The mass was led by Apostolic Nuncio Giorgio Lingua who, in his sermon, highlighted that St. Blaise, originally a physician, chose to leave his profession behind in order to follow Christ.
Among those attending the celebration were the envoy of the Croatian Parliament Speaker, Andro Krstulović Opara, the Prime Minister’s envoy and Deputy Prime Minister Branko Bačić, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica, ministers Nina Obuljen Koržinek and Šime Erlić, Dubrovnik-Neretva County Prefect Nikola Dobroslavić, state secretaries, members of parliament, and a large number of pilgrims.
The festivities began on Sunday afternoon with the traditional release of doves and hoisting of the flag in front of the Church of St. Blaise and will end on Sunday, 9 February, with a procession and mass, followed by the lowering of the flag.
The Feast of St. Blaise was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009.