Peace Light of Bethlehem reaches Croatia 

(Photo: Osijek.hr)

For the 31st consecutive year, the Scouts Association of Croatia organised the delivery of the Peace Light of Bethlehem to Croatia.

The Peace Light of Bethlehem arrived in Zagreb on Sunday with a handover ceremony taking place during the mass in the liturgical space of Blessed Aloysius Stepinac at Zagreb Cathedral.

A festive procession, including several hundred scouts from all parts of Croatia, followed, before the Peace Light of Bethlehem made its way to Osijek on Sunday evening. 

The Peace Light of Bethlehem, brought to the Church of Saints Peter and Paul by members of the Scout Association “Slavonski hrast” and the Scout Club “Javor,” was lit with the second candle on the Advent wreath in the presence of the President of the City Council Tihomir Florijančić and Osijek-Baranja County Prefect Mato Lukić. 

Peace Light of Bethlehem (Photo: Osijek.hr)

“I wish everyone to find peace in this pre-Christmas time and in a time that increasingly demands and expects from all of us. The end of the year often symbolises the end of something, the end of a certain period, and also the beginning of something new, so we often reflect on whether we have fulfilled all the set expectations and those we have set for ourselves. Therefore, this week, I wish everyone to find peace. Be content with yourselves, your families, and the environment in which you live because that ultimately makes us better people – said County Prefect Lukić.

Peace Light of Bethlehem

Established in Austria in 1987, the Bethlehem Peace Light is a charitable initiative aimed at aiding handicapped children and individuals facing hardship. Spanning over 20 European countries and extending to the Americas, this program sees the flame originate annually from the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem, making its way to Austria. 

(Photo: Osijek.hr)

Subsequently, the Scout movement distributes the light across the nation, symbolising peace to as many individuals as possible in the spirit of Christmas.

The Peace Light of Bethlehem is lit on the first Sunday of Advent during a grand ceremony in Bethlehem, at the site of Christ’s birth. This year, twelve-year-old Palestinian Christian Pillar Jarayaseh lit the light in the cave of Christ’s birth. The light was then transported to Amman, from where it was airlifted to Vienna. 

Traditionally, for the 31st year, members of the Scouts Association of Croatia travelled to Austria for the Peace Light of Bethlehem and brought it to the Zagreb Cathedral, distributing it to numerous parishes across Croatia and state institutions. 

(Photo: Osijek.hr)

This year, the Scouts Association of Croatia has prepared a special mobile application at https://www.betlehemsko.scouts.hr/.

The application will display all the places (cities, municipalities, institutions, homes) in Croatia where scouts have brought the Peace Light of Bethlehem, and recipients of the light will be able to enter their messages of peace into the application, which will be displayed alongside the entered location. In this way, we can see how the light and messages of peace spread throughout Croatia from hour to hour.