Hodočašće nastavnika i djelatnika Hrvatskog katoličkog sveučilišta u Senj i Krasno

For many years, the Catholic University of Croatia has organized a pilgrimage for its employees as a spiritual introduction to the new academic year. This year’s pilgrimage took place on September 18 and 19, when faculty and staff travelled to Senj and the Shrine of Our Lady of Krasno.

The choice of Senj and Krasno brought together the spiritual and cultural dimensions of the pilgrimage. Senj, a city with a long ecclesiastical and national history, preserves a rich religious heritage and the memory of the Uskoks of Senj, while Krasno has been a place of Marian devotion for centuries. The two-day pilgrimage gave employees an opportunity to meet and spend time together outside their everyday work responsibilities ahead of the new academic year.

The participants departed from Zagreb in the early morning of Friday, September 18. Upon arrival in Senj, they were welcomed by their host, Msgr. Richard Pavlić, Co-Cathedral Parish Priest in Senj and Vicar General of the Diocese of Gospić-Senj, who is also an Associate Professor at the University Department of Theology and the Faculty of Technical Sciences of the Catholic University of Croatia.

After a short refreshment break, the group began a tour of the city. Their first stop was the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the centuries-old spiritual centre of Senj. The participants then visited the crypt, known as the Senj catacombs, and the Sacred Heritage Collection, where they learned about the city’s rich ecclesiastical history and the heritage created and preserved by generations of the faithful in Senj. The tour continued with a visit to Nehaj Fortress, built in 1558 under the leadership of Senj captain Ivan Lenković. Overlooking the city, the fortress remains one of Senj’s most recognizable landmarks and a witness to the era of the Uskoks of Senj. Its walls offer views of the city, the sea, the islands, and the slopes of Velebit, allowing participants to experience the story of Senj’s past within the landscape in which it unfolded.

Following a group lunch at the fortress, the participants had a free afternoon for rest, walks, and socializing. In the evening, they gathered again at Senj Cathedral, where they first prayed the Rosary and then celebrated Holy Mass. The Mass was presided over by the Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia, Professor Željko Tanjić, PhD.

On the second day of the pilgrimage, Saturday, September 19, the University employees travelled to Krasno, where they visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Krasno. The present-day church dates from the 18th century and was built on the foundations of an older medieval church. One of the most valuable features of its interior is the painted coffered ceiling dating from 1740, depicting scenes from the lives of Jesus, Mary, and the saints.

Holy Mass at the shrine was also presided over by Rector Tanjić. In their prayers, the participants remembered their personal intentions, their families, and the entire community of the Catholic University of Croatia, entrusting the upcoming academic year to God.

The final stop of the pilgrimage was the Velebit House, the visitor and information centre of Northern Velebit National Park. Through its modern multimedia exhibition, the employees learned about the natural and cultural heritage of Velebit, its climate, flora and fauna, geology, and the distinctive features of its underground world.

Following a group lunch, the official programme concluded and the participants returned to Zagreb. The pilgrimage to Senj and Krasno offered the employees of the Catholic University of Croatia two days of prayer, an opportunity to discover Croatia’s ecclesiastical, cultural, and natural heritage, and time spent together. Ahead of the new academic year, it provided valuable time for rest, conversation, and communal prayer, while also serving as a reminder that a university community is built through encounters beyond lecture halls and offices as well.