The 68th Anniversary of Martyrdom of Herzegovinian
Franciscans was commemorated in Siroki Brijeg from February 4 to
February 7, 2013. At the same time it was opportunity for the 3rd Days
of Franciscan Martyrs to be held. February 7 was commemorated for the
first time as the “Day of Remembering Franciscan Martyrs and People.” On
Sunday, February 10, we are commemorating Feast of Blessed Cardinal
Stepinac and parish of Medjugorje will be remembering murdered
Franciscans from Medjugorje parish. Holy Mass is going to be celebrated
at 6 p.m. for all murdered Franciscans and victims of the First and
Second World War, as well as victims from the recent Homeland war from
Medjugorje parish. After Holy Mass there will be a lecture in the Hall
of the Bl. John Paul II, and lecturers are Dr. Fr. Robert Jolic and Fr.
Miljenko Mica Stojic. Themes of the lecture are going to be about
history of those murdered in the parish of Medjugorje as well as about
procedure of martyrdom that was initiated. http://www.medjugorje.hr/en/
The Thirty Franciscan Martyrs of Široki Brijeg
Thousands of pilgrims visit the Franciscan Monastery in Široki Brijeg every
year, about one hour distant from Međugorje. On 7th February 1945 the Communist
soldiers arrived and said “God is dead, there is no God, there is no Pope, there
is no Church, there is no need of you, you also go out in the world and work.”The communists forgot that the Franciscans were working, most of the Franciscans
were teaching in the adjoining school. Some of the Franciscans were famous
professors and had written books.
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The communists asked them to remove their
habits. The Franciscans refused. One angry soldier took the Crucifix and threw
it on the floor. He said, “you can now choose either life or death.” Each of the
Franciscans knelt down, embraced the Crucifix and said, “You are my God and my
All.” The thirty Franciscans were taken out and slaughtered and their bodies
burned in a nearby cave where their remains lay for many years. Today they are
buried inside the Franciscan church. In our Gospel today Jesus said, “if anyone
declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in
the presence of my Father in heaven.” The thirty Franciscan martyrs of Široki
Brijeg are a powerful example of declaring oneself in the presence of others for
Jesus. They lived something else Jesus also said in the Gospel, “Do not be
afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who
can destroy both body and soul in hell.”
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Witnessing to Jesus and following God’s way helps others who are lacking
courage to follow Jesus. One of the soldiers in the firing squad at Široki
Brijeg later said, “Since I was a child, in my family, I had always heard from
my mother that God exists. To the contrary, Stalin, Lenin, Tito had always
asserted and taught each one of us: there is no God. God does not exist! But
when I stood in front of the martyrs of Široki Brijeg and I saw how those friars
faced death, praying and blessing their persecutors, asking God forgive the
faults of their executioners, it was then that I recalled to my mind the words
of my mother and I thought that my mother was right: God exists!” That soldier
converted and now he has a son a priest and a daughter a nun. As I said,
witnessing to Jesus and following God’s way also helps others in the crowd who
are lacking the courage to follow Jesus.
Labels:
Siroki Brijeg Martyrs
Fr. Jozo speaks of
the Martyrs of Siroki Brijeg October
2000.
You see on your right here, there is a tomb, a very interesting tomb. When the Communists came here fifty-five years ago, they found thirty Franciscans here in the monastery and they told them that there was no more God. And those soldiers that came were inspired by terrorism telling them that there was no more God, there was no more church, there was no more priesthood nor the need for them.
They were told to remove their habits. But not one of those thirty Franciscans was willing to even enter into a debate about this. An enraged soldier took the crucifix from the wall, threw it at the feet of the Franciscans and said, "Now you can choose, this is your last chance, choose - death or life."
One by one the Franciscans came forth and embraced Jesus. Jesus humiliated at being thrown on the floor. And each one, one by one, said, "You are my God and my everything." One by one they were taken outside,and they were thrown into the flames to be burned, here in the garden. Those were thirty brothers who went forth to their death with song. Some of them sang Salve Regina, others sang The Litany of Our Lady. They all blessed their enemy and forgave them.
You see on your right here, there is a tomb, a very interesting tomb. When the Communists came here fifty-five years ago, they found thirty Franciscans here in the monastery and they told them that there was no more God. And those soldiers that came were inspired by terrorism telling them that there was no more God, there was no more church, there was no more priesthood nor the need for them.
They were told to remove their habits. But not one of those thirty Franciscans was willing to even enter into a debate about this. An enraged soldier took the crucifix from the wall, threw it at the feet of the Franciscans and said, "Now you can choose, this is your last chance, choose - death or life."
One by one the Franciscans came forth and embraced Jesus. Jesus humiliated at being thrown on the floor. And each one, one by one, said, "You are my God and my everything." One by one they were taken outside,and they were thrown into the flames to be burned, here in the garden. Those were thirty brothers who went forth to their death with song. Some of them sang Salve Regina, others sang The Litany of Our Lady. They all blessed their enemy and forgave them.
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