Taking into account routes and significance of the new migrations, the Archdiocese of Zagreb puts emphasis on the pastoral care of migrants and tourists as part of its pastoral activity.
On 1 March 2016 the Office for Migrations and Tourism at the NDS was established to cater for the migrants’ pastoral needs and to encourage them to focus their migrating experience on growth of their Christian lives. Rev. Anđelko Katanec was appointed commissioner for Migrations and Tourism.
The Office will organise its work in line with the instruction of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People
Erga migrantes caritas Christi, as well as guidelines of the Church fathers on the pastoral care of migrants and tourists.
The Office will attend to migrants on the territory of the Archdiocese of Zagreb with special pastoral care, as well as tourists who visit the Zagreb Cathedral and other shrines or sacral objects in its territory.
Several thousand foreigners live in Zagreb temporarily or permanently due to work or study. Also, lately a lot of migrants from Middle Eastern countries pass through our Archdiocese and among them are some who seek asylum. The Office wishes to cooperate with church organisations, like Caritas of the Archdiocese of Zagreb, Jesuit Migration Service and others, which are working with migrants. The Office aims to provide necessary pastoral care for Catholic migrants and to engage in and develop a friendly dialogue with all migrants.
It is important to open the doors of our sacral places and objects and organise sightseeing tours for tourists, as well as to enable them to get to know the church and religious heritage of our Archdiocese.
For this purpose, the Office will promote hospitality towards tourists, prepare various materials which will provide more information on the place they are visiting, organise guided tours and be available for possible questions.
In the future, the Office will also propose possible pilgrimage routes through the Archdiocese for tourists. The activity would be done in association with the Office for Cultural Heritage of the Archdiocese of Zagreb.
Finally, the Office will inform the public of different religious events, and coordinate and organise celebrations of Holy Masses in foreign languages, the sacrament of penance and reconciliation as well as other liturgical celebrations.
If necessary, it will also organise other religious events, catecheses, spiritual revival and evangelisation seminars.
Press office of the Archdiocese of Zagreb
