date: 11.02.2006.
On the 10th. of February, the Feast of Blessed Cardinal Stepinac, Medjugorje Parish commemorates the martyrdom of the Franciscans who were either born in Medjugorje or who had worked in the parish.
Either during or immediately after World War II, 66 Franciscans from Herzegovina perished at the hands of the partisans and the communists. Ten of them are connected with Medjugorje in one way or another... they were either born in the parish, or they had served in it. Their names are Fr. Jozo Bencun, Fr. Marko Dragićević, Fr. Mariofil Sivrić, Fr. Grgo Vasilj, Fr. Jenko Vasilj, Fr. Križan Galić, Fr. Bono Jelavić, Fr. Paško Martinac, Fr. Anđelko Nuić and Fr. Bernardin Smoljan.
Also on that day, the Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated in memory of all the victims from Medjugorje Parish, who fell during World Wars I and II, or during the recent war in defence of the country, and also in memory of all those who gave their lives for the faith and for the homeland. Holy Mass was presided over by Fr. Ivan Sesar, the Parish Priest of Medjugorje.
A short biography of the Franciscan martyrs
Fr. Jozo Bencun was born in Medjugorje on September 26th., 1869. As a priest, he worked in numerous Herzegovinian parishes. The partisans took him from the monastery in Mostar on February 14th., 1945, killed him, and threw his body into the Neretva River. He died at the age of 76, in the 56th year of his religious life and the 52nd year of his priesthood. The whereabouts of his grave is unknown.
Fr. Marko Dragicevic was born in Medjugorje on February 17th., 1902. After attaining a doctorate in classical philology in Fribourg (Switzerland), he worked as a professor of classical languages in the Franciscan High School in Široki Brijeg. On February 11th., 1945, he was taken from the altar in Izbično and killed in Grabova Draga at the age of 43, in the 23rd year of his religious life and the 17th year of his priesthood.
Fr. Mariofil Sivric was born in Medjugorje on February 10th., 1913. The partisans killed him around February 12th., 1945, somewhere near Široki Brijeg, at the age of 32, in the 15th year of his religious life and the 9th year of his priesthood. The whereabouts of his grave is unknown.
Fr. Grgo Vasilj was born in Medjugorje on March 13th., 1886. As a priest, he worked throughout Herzegovina. On February 14th., 1945, together with six other brothers, among whom was the Provincial, Fr. Leo Petrović, he was killed and thrown into the Neretva River in Mostar, at the age of 59, in the 40th year of his religious life and the 34th year of his priesthood. The whereabouts of his grave is unknown.
Fr. Jenko Vasilj was born in Medjugorje on May 2nd., 1914. In May 1945, he was captured somewhere in Slovenia and killed in a place unknown, at the age of 31, in the 14th year of his religious life and the 8th year of his priesthood. The whereabouts of his grave is unknown.
Fr. Krizan Galic was born in Gorica on November 30th., 1870. He served in various parishes in Herzegovina. He was killed by a bomb thrown through a window in the presbytery in Medjugorje, on October 30th., 1944. He is buried in the Kovačica cemetery in Medjugorje.
Fr. Bono Jelavić was born in Veljaci on September 17th., 1898. He obtained a doctorate in theology in Ljubljana. He was a professor at the High School in Široki Brijeg, and the Parish Priest of Medjugorje from 1939 to 1940. Around May 31st., 1945, he was killed near Velika Gorica close to Zagreb, at the age of 47, in the 29th year of his religious life and the 22nd year of his priesthood. The whereabouts of his grave is unknown.
Fr. Paško Martinac was born in Dragićina on June 26th., 1882. He was Parish Priest of Medjugorje from 1936 to 1939. While he was a parish curate in Veljaci, when the partisans came to take the Parish Priest Fr. Julian Kožul, to the prison in Ljubuški, he went with him. He was shot on February 10th., 1945, somewhere in the Ljubuški area, at the age of 63, in the 44th year of his religious life and the 38th year of his priesthood.
Fr. Anđelko Nuić was born in Drinovci on April 10th., 1908. He was a curate in Medjugorje from 1943 to 1945. The partisans killed him after May 15th., 1945, along the road somewhere in Slovenia, at the age of 37, in the 19th year of his religious life and the 13th year of his priesthood. The whereabouts of his grave is unknown.
Fr. Bernardin Smoljan was born in Rodoč near Mostar on October 3rd., 1884. From 1931 to 1936, he was the Parish Priest of Medjugorje where, in 1933, together with the parishioners, he built the Cross on Šipovac Hill, subsequently called Križevac (Cross Mountain). He was one of the Councillors of the Herzegovinian Province, and General Visitor of the Franciscan Order. The partisans killed him on February 14th., 1945, and threw his body into the Neretva River, at the age of 61, in the 44th year of his religious life and the 37th year of his priesthood. The whereabouts of his grave is unknown.
