Saint Lawrence

Saint Lawrence was born around 225 AD in what is now Spain, in the small town of Huesca. After completing his primary education, he went to Rome, where Pope Sixtus II ordained him a deacon and, despite his young age, appointed him head of the seven deacons due to his virtues and heroism. In Rome, Lawrence was in charge of the church treasury, and legend has it that among the church assets he managed at the time was the Holy Grail – the chalice from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper.

Pope Sixtus II had a fatherly relationship with Lawrence, and very early on he predicted that Lawrence would face a difficult life struggle for his faith in Christ. A short time after he ordered Lawrence to give  the church’s treasury to the poor, the Roman emperor Valerian’s was furious and asked his judge to investigate. When Lawrence was questioned, he pointed his finger at the poor, who he fed and clothed with money from the church treasury, and said: "Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you!" Emperor Valerian saw this as a provocation and mockery, and ordered Lawrence to be tortured, flogged, and finally burned on a grate with live coals underneath. From this red-hot torture chamber, Lawrence defiantly shouted to the cruel tyrant: "Turn me over now; I'm done on this side!" and for his faith and heroism is considered both the patron saint of jokers and chefs.

Before his death, St. Lawrence prayed to the Lord for the city of Rome, and under the rule of Constantine the Great, when Christianity was accepted, the Romans returned his favour by building numerous churches in the city. St Lawrence's tomb is located in the beautiful Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le mura, which was built in his honour in Rome.

Saint Lawrence and Stobreč

Stobreč belongs to the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. However, due to a long church tradition dating back to the earliest period of Christianity, the town celebrates St Lawrence as its patron saint. At that time, in the area of Epetion from the antiquity, there was an early Christian community and a church dedicated to him.

According to historical sources and archaeological findings, in the 5th or 6th century there was a large basilica dedicated to Saint Lawrence in Stobreč, the remains of which were found near the present-day Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This church was the centre of Christian life in the settlement at that time, so the veneration of Saint Lawrence remained deeply rooted among the inhabitants of the town, which is why they declared him their patron saint.

As a sign of gratitude and respect for the saint who symbolizes faith, steadfastness and service to the community, Stobreč celebrates the feast of St Lawrence every year, from 26 July (the feast of St Anne) to 10 August (the memorial day of St Lawrence). On the feast itself, after the solemn mass, a procession in honour of St Lawrence passes through the town, starting from the parish church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel towards Ponadraga, via Porto, to Glava sela (the Head of the Village), and then from the west via Kuk and Bristić back to the parish church. After the liturgical part, the celebration continues with music, indigenous Mediterranean dishes and socialising on the waterfront until late in the evening. The entire event combines spiritual tradition and a cheerful summer atmosphere, transforming Stobreč into a place of meeting, song and togetherness.

Saint Lawrence’s Tears

From 23 July to 22 August, a beautiful phenomenon appears in the sky above Stobreč in the form of a large number of shooting stars or meteor showers. Somewhere in the middle of this period, precisely on the night of the feast of St Lawrence, this phenomenon reaches its peak, and is called the "Saint Lawrence’s Tears". This phenomenon is best observed in the early morning, before dawn, and all you need is an open sky and a gaze aimed high.