PARISH NEWS - 27 July 2025

MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK (FROM 28. VII. TO 3. VIII.)

SUNDAY, 3. VIII. (18,00) – FOR THE PARISH COMMUNITY

*** PARISH

* THE BANNS OF MARRIAGE. Jesse Aaron Bublies, son of Ronald Bublies and Fulvia DiCola from Nepean, takes for his lawful wedded wife Nikolina Braovac, daughter of Marko Braovac and Lucija nee Ćališ from Ottawa. If anyone knows cause or just impediment why these persons should not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, he should declare it to the parish priest. 

* PASTOR'S ABSENCE. Till the August 20 pastor will be on his vacation. During that period, Sunday masses will be at 6:00 p.m. Fr. Dragan Bolčić, OFM, from Montreal (1-438-467-2019) will be available for funerals or other emergencies.

* SUMMER VACATION. We have entered vacation and traveling season. Don't forget to bring God on your vacation. Not a single day should pass without a prayer nor Sunday without taking part in Holy Mass.

* TUŽNA VIJEST (Brod Portal)

At the age of 61 and 35 years of priesthood, on Tuesday, July 22, the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, Rev. JOSIP KALMAR [brother of our pastor, Rev. Dinko], pastor of the parish of Saints Philip and James in Grgurevići (Odvorci), passed away to Eternity with the Lord.

Rev. Josip Kalmar was ordained a priest on St. Philip and James' Day, June 29, 1991, in Đakovo. He celebrated his first mass on July 14 of the same war year under the motto "Serve the Lord in Joy". His first ministry as a parish vicar was in the co-cathedral parish of St. Peter and Paul in Osijek, followed by parish services in Tovarnik, then as a "parish priest of exiles" in Blaca near Vinkovci, then in Štitar, in Viljevo near Donji Miholjac, where he was also the dean of the Donji Miholjac deanery. Since the summer of 2021, Rev. Josip has served as the parish priest in the parish of Saints Philip and James in Grgurevići (Odvorci).

He was born in Slavonski Brod, into a Catholic family of father Aleksandar and mother Miroslava, who had seven other children, and his younger brother Dinko is also a priest of the Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek, serving in the Croatian Catholic Mission in Ottawa, Canada.

We will remember Rev. Josip for his abundance of kindness, gentleness, cheerfulness, always smiling face, whose heart spread the Good News of the Gospel of Christ to everyone and everywhere and was truly full of joy and kindness.

The final farewell to Pastor Kalmar will be on Saturday, July 26th, beginning with a memorial Mass at 11 a.m. in the Odvorci parish church in Grgurevići, and the funeral rites will be held at the City Cemetery in Slavonski Brod starting at 1 p.m.

May the Lord grant him eternal peace and joy in His Heavenly Kingdom, may he rest in the bosom of Christ.

Sincere Christian condolences to the Kalmar family and all parishioners of the Odvorci parish.