Welcoming them, Gospic-Senj Bishop Mile Bogovic said the Cross of Krbava Bishops was becoming a symbol of the spiritual link between Croatia and its emigrants, adding that nowadays as many Croats lived in Croatia and abroad.
This year, Croatian Martyrs' Day is observed on 25 August, when the pilgrims recall the death of some 10,000 Croatians in the fight against Ottoman invaders in the Battle of Krbava Field on 9 September 1493.
The construction of a church on an elevation overlooking Krbava field, of which Udbina is the central village, was completed last year when Cardinal Josip Bozanic consecrated the altar.
Mass was celebrated by Burgenland Croat Bishop Egidije Zivkovic, who said martyrdom was the culmination of a conscious orientation towards faith, and lamented that the Croatian people had forgotten too quickly the blood with which freedom had been paid and that it was "willing to sacrifice a lot for crumbs on Europe's tables of wealth and power."
Zivkovic lamented that many saw Croatia as a country without hope, overcome by lethargy and hopelessness, from disappointed war veterans to young people he said saw their future everywhere but in Croatia.
He said the Church should speak up, be true and incorruptible, and that Croatian people should be proud of its history and Christian values.