World Day of the Sick at the Catholic University of Croatia with the lecture “Illness and Healing in Selected Works of Christian Visual Art”

On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the World Day of the Sick was solemnly marked at the Catholic University of Croatia, organized by the Faculty of Health Studies, the Croatian Catholic Medical Society (HKLD), the Croatian Catholic Association of Nurses and Medical Technicians (HKDMST), and the Nursing Students’ Club Nutrix. Members of the Croatian Transplant Association also joined the celebration.

The program began with a Holy Mass in the University Chapel, presided over by Rev. Branimir Jagodić, the University Chaplain. In prayer, all the sick and those in need were entrusted to God, with the plea that they may find comfort and strength in Mary’s maternal embrace and, like the participants at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, through her intercession experience the transformation of their trials and once again taste the “good wine” - a symbol of joy, beauty, health, and peace.

After the Mass, the program continued in the Blessed Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac Hall, where the attendees were welcomed by the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Health Studies, Assistant Professor Ivica Matić. In his address, he expressed gratitude for the many years of successful cooperation among all the involved institutions and associations, particularly highlighting ten years of joint celebration of the World Day of the Sick and emphasizing the importance of unity in promoting care for the sick and Christian values.

This was followed by a multimedia lecture by Assistant Professor Dario Sambunjak, MD, PhD, a member of the Croatian Catholic Medical Society (HKLD) and a former lecturer at the University Department of Nursing of the Catholic University of Croatia, entitled “Illness and Healing in Selected Works of Christian Visual Art.”

During the lecture, around ten works from the rich treasury of European sacred painting were analyzed, ranging from the Early Renaissance to the 19th century. The lecturer selected works by Early Renaissance painters such as Fra Angelico and Masaccio, as well as 19th-century artists like Aimé Morot and Carl Bloch. What all the analyzed works had in common was that, in a direct or indirect way, they depict illness, suffering, and treatment - that is, healing.

Participants had the opportunity to see depictions of Jesus healing the sick man at the Pool of Bethesda, the Good Samaritan helping the wounded traveler, as well as miraculous healings through the intercession of St. Peter, Sts. Cosmas and Damian, St. Francis, and other saints. The lecture was dynamic and interactive, and participants also took an active part in an online quiz related to the presented content.

The winner of the quiz was Mirka Matuša Popović, a first-year undergraduate student of the university bachelor’s program in Nursing at the Catholic University of Croatia. At the end of the program, she was presented with a commemorative prize - a framed depiction of St. Francis, hand-carved in wood, which the lecturer personally created for this occasion. After the official part of the program, those present stayed for a short informal gathering. This year as well, the World Day of the Sick was marked in an atmosphere of togetherness, solidarity, and genuine care for the sick.