Eighty years of Croatian pastoral care in Germany

On Sunday, 25 October 2026, the Cathedral of St Bartholomew in Frankfurt am Main hosted a celebration marking 80 years of organised pastoral care for Croats in Germany. The solemn Eucharist was led by Archbishop Tomo Vukšić of Vrhbosna, president of the council of the Croatian and Bosnia and Herzegovina bishops’ conferences for Croatian pastoral care abroad.

Gratitude for eight decades of community

The anniversary brought priests and the faithful together in gratitude for everyone who has helped build Croatian Catholic communities in Germany since 1946. According to the attached report, the liturgical singing was led by the Mato Lešćan choir of the Croatian Catholic parish in Frankfurt, conducted by Sister Pavlimira Šimunović.

The beginnings of organised pastoral care are associated with Fr Andrija Kordić. Over the decades, Croatian Catholic missions became places of prayer, sacramental life, fellowship and mutual support. Many found a sense of home there, preserving Croatian language and culture and passing their faith on to new generations.

Supporting families and new generations

At the heart of the archbishop’s message was the Church’s continuing care for Croats abroad. The report conveys his encouragement to communities balancing their ties to Croatia with building a life in a new country. Families, children and young people have a special place in this work, as entire families now often move abroad.

The report states that there are 180 Croatian parishes, missions and centres worldwide, including 95 in Germany. Behind these figures are people whose service, faith and perseverance sustain the life of their communities.

Faith lived through care for others

Recalling the Gospel’s call to welcome strangers, the archbishop connected the Croatian experience of migration with responsibility for people in need. Understanding, hospitality and respect for newcomers are part of putting faith into practice.

Another key message was the call to pray for new vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Croatian communities abroad are invited to support their priests and missions and create an environment in which young people can recognise their own calling.

Encouragement for the Croats Abroad Initiative

This anniversary encourages us to pray together, bring our people together around Christ and ensure that no one in the community is left alone. Gratitude for the past eighty years is also an invitation to contribute our gifts to the life of the Church wherever we live, with particular care for families and young people.

This article was prepared from the Hrvati izvan Domovine report. The full report is available as a PDF, and an additional source provides the published homily of Archbishop Vukšić.