Fra Pavle Ivić leads Mass on St. Francis' feast day

Fra Pavle Ivić led a Mass celebrating the feast of the stigmata of St. Francis at the Church of St. Francis in Zadar on Thursday, September 17. Ivić serves as the vicar of the St. Francis monastery.

During the celebration, Ivić spoke about St. Francis receiving the wounds of Christ at La Verna in 1224. He noted that the saint received these wounds after a fast in honor of St. Michael. Ivić described the experience as a moment where the saint felt both the joy of God's presence and the pain of Christ's suffering.

Ivić encouraged the faithful to follow the example of St. Francis by using fasting as a way to seek God's guidance before making important decisions. He suggested that offering such sacrifices can help people navigate difficulties in their families and other areas of life.