History

• In 1920 when military government branded and ordained horses for the military in the villages, the mutiny broke out. The mutineers robbed the church and Bistrica traders. The robbers were caught and punished mildly. They were judged by poet Dragutin Domjanić who apologized for that in one of his poems to Mother of God and he asked her for her forgiveness. 
• Count Ernest Karlo Schippenbach and countess Henrika Sermage, nobleman Antun Rubido and Sidonija Erdödy (opera Prima Donna), dr Ljudevit Gaj and Paulina Krizmanić have wed there.
• Perish house (1753) was for a while a meeting-place of Croatian reformers. Ljudevit Gaj, Stanko Vraz, JJ Stroßmayer have frequented it, as well as the musicians like Zajc, Lisinski and Kirschhofer.
• The tradition of pilgrimage to Marija Bistrica started when the statue of Bistrica Mother of God was found Bistrička on 16 July 1684, but the history of Marija Bistrica isn’t connected only with the statue of Bistrica Mother of God.
• During the World war II Krsto Hegedušić, whose unfinished frescoes can be seen in the basilica, was staying here. Frescoes were supposed to show: the Birth of Christ, the Escape to Egypt and the Way of the Cross. Frescoes were not finished because it wasn’t recommendable to stay in Marija Bistrica during the war.
• The first school in Marija Bistrica was mentioned in 1590 and then in 1699, but there are no correct data on how long did they last. Since 1852 the school has been working ceaselessly.
• After the abolition of serfdom in 1848, the municipality was founded; in 1900 the building of municipality government was built.
• It is difficult to talk about the beginnings of music and the use of musical instruments in Marija Bistrica because music was nurtured from ancient times. The first Bistrica souvenirs had been musical instruments. With founding of volunteer Fire department in 1889, the Wind orchestra started to work. When Cultural club “Lovro Ježek” was founded in 1975, the Wind orchestra with folklore section and tamburitza orchestra have been participating in almost every manifestation in Bistrica.
• The foundation-stone for St Peter’s chapel has been placed down by beatus Aloisius Stepinac and it was built in 1940.
• On 15 August 1971 Marian International Congress was held and lead by special Pope’s envoy Cardinal Franjo Šeper. The multitude of 150 000 pilgrims was gathered at the congress, which was unseen in the communist countries at that time.
• On 3 December 1971 on the Conference of Bishops in Yugoslavia, the Bishops declared sanctuary in Marija Bistrica to be Croatian National Sanctuary of Bistrica Mother of God.
• On 24 and 25 May 1974 the first National Marian Congress was held in Marija Bistrica.
• On 1 October 1978 the missionary of love, beata Mother Theresa and Bengal missionary abbot Ante Gabrić visited Marija Bistrica.
• On 9 September 1984 the second magnificent pilgrim meeting – the National Eucharist Congress (NEK 84) was held and it was lead by Archbishop Cardinal Franz Koenig, a special  envoy of Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Franjo Šeper. The preacher was Archbishop Cardinal of Zagreb at that time Franjo Kuharić. 
• On 20 June 1987 the Holy Chair proclaimed the holiday of Bistrica Mother of God on 13 July as the holiday of Croatian Catholic Church.  
• On 3 October this small place was visited by the Holy Father the Pope John Paul II, he blessed it and, on the request of archbishop of Zagreb Monsignor Josip Bozanić, he beatified Aloisius Stepinac, a former Archbishop of Zagreb and Bistrica pilgrim.