On Thursday, July 1, on the feast of The Precious Blood, Ivan Raljusic of the Croatian Mission made his definite incorporation to the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.

Ivan made his definite incorporation during the Eucharist presided by Rev. Ilija Grgic, C.PP.S director of the Croatian Mission. The other definitive incorporated croatian missionaries concelebrated during the Eucharist and warmly accepted the candidate and congratulated him on this great occasion for himself and the Croatian Mission. During the Eucharist, Rev. Ilija invited the faithful to pray for Ivan. He also thanked Ivan’s parents for all they have done and for the gift of their son for our Congregation. As a small sign of gratitude, Rev. Ilija gave Ivan’s mother a small icon of Our Lady holding Jesus in her arms. May Ivan’s parents continue to hold their son in their prayers with love.

In his homily, Rev. Ilija reflecting on a passage from Luke’s Gospel of Martha and Mary, outlined how Ivan found answers to his questions about the Lord in the sentence: “few things are needed – or indeed only one…”  That only one is listening to the Word, listening to the Lord at His feet. And from that listening and absorbing the Word, he can go on to help and heal the wounded in society, and as minister of reconciliation break the barriers between people announcing that the Kingdom of God has come, and that God is making everything new.