Croatian pilgrims celebrate chapel consecration in the Holy Land to conflict!

Croatian pilgrims celebrate chapel consecration in the Holy Land to conflict!

Beit Sahur, Palästina - A significant pilgrimage has started: 260 Croatians visited the Holy Land to attend the inauguration of the new Croatian chapel of the Blessed and Martyrs on the shepherd fields near Bethlehem. These celebrations take place on March 1st and mark the return of the first larger groups of visitors from Europe after the ceasefire, as the Croatian news agency IKA reports. These pilgrimage, which also includes believers from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatian diaspora, bears a significant religious meaning and is intended to help improve the existential situation of Christians in the Holy Land, whose livelihood depends heavily on the visit of the pilgrims.

The journey that started in Nazareth contains important stations such as the mountain Tabor and the baptism center of Christ on the Jordan. A very special highlight will be the handover of a mosaic in the garden Gethsemane to the local church. This mosaic is reminiscent of the Brankovic brothers, who bought the garden in 1691 and handed over to the Franciscans. Franciscan saint Nikola Tavelic is dedicated to the new building, which with an area of 300 square meters has space for 250 people and was built with materials from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The chapel was completed last year, while the state of war in the Gaza area prevented major celebrations.

historical importance of the shepherd fields

The shepherd fields of Beit Sahur are the biblical place where the shepherds received the news of the birth of Jesus. The construction of the Croatian chapel is part of an international project that should not only revitalize the chapel, but also the Franciscan monastery on site. This project receives support from different countries, including Italy, Poland and Canada.

For all those who would like to further find out more about historical pilgrimage paths and sacred architecture, the platform The-camino-History.com A valuable resource. It offers detailed information about pilgrimage sites and their cultural importance. So the pilgrimage not only becomes a spiritual experience, but also a journey of discovery through the rich history and art of Europe.