The Croatian Armed Forces members, policemen and defenders took part in the 23rd traditional military and police pilgrimage to Marija Bistrica, the national Marian sanctuary.
The formal mass was celebrated by the Croatian Military Ordinary, Msgr Juraj Jezerinac, and was attended by General Drago Lovrić  as the Envoy of the President of the Republic, the Deputy Defence Minister, the representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of the Veterans of the Homeland War, the associations of defenders, victims of war, the senior military, civilian and ecclesiastical officials.
The 23rd Pilgrimage, commanded by Brigadier General Blaž Beretin, hosted the Slovakian military bishop František Rabek, the Slovakian military vicar, Matej Jakupič and the military vicar of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Čuturić. The programme featured the performance of the Honorary Battalion, and of the Croatian Armed Forces Orchestra and the Croatian Navy Vocal Ensemble “Sv. Juraj“.
The mass celebrated in the open air church of “Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac”, was preceded by a procession and a marchpast of banners of the wartime units, of the Croatian disabled veterans, of Croatian defenders, of active Police and Armed Forces units and of historical units.  Msgr. Jezerinac in his homily addressed the burning issues of the moment – marriage, family and alienation, as well as the migrant crisis which “demonstrated to the global power-wielders the people’s exhaustion with wars and longing for peace,  and the uneven distribution of wealth“. The Monsignor appealed for the respect of life and for equality and acts of mercy and solidarity as the basic human and Christian values.