On September 19, the Križevci Cathedral of the Holy Trinity will mark the second anniversary of the arrival of the relics of Saint Charbel in Croatia, with guests including Vatican journalist Christine Mugridge and Friar Josip Ikić.
On September 19, 2026, Križevci will host a major spiritual gathering marking the second anniversary of the arrival of the relics of Saint Charbel in Croatia. The Prayer Community of Saint Charbel, which regularly organizes monthly gatherings with thousands of faithful, has prepared a full-day program for this year's celebration, featuring several internationally renowned guests.
The central figure of the gathering will be Father Jim Blount, an American Catholic priest, preacher, and exorcist. He is a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity and was ordained to the priesthood in 1999. He spent nine years in Belize as a parish priest and spiritual director of the charismatic renewal, leading numerous missions.
In his ministry, he particularly emphasizes his relationship with the Holy Trinity, love for the Eucharist, and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His talks often touch on spiritual warfare, deliverance, and conversion, and he is internationally recognized for his spiritual retreats and evangelization events.
In recent years, Blount has attracted significant attention with his testimony about a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a "darkening" that, according to his interpretation, is connected to the Eucharist. It involves three testimonies of three darkenings, with the first reportedly occurring during the coronavirus pandemic when churches worldwide were closed and the faithful were restricted from attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist. The second darkening, he says, will again be linked to the deprivation of the Eucharist, while he views the last as particularly serious—a moment when families would no longer have the opportunity to participate in Mass even through television or the internet. "The coming darkening will come because the Lord is withdrawing the Eucharist, which we no longer deserve, but with the hope that this hunger will move us," Blount said.
Also arriving in Križevci is Dr. Christine A. Mugridge, an American theologian and longtime Vatican journalist. She completed her doctoral studies at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome and held permanent accreditation to work in the Vatican for nearly ten years. She covered events during the pontificates of Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.
The third guest is Father Josip Ikić, a Bosnian Franciscan and missionary of mercy of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna. He is a professor at the Franciscan Classical Gymnasium in Visoko and director of the Franciscan Spiritual and Pastoral Center there. For years, he has participated in spiritual renewals throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, and in 2024 he published the book "Dah Duha" (Breath of the Spirit).
The host of the gathering is Niko Rončević, leader of the Prayer Community of Saint Charbel in Križevci and national coordinator of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Holy Spirit in Croatia. He connected with Saint Charbel during his time in Lebanon, and he is the one most responsible for bringing the relics of this Maronite saint to Croatia in September 2024.
Since then, the relics have been permanently exposed for veneration in the Križevci Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, making Križevci one of the important places of devotion to the Lebanese saint in the world, and the only one in Croatia. Testimonies of graces received are regularly reported, with many physical healings particularly highlighted.
The program on September 19 will begin at 10 a.m. with a solemn outdoor liturgy led by Bishop Milan Stipić of Križevci, including the rite of anointing with the oil of Saint Charbel. After the liturgy, from 12 to 2 p.m., there will be an organized lunch and time for veneration of the relics. The lunch for participants is prepared by the Community of Saint Charbel. From 2 to 9 p.m., the central anniversary program will follow with the announced guests.
During the gathering, the faithful will have the opportunity for prayers for spiritual and physical health, confession, personal prayer, and time for veneration of the relics. The arrival of international guests gives this year's celebration a special character, and a large number of pilgrims from Croatia and neighboring countries is expected. A similar gathering was held last year, with Slovenian exorcist Petar Vrabec among the guests.
