A group of Canadian Croats toured Croatia on a trip organised by the Croatian Heritage Foundation (HMI). Croatia’s cultural and historical features and development in Croatia were the focus of interest of this group of Canadian Croats. The fifteen day tour of Croatia and Bosnia-
Herzegovina ended on 4 June 2004 with a tour of Varaždin and a pilgrimage to the famous Marian shrine – Marija Bistrica.
The group of Canadian Croats were received by Mr. Domagoj Ante Petrić on 2 June 2004, who is the deputy Director of HMI. On that occasion he pointed out that cultural tourism is an exceptionally effective bridge of co-operation between the homeland and immigration. He expressed his desire that Croatian descendants in Canada will also one day visit their homeland, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The group was grateful for the carefully planned tour and expressed their satisfaction that their homeland was managing to overcome the post-war traumas and difficulties of transition. They expressed their best wishes for the country’s future.
The group was also received by Bishop Jezerinac, who was once a missionary to the Catholic mission in the United States. It is worth knowing that there are some twenty-eight Croatian parishes in Canada where Mass is conducted in Croatian and English. The generation of the group visiting Croatia was exceptionally active in the latter half of the Twentieth century paying particular attention to preserving their cultural and spiritual identity in a multi-cultural society like that in Canada. According to statistics there are some 80,000 Croats or citizens of Croat descent living in Canada. Their contribution to creating a free and independent Croatian state and their humanitarian aid during the war is of immeasurable value.
