Holy Mass for all killed Franciscans during and after the World War II,
as well as for all parishioners killed in the First, Second and recent Homeland
War was celebrated in the parish church of St. James on Monday, February 10, on
the feast of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac. Up to this day, graves of so many killed
persons have remained unknown, but memory on them is still alive in hearts and
prayers of faithful. Fr. Ivan Dugandzic celebrated the evening Holy Mass with
six priests that have concelebrated. As he spoke about killed Franciscans, he
said:
“Every year, Herzegovinian Franciscans and all faithful recall with
sadness and pride their most recent history. With deepest sorrow, we remember
how 66 Franciscan priests were killed in February 1945 by evil communists,
but we also remember thousands of husbands and wives who have never returned
home after their execution Way of the Cross that took place after the World War
II. Their graves remain still unknown. As we proudly remember them we know that
our killed
Franciscans were martyrs and witnesses of our Christian faith who were
killed just because they protected their people and their faith. Communist
executors thought that by killing them, they will kill the faith of these
people. We know they were mistaken – the case was also here proved that blood of
martyrs was a seed of new Christians.
As we remember today in our liturgy Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, who was a
victim of those same executors and witness of our faith in a kind of different
way, we also remember Fr. Krizan Galic, parish priest of this parish who was
brutally murdered here in the parish office and six other priests who were born
in this parish and murdered throughout Herzegovina: Fr. Jozo Bencun, Fr.
Benardin Smoljan, Fr. Marko Dragićević, Fr. Mariofil Sivrić, Fr. Grgo Vasilj and
Fr. Jenko Vasilj.
Along with them, we also in this Holy Mass, recommend into God’s grace
all those who were killed and who went missing in the First, Second World War,
in the period after the war, as well as in the recent homeland war.” source http://www.medjugorje.hr/en/
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