War-Damaged Franciscan Monastery Rebuilt

The reconstructed Franciscan monastery in the village of Karin in the Zadar hinterland was on Wednesday officially inaugurated and blessed by Zadar Archbishop Ivan Prenđa at a ceremony that pooled several thousand people and state officials.

The reconstruction of this Virgin Mary monastery, that was built in the 15th century and destroyed by local Serb rebels in 1993, lasted eight years and cost 15 million kuna (slightly over two million euros) with the Croatian government having ensured the largest part of this investment.

During his sermon, Archbishop Prenđa said he wished that this monastery may become a place for the coexistence of Croatian Catholics and Serb Orthodox believers.

The dignitary added that he was not blessing only the monastery building but also efforts of all who had helped to renovate this facility. He added that 105 Franciscan monasteries had been destroyed in the areas which had been under the control of Serb rebels.