch office of the Croatian Heritage Foundation Maja Mozara, the former director of the Linđo folklore ensemble Dubravka Sarić and with the president of the Croatian-Austrian Society of Dubrovnik Branko Martinović Vuković
A group of one hundred twenty Croatians from the state of Upper Austria, from the cities of Linz and Wels, met with the bishop of Dubrovnik Mato Uzinić at the diocesan ordinariate in Dubrovnik on the 15th of May during a two-day visit to the Croatian coastal city. Don Marinko Šljivić, a priest of the Dubrovnian diocese, had been in Linz previously and the visiting Croatians thanked the bishop for sending him and invited the bishop to visit them. They exchanged gifts and made several photos to commemorate the occasion.
The day before, on the Feast of the Ascension, the church members from Austria took part in a mass at the cathedral in Dubrovnik led by bishop Uzinić. The trip is organised by the Croatian House association of Linz, with Miroslav Jakić and Siniša Ćavar serving as trip leaders. Most of the visiting Croatians now living in Upper Austria originally come from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Through their association they work to preserve their culture, language and customs and to pass them on to their children. They nurture folklore in particular and have a tamburitza section. There is a Croatian language supplementary school for the children which includes a choir and music section.
The Austrian Croatians also toured the cultural and historical points of interest in Dubrovnik. They met with the head of the Dubrovnik branch office of the Croatian Heritage Foundation Maja Mozara, the former director of the Linđo folklore ensemble Dubravka Sarić and with the president of the Croatian-Austrian Society of Dubrovnik Branko Martinović Vuković.
The Austrian Croatians will visit Međugorje on the 16th of May. It was agreed that their folklore ensemble, performing Croatian and Austrian dances, would perform next year in front of the church of St Blasius in Dubrovnik.
(IKA)