More than 100,000 pilgrims are expected in Ludbreg for the annual pilgrimage.
The largest festival in Ludbreg, the Days of the Ludbreg Holy Sunday, will this year again include a number of religious, cultural, economic and entertainment events. The programme starts on Sunday, August 21, 2016, with a pilgrimage of fire-fighters, and continues on Friday, 26 August, when daily programmes will start and continue until 4 September, when the central mass will be led by the Bishop of Sisak Vlado Košić, assisted by Vjekoslav Huzjak, Bishop of Bjelovar-Križevci, and the local bishop Josip Mrzljak, as well as other priests and monks.
Ludbreg is a unique pilgrimage destination in this part of Europe. Each year, on the first Sunday of September, Ludbreg organizes a celebration to commemorate an event – a miracle which took place in 1411. Therefore, for more than six hundred years, pilgrims have been coming to the town which is also known as “the centre of the world”.
Here is the comprehensive programme of events.
PROGRAMME OF THE PILGRIMAGE TO THE SHRINE OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST IN LUDBREG 2016
4 September – HOLY SUNDAY
6am - 7am – Holy Mass at the parish church (confessions starting at 7am)
9am – Introductory programme at the Votive Chapel
10.15am – Start of the procession of pilgrims, priests and bishops from the parish church to the Votive Chapel (the procession and pilgrims mass will be led by Vlado Košić, the Bishop of Sisak, assisted by Vjekoslav Huzjak, Bishop of Bjelovar-Križevci, and the local bishop Josip Mrzljak, as well as other priests and monks.
1-3pm – Eucharistic celebration at the Votive Chapel for the Lord to save and strengthen our Croatian Catholic families and for parents to successfully transmit the values of the Christian faith to souls of their children
3pm – Way of the Cross and the blessing of pilgrims along the central path at the Votive Chapel
5pm - Golden Rosary sung in the parish church
7pm – Praise of the Blood of Christ, Litany, Evening Prayers, Blessing, Mass of Thanksgiving (parish church)
2 to 4 September (Friday – Sunday)
8am-7pm – Antiques fair and exhibition of teas with tastings (atrium of the Batthyány Castle) – Free entrance to the chapel of St. Cross
21 August (Sunday) – European Day of Remembrance for Victims of All Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes; Pilgrimage of Fire-Fighters
7am – Holy Mass (parish church)
10.30am – Procession from the parish church to the Votive Chapel at the shrine; pilgrims Holy Mass
6pm – Holy Mass; presentation of parish choirs (Votive Chapel)
26 August (Friday)
5pm – Shotgun shooting training – Hunting Club “Srnjak” – Ludbreg Hunting Lodge
7pm – Concert of Podravina Mixed Choir – the ceremonial hall of the Batthyány Castle
27 August (Saturday) – PILGRIMAGE DAY FOR THE YOUTH OF THE VARAŽDIN DIOCESE
4pm – Catechesis with an introduction to the mass (parish church)
5pm – Holy Mass at the parish Church of the Holy Trinity
6pm – Festival of Spiritual Songs “Rainbow 2016” (Votive Chapel)
9am – 4th Memorial Tennis Tournament “Marijan Kovačić” – Ludbreg Tennis Centre
3pm – Shotgun shooting competition – Hunting Club “Srnjak” – Ludbreg Hunting Lodge
28 August (Sunday) – PILGRIMAGE OF PATIENTS, CHARITY EMPLOYEES, MEDICAL STAFF AND PRAYER GROUPS OF THE VARAŽDIN DIOCESE
7am – Holy Mass (parish church)
10.30am – Procession from the parish church to the Votive Chapel and the pilgrims mass led by Rev. Dragutin Goričanec
2.30pm – Way of the Cross at the Shrine
7pm – Praise of the Blood of Christ, Litany, Evening Prayer (parish church)
9am – Shotgun shooting competition – Hunting Club “Srnjak” – Ludbreg Hunting Lodge
9am – 4th Memorial Tennis Tournament “Marijan Kovačić” – Ludbreg Tennis Centre
1pm – “We can do it too, show what you can do” – House of the Sun (Globočec Ludbreški)
29 August (Monday)
