An Adventist pastor in Sydney performed a spiritual song for the President of the Republic of Croatia during her recent visit to Australia.
Pastor Edvard Miler, from the Dundas Croatian Seventh-day Adventist Church, performed at the gala dinner held at the Punchbowl Croatian Club on Monday (August 14) in honour of Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović’s visit.
Ms Grabar-Kitarović was invited to Australia by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull; the first Croatian president to visit since Dr Franjo Tudjman, the first president of Croatia, in 1995.
During her visit, Ms Grabar-Kitarović also held numerous meetings with members of the large Croatian community in Australia. The gala dinner was attended by the President and the members of her delegation; representatives of the Croatian Embassy in Canberra; representatives of the Consulate General of Croatia in Sydney; as well as hundreds of Croatian immigrants who have been living in Australia for years.
The entire program was filled with numerous performances by local Croatian folk companies, to show to the President that the Croatian culture and language continue to be nurtured among Croatian immigrants and their descendants, even to the third and fourth generation.
At the personal invitation of Dr Damir Kušen, Croatian Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Pastor Miler sang “The Fisherman” (“Ribar” in Croatian”) whose author was Pastor Miler’s recently deceased brother, Pastor Frederik Miler. That song was the only spiritual song performed during the evening. According to Pastor Miler, the Ambassador’s invitation to sing was a great honour, not only for himself, but also for the members of Dundas Croatian Church, whose faithful and dedicated work in both the Croatian and local community was acknowledged by this special invitation.
