A Spiritual Journey for the Jubilee Year
As part of the 2025 Jubilee Year celebrations, the Croatian Catholic Community of St. Nikola Tavelić in Clifton Hill (Melbourne) is planning a three-day, two-night, pilgrimage to Hobart, Tasmania, from December 5 to 7, 2025 for the feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
The Archdiocese of Hobart has designated four churches as pilgrimage sites: Holy Trinity Church in Westbury, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Ross, St John’s Church in Richmond, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Victories in Lutana.
We plan to visit two of these pilgrimage places as well as St Mary’s Cathedral and our Croatian Church, Queen of Peace, Hobart.
This pilgrimage will go ahead if we reach a minimum of 45 pilgrims and we are very excited to share the details below.
This special event offers a unique opportunity for prayer, plenary indulgence, fellowship, and spiritual renewal in the beautiful surroundings of Tasmania. A full itinerary has been prepared for all pilgrims, combining moments of deep faith with cultural and communal experiences.
Pilgrimage Program Overview
Day 1 – Friday, December 5:
Victorian pilgrims will meet at Melbourne Airport and arrive in Hobart where we will meet Tasmanian pilgrims. We will enter our bus coach and begin the tour. A first stop will be Richmond, where we will have time to explore the historic town and attend St John’s Church in Richmond. In the afternoon, we will check-in to a hotel and share a group dinner.
Day 2 – Saturday, December 6:
After breakfast, the group will visit St Mary’s Cathedral, with the possibility of attending English Mass. The day continues with a visit to the famous Salamanca Market, a vibrant cultural and culinary highlight of Hobart.
In the afternoon, a Croatian-language Mass will be celebrated at the Church of the Queen of Peace, followed by lunch. The day concludes with the prayer of the Holy Rosary at the shrine of Our Lady of Victories in Lutana and a shared evening meal.
Day 3 – Sunday, December 7:
Following hotel check-out, pilgrims will pray the Holy Rosary on the bus as they head to the Church of the Queen of Peace for the celebration of the parish feast day. The pilgrimage will conclude with a festive lunch and celebration at the Croatian Club in Glenorchy, before flying back to Melbourne in the evening.
The program schedule, is subject to change; however, all registered pilgrims will be informed of any updates.
This pilgrimage is more than just a trip – it is a journey of faith, an opportunity to strengthen spiritual life, and a time to connect with the Croatian Catholic community in Tasmania.
The pilgrimage is currently open to participants from St Nikola Tavelic as well as from the Croatian Catholic Centre in Hobart. If we have capacity, we will accept pilgrims from other parishes.
We especially invite youth and young families to join the pilgrimage, however, older pilgrims are welcome too. Pilgrims should be able to walk for 10 minutes and easily get on and off the bus. Otherwise, the physical capability is low.
Let us walk together in faith as we honour Our Lady, Queen of Peace, during this Holy Jubilee Year! Enquiries can be sent to Helena Buljan at stntavelic@gmail.com or follow our Facebook event page. https://www.facebook.com/Sv.NikolaTavelicCliftonHill
Reservations
There are two ticket types, A and B to keep costs down. Our volunteers will be making the bookings for you.
Ticket A includes economy flights, hotel accommodation (twin share), most meals and the bus tour. Adult $750 / Child $550.
Ticket B includes hotel accommodation (twin share), most meals and the bus tour. (No flights – meet us in Hobart). Adult $500 / Child $250.
Drinks and souvenirs are at your own cost. There is a small surcharge if a single person prefers a private room. Contact us for more detail.
A deposit of $250 is due to Helena Buljan by 25.05.25 by cash, card or bank transfer. This will secure your place. The full amount is due 06.07.25. Refunds will not be possible after this date.
Something more about the Croatian Catholic Centre in Hobart and the places that will be visited during this pilgrimage
Our Lady Queen of Croatians and Queen of Peace
On eighth of December 1992, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the church at Granton was consecrated to ‘Our Lady Queen of Croatians and Queen of Peace’ by the Archbishop of Split.
