Fr. Josip Mazić, a member of the Croatian Province of St. Jerome and the Convent of St. Michael in Zadar, died suddenly on May 18, 2022 in his convent at the age of 85, after 63 years of religious life and 54 years of priesthood.
He was born on March 10, 1938 in Preko (island of Ugljan) to the Catholic family of father Stanko and mother Tomica, born Marcelić. Another brother and two sisters were born into his family. After the elementary school in his native place and the three-year industrial school in Zadar, on September 2, 1957, he entered the minor seminary of the province in the Convent of St. Francis Xavier in Zagreb. He attended the diocesan middle school for the preparation of priests in Zagreb and Zadar. He made his temporary vows on August 13, 1959 and solemn vows on August 28, 1964. He graduated from the Catholic Theological Faculty of Zagreb and was ordained a priest on June 29, 1968, also in Zagreb.
At the beginning of his priestly service, he helped in the parish of St. John the Baptist in Zadar. Then he worked in Germany for almost fifty years. He was chaplain in the German parishes in Gelsenkirchen and Duisburg (1969-1980), leader of the Croatian Catholic Mission in Duisburg (1980-1982), pastor in Gelsenkirchen-Buer (1982-1984), long-term pastor in Offenburg-Bohlsbach and chaplain and spiritual director in the Franciscan convent of the Divine Heart of Jesus in Gengenbach (2008-2019). For two years he was local minister in the Convent of San Francesco in Fiume (1984-1986). Returning to Croatia in September 2019, he joined the ministry of the sacrament of reconciliation in the convent of San Michele in Zadar.
Father Josip was a simple, modest and devoted man, friar and priest. During his many years of work in Germany he managed to connect his Franciscan and Croatian spirit with German culture, tradition and mentality. He was very precise, moderate and clear in everything, and conscientious and responsible in his pastoral work.
The funeral on 23 May at the city cemetery in Zadar was conducted by the Minister Provincial Ivo Martinović. He was buried in the tomb of the friars of the province. The funeral was attended by the friars of two convents of Zadar and many other friars of the province, the sister of Fr. Josip Ana and relatives, minor friars and religious from Zadar, Rev. Filip Kucelin, parish priest of Preko, birthplace of Fr. Josip, fellow citizens, friends and acquaintances.
The funeral Mass in the church of the convent of St. Michael was presided over by the minister provincial, in concelebration with the local minister Niko Barun, Fr Jurica Galić, local minister in the Convent of St. John the Baptist in Zadar, and friars of the province. In his homily, the Minister Provincial highlighted four values that have marked the life, work and spirituality of Fr. Josip: obedience, service, generosity and the ability to listen.