Wednesday is the last day of the calendar year. A Thanksgiving Holy Mass will be celebrated at 7:00 p.m., and the parish statistics will be announced.

Thursday is New Year’s Day. It is also the feast of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Holy Masses will be celebrated according to the Sunday schedule, and there will be no opportunity for confession.

On Sunday at 10:00 a.m., a solemn Mass in Zagreb Cathedral marked the conclusion of the Jubilee Year in our Archdiocese. On this occasion, the relics of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac were returned from Krašić to the Cathedral.

Friday is the First Friday in January. Holy Masses and confessions will follow the usual First Friday schedule.

This week the parish office will be open only on Monday and Tuesday.

To all parishioners, devotees of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, pilgrims of Blessed Ivan Merz, and all Christians who experience the warmth of God’s love in Palmi, we sincerely wish a Merry and Blessed Christmas, and a New Year filled with God’s grace. Our first wish is to return to the Basilica next year. Yet, as eagerly as we await it, and as much joy as this thought brings us, Jesus rejoices most in a pure heart, a converted soul, and love following His example. May such a spirit touch us this Christmas, may peace reign in our consciences, and may the joy of faith fill our lives.

With these thoughts, Merry Christmas wishes you Your parish priest Fr. Stipo Balatinac, with all collaborators.

On Thursday at 8:00 p.m., the second meeting of the Parish Family Community was held with the topic of marital love. The next meeting will be on 15 January at 8:00 p.m. The topic will be prayer in the family.
You will be able to hear and share your own examples, and perhaps even find a helpful solution.

Welcome!

The blessing of families and homes concluded on Friday. We thank everyone for the prayerful fellowship and gifts. We apologize for any misunderstandings or if someone was missed. After 27 December, we will gladly visit anyone who still wishes, including those outside our parish; just contact us directly.

Our parish is organizing a children’s oratory for elementary school students from 9 to 11 January 2026.
To participate in the Oratory, please register with Sr. Marijela or Fr. Marko Petričević.

During school holidays, parish religious education will not take place.

Religious education is held according to the following schedule:

Dear parishioners, like all of us, I often imagine Christmas as a perfect picture: the scent of cookies, the glow of lights, a warm home, and family gathered around the table. Yet today’s Gospel reminds us that the first Christmas was neither peaceful nor comfortable. It speaks of flight, fear, and uncertainty. Joseph, Mary, and the newborn Jesus had to flee to Egypt at night, without a plan, without security, guided only by trust in God’s word, which explains nothing but simply says: "Get up and go." In that spirit, I view Paul’s call to “put on” mercy, kindness, and patience differently. As a student, I often feel like I am always rushing somewhere, running late with something, and not good enough. Christmas reminds me that God does not require a perfect schedule or ideal circumstances, but only an open heart. Love, as Paul says, is not an addition but "the bond of perfection". In the Holy Family, I do not see a fairy tale, but real life: responsibility, care for one another, listening, and trust. Christmas teaches me that Christ’s peace is not the absence of problems, but the strength to remain faithful, gentle, and trusting in the midst of uncertainty. Perhaps the greatest Christmas gift is the realization that God comes exactly where life is not perfect, but real.