In the late 1980s the Croatian community, led by the late Fr Hunski, began to build a church at Granton. Fr Hunski contributed much of the labour, particularly with the construction of the church tower. The church is a legacy to the faith and community spirit of the Croatian people in Tasmania. The church is also known as the Croatian Catholic Centre and falls under the Catholic Archdiocese of Hobart.
To ensure its future, 2018, the Church of Our Lady Queen of Croatia and Queen of Peace was gifted to the Archdiocese of Hobart, with the Croatian community retaining full use and access.
(source: https://www.churchesoftasmania.com/2019/11/no-591-granton-our-lady-queen-of.html)
Father Hunski, affectionately known as “Lolly Father”
After a long and difficult illness, on the night of Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Hobart, Tasmania, at the age of 88 and after 43 years of priesthood, Father Berislav Hunski passed away.
Father Berislav was ordained a priest on April 11, 1981. He served for five years in his homeland, and since 1986, he had been in Tasmania (Hobart) as a Croatian pastoral priest.
Father Hunski, affectionately known as “Lolly Father” due to his generosity in sharing sweets, celebrated 40 years of priesthood in 2021. His journey to the priesthood was marked by resilience and unwavering faith, overcoming significant challenges posed by political upheavals during his youth.
His daily Masses, celebrated in both English and Croatian, along with his extensive collection of Catholic literature and spiritual resources, were a testament to his dedication to guiding his parishioners on their spiritual journeys. His remarkable life, marked by humour, devotion, and service, leaves behind a lasting legacy. The greatest joy of Father Hunski was celebrating the Eucharist, and he remained grateful to be able to serve until his final days.
Today, as needed and whenever possible, the parish priest of the Croatian Catholic community in Clifton Hill, Monsignor Bosiljko Rajić, travels to Hobart to celebrate Holy Mass and offer support to the faithful of the Croatian Catholic Centre in Hobart.
St John the Evangelist Church, Richmond
In its setting beyond the historic 1825 bridge spanning the Coal River, St John the Evangelist Church in the hugely popular tourist destination of Richmond can justly claim the title of Tasmania’s most visited and photographed church. It also has the distinction of being the oldest continuously-used Catholic church in Australia, having been opened on 31 December 1837.
(source: https://hobart.catholic.org.au/2019/10/08/heritage-treasures-st-john-the-evangelist-church-richmond/ )
St Mary’s Cathedral
St Mary’s Cathedral has served the Tasmanian community for 140 years, touching the lives of thousands. The nobility of the architecture and the quality of the fabric is a testament to the aspiration and generosity of generations of Tasmanian Catholics and other kind benefactors.
The imposing pillars and stonework, exquisite stained glass and the magnificent pipe organ are work of leading artisans from Australia and overseas.
This outstanding Gothic building plays a central role in the Catholic Church of Tasmania as it serves the city of Hobart and the people of Tasmania.
(Source: https://www.stmaryscathedralhobart.org.au )
Shrine of Our Lady of Victories
The shrine at Lutana is a place in which people can gather and pray, not only for our own needs but also for the needs of the Church as it faces many challenges to being able to profess and proclaim the faith in our times. In very many ways the title, Our Lady of Victories, is most appropriate. Here we can seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin confident that she will ensure the victory of God’s grace and mercy in our lives and in the world.
Source: https://hobart.catholic.org.au/2024/05/15/diocesan-shrine-of-our-lady-of-victories/
Salamanca Market
Salamanca Market is Tasmania’s most visited tourism attraction and runs each Saturday
The market extends the full length of Hobart’s historic Salamanca Place, from the silos end to the top of Davey Street. You will find a huge selection of locally made products and you can meet the makers, the artisans, the designers and producers.
With over 300 stallholders, the market includes fresh produce from local growers, hot coffee, delicious breakfast and lunch options, lots of gift ideas and plenty of handmade products.