Štefković said Bunarić should be a place where people pause, pray and learn humility, responsibility and solidarity from the Blessed Virgin Mary. He said the shrine was particularly significant for local Catholics, especially Croats in northern Bačka, which is why it has been included in the calendar of Dužijanca celebrations.
Marinko Piuković, head of the Bunjevci Croats' association Dužijanca, said the participation of the bandaš and bandašica, the traditional leaders of the harvest festivities, highlighted the close connection between Catholic faith and the traditions of local Croats.
Bunarić is a well-known Marian pilgrimage site of the Diocese of Subotica. Masses have been held there regularly since 1953, while a copy of the Our Lady of Tears icon from Syracuse, Italy, was brought to the shrine in 1968. The site was officially designated a diocesan shrine in 2021.