JANJEVO MARKED IN KOSOVO JANJEVO, May 9 (Hina) - Two-day celebrations marking the 700th anniversary of arrival of Croats in Janjevo near Kosovo's Pristina, where the Croat minority lives, ended in this village on Friday with a mass
which was attended by several hundred believers.
JANJEVO, May 9 (Hina) - Two-day celebrations marking the 700th
anniversary of arrival of Croats in Janjevo near Kosovo's Pristina,
where the Croat minority lives, ended in this village on Friday with
a mass which was attended by several hundred believers. #L#
The mass was conducted by Sarajevo Archbishop, Cardinal Vinko
Puljic, who spoke about the Janjevo Croats' religious, cultural and
national identity, which they had maintained for over 700 years.
"During the past two days, people gathered for a great event to
primarily renew their roots and recall their origin, religion and
cultural heritage," Puljic said.
More than 200 Janjevo Croats now living in Croatia and several dozen
Janjevo Croats living in several other countries gathered at the
ceremony, which was also attended by the UN civil administrator in
Kosovo, Michael Steiner.
According to incomplete data, around 430 Croats live in Janjevo and
surrounding villages. According to data from the 1980s, around
4,000 Croats lived there.
Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova welcomed the Janjevo event in a
special letter.
Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi urged members of the Croat national
minority to return to their homes where they would enjoy the support
of the majority Albanian population.
Rexhepi called Janjevo - which is inhabited by Croats, Albanians
and the Romany - an oasis of peace and ethnic tolerance.
(hina) lml sb