8pm – Concert “Through the Generations” – the cinema hall of the Cultural and Information Centre “D. Novak”, Ludbreg
30 August (Tuesday)
7pm – Presentation of the Book “C’est la vie” by Snježana Pavičić Jantolek – Small Hall of the Cultural and Information Centre “D. Novak”, Ludbreg
31 August (Wednesday)
2-7pm – Football tournament for young players, U-10 and U-12 (Ludbreg Town Stadium) 7.30pm – Concert by the parish choir at the parish church of the Holy Trinity
1 September (Thursday) – MEETING OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES STUDENTS AND ALTAR SERVERS OF THE VARAŽDIN DIOCESE
9am – Arrival at the Votive Chapel, prayer and division into groups
9.30 am – Group work
10.30am – Preparations for Holy Mass and an opportunity for confession
11.00am – Holly Mass led by Bishop Tihomir Kosec (BREAK FOR LUNCH WHICH PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO BRING THEMSELVES)
1pm – Departure to the parish church for the prayer program
2pm – End of the pilgrimage at the parish church
7pm – Eucharist at the atrium of the Batthyány Castle (led by Msgr. Josip Mrzljak) and a procession to the parish church (Praise of the Blood of Christ, Litany of the Blood of Christ, Evening Prayer and Blessing)
9pm – Gethsemane hour of adoration at the parish church
9.30am – Business Take-Off of the Town of Ludbreg – the Batthyány Castle
5pm – Opening of the Ludbreg Fair (St. Trinity Square)
5.30pm – Promenade Concert of the Ludbreg Brass Band
6.30pm – Culinary exhibition at the Amalia Hotel
9pm – Opening of the central tent at the Batthyány Castle – concert of Psihomodo Pop band (free admission)
2 September (Friday) – PILGRIMAGE OF POLICE AND EMPLOYEES OF RED CROSS AND NEIGHBOURING PARISHES
7am – Holy Mass - Parish of Martijanec (parish church)
8am – Holy Mass - Parish of Sv. Đurđ (parish church)
9am – Holy Mass - Parish of Veliki Bukovec (parish church)
10.30am – Procession to the Votive Chapel, Way of the Cross, Holy Mass (led by the Military Ordinary Bishop Jure Bogdan)
7pm – Praise of the Blood of Christ, Litany, Evening and Holy Mass (parish church)
9pm – Vigil of the young (parish church)
3pm – Ethno-culinary exhibition organized by the Association of Croatian Craftsmen Ludbreg (St. Trinity Square)
4pm – Presentation of the book by Ivan Lupić and Bojana Schubert “First Croatian Shakespeare” (ceremonial hall of the Batthyány Castle)
6pm – “Source of Inspiration” – 4th literary competition of spiritual creativity organized by Radio Ludbreg (Meeting Hall of the Cultural and Information Centre “D. Novak”, Ludbreg)
9pm – Central tent at the Batthyány Castle – concert of Jole (free admission)
3 September (HOLY SATURDAY) – PILGRIMAGE OF NUMEROUS PARISHES FROM ACROSS CROATIA, SLOVENIA AND HUNGARY
6am – Holy Mass (parish church)
7am – Holy Mass (parish church) – confessions starting from 7am
9am – Holy Mass in Slovenian and Hungarian, led by Rev. Istvan Marton and Rev. Franc Režonja (Votive Chapel)
10.30am – Processions from the parish church to the Votive Chapel and pilgrims Holy Mass led by Msgr. Josip Mrzljak, Bishop of Varaždin, and many priests
1-3pm – Eucharistic adoration at the Votive Chapel for the Lord to strengthen Croatian Catholic families and for new spiritual vocation of our nation
3pm – Way of the Cross and blessing of pilgrims with the Blessed Sacrament along the entire central pathway of the shrine
– Holy Relic will be exhibited the whole day on the altar in the parish church
5pm – Golden Rosary sung and a spiritual talk led by Missionaries of the Blood of Christ
7pm – Praise of the Blood of Christ, Litany, Evening Prayer, Blessing and Holy Mass
9.30 am – Opening of the 2nd International Exhibition of Livestock and Small Animals of the Ludbreg Area – meadow at the Rudolf Fizir Street
5.30pm – Football match Podravina Ludbreg – Mladost Prelog (Ludbreg Town Stadium)
9pm – Concert of Mejaši – Central Tent – free admission
