On Monday, January 26, 2026, a ceremony was held for the blessing of the Marriage and Family Counseling Center of the Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek in Vukovar, which began its work on January 1, 2026. Employed at the center is Sr. Ljubica Radovac, M.Sc., a social worker and social pedagogue, currently undergoing training at the School of Cybernetics and Systemic Therapy. The counseling center in Vukovar is the result of several years of negotiations between the Archdiocese and the City of Vukovar (since 2021). Ultimately, on December 22, 2025, an Agreement on Mutual Rights and Obligations was signed establishing the Marriage and Family Counseling Center. The signatories were Archbishop Đuro Hranić, Mr. Marijan Pavliček, Mayor of Vukovar, and Associate Professor Fr. Josip Bošnjaković, PhD, the professional director of the counseling service within the Archdiocese. In 2025, the community of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Zagreb Region, of which Sr. Ljubica is a member, also became involved in the implementation.On Monday, January 26, 2026, a ceremony was held for the blessing of the Marriage and Family Counseling Center of the Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek in Vukovar, which began its work on January 1, 2026. Employed at the center is Sr. Ljubica Radovac, M.Sc., a social worker and social pedagogue, currently undergoing training at the School of Cybernetics and Systemic Therapy. The counseling center in Vukovar is the result of several years of negotiations between the Archdiocese and the City of Vukovar (since 2021). Ultimately, on December 22, 2025, an Agreement on Mutual Rights and Obligations was signed establishing the Marriage and Family Counseling Center. The signatories were Archbishop Đuro Hranić, Mr. Marijan Pavliček, Mayor of Vukovar, and Associate Professor Fr. Josip Bošnjaković, PhD, the professional director of the counseling service within the Archdiocese. In 2025, the community of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Zagreb Region, of which Sr. Ljubica is a member, also became involved in the implementation.With warm words of welcome, Sr. Ljubica opened the ceremony by greeting Auxiliary Bishop Ivan Ćurić, who presided over the celebration; the Mayor of Vukovar, Marijan Pavliček; Sr. Matija Pavić, Regional Superior of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ with the members of her council; as well as the other sisters present. She also greeted the head of the Department for Social Affairs of the City of Vukovar, Josip Paloš; representatives of the Franciscan fraternity in Vukovar, Fr. Mijo Tikvić and Fr. Vjeran Lazić; the other priests present; representatives of city offices, social institutions and associations, especially associations arising from the Homeland War, representatives of the media, and individual believers, friends and supporters of the Counseling Center.The counseling center is an expression of our civic and faith commitment; it reflects the pastoral closeness of the Church to all individuals and families who face crises, difficulties, and the challenges of modern life, Sr. Ljubica emphasized. She added that this commitment and closeness will be shown through the work of the center by providing psychological and spiritual support, counseling, psychotherapy, and by working on prevention and education.Afterwards, Associate Professor Fr. Josip Bošnjaković, PhD, professional director of the counseling service in the Archdiocese, addressed those present, expressing his joy at the blessing and establishment of the counseling center in Vukovar. With this, he said, a new path has begun, a synodal path, a shared journey with all the citizens and believers of the city of Vukovar and beyond. In his greeting he referred to the words of the Gospel: “When Jesus heard that John had been handed over, he withdrew to Galilee,” explaining why Jesus began His ministry at that moment, because John had been handed over and the people no longer had a prophet. “Jesus, our God, who always takes the initiative in relation to us, recognizes people’s needs and responds where there is need. I hope and believe that the opening of the Marriage and Family Counseling Center in Vukovar is also a response of our local Church to the recognized needs of citizens and believers, and that we may respond to this need professionally and with dedication, naturally alongside the already existing services in the city and county that place themselves at the service of people every day. Together with others we want to learn day by day how to build, in the best possible way, a society in which individuals, married couples, families, and all others can live with a sense of well-being and peace, experiencing the fruits of the Sermon on the Mount and the spirit of the Beatitudes,” Fr. Bošnjaković said. He emphasized that through 23 years of experience working in counseling centers, various insights, needs, and forms of cooperation have been gained. He expressed the wish that in Vukovar as well there will be cooperation with different psychosocial, health, legal, educational, and other institutions always in service to users, clients, and patients, ultimately to those seeking God, but also to all who seek the type of help that the center can provide.In the work of the counseling center, cooperation with parish priests is extremely important, Fr. Bošnjaković noted, thanking the Franciscan brothers in Vukovar, as well as the dean of the Vukovar deanery, Fr. Zvonimir Martinović, and the other priests for their collaboration so far. He also thanked the mayor and the City of Vukovar for providing space for the counseling center, emphasizing that this is very important because the place where people come to seek help must provide warmth, care, attention, safety, and protection. Besides the space and environment, people themselves are extremely important, especially professionals who love what they do. In this regard, he expressed his satisfaction and wished abundant blessings, strength, love, and wisdom to Sr. Ljubica Radovac, whose professional competence, rich experience working in social institutions, ongoing education, and training in cybernetics and systemic therapy will certainly contribute to high-quality work and good results. Mayor Pavliček expressed his satisfaction with the opportunity for cooperation and support for this project within the current real circumstances. He thanked representatives of the Church who are open and attentive to the needs of their faithful and other citizens. He also expressed efforts to improve the spatial and financial conditions necessary for the work of such a counseling center, which is available to all citizens of Vukovar without distinction, guaranteeing anonymity and discretion.Words of support and hope were also expressed by Sr. Matija Pavić, Regional Superior of the Zagreb Region, emphasizing that the whole community is happy and blessed to contribute in this field of work for the “dear neighbor” in need. The Adorers have been working in this region since 2003, and now through the person of Sr. Ljubica even more concretely and actively in the social field and in the pastoral care of marriage and family.Sr. Ljubica informed those present that the current modest yet simple and beautiful space in the Home of Croatian Veterans is shared by the Counseling Center with other associations arising from the Homeland War: the Mothers of Vukovar, Vukovar veterans, volunteers, women defenders, war invalids, and the children and families of fallen and missing Croatian defenders. She greeted their representatives.As a sign of the desire for good cooperation and mutual support under the same roof, Bishop Ćurić accompanied by Fr. Davor Senjan, PhD, and the host of the event at their request blessed not only the premises of the Counseling Center but also the other spaces where these associations operate. The bishop remained afterwards in conversation with the representatives of the associations and with all the invited guests, for which all those present expressed their joyful gratitude.Finally, encouraged by the words of Bishop Ćurić, who in the spirit of synodality and shared responsibility emphasized the great importance of consolation and compassion in our Christian life and action also the mission of this counseling center he referred to the verse from 2 Corinthians 1:3–4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Invoking God’s blessing upon the premises and the work of the Counseling Center in Vukovar, we give thanks first of all to the good God and also to one another, because we share in communion and consolation. This is a blessing that better prepares us to carry out good work, gives us wind in our sails, and reflects God’s presence that nourishes and strengthens our lives.

Sr. Ljubica Radovac, ASC
Professional Associate
BIOS Vukovar