date: 24.11.2005.
On the fifth anniversary of Fr. Slavko Barbaric’s death, the presentation of Fr. Marinko Sakota’s book “Living with the heart – Fr. Slavko Barbaric, his personality and his work” took place in the Parish hall in Medjugorje, in the presence of about 800 guests.
Several lecturers spoke about Fr. Slavko: Dr. Fr. Ivan Sesar, pastor of Medjugorje and President of the “Fond Fr. Slavko Barbaric”, Fr. Svetozar Kraljevic, Director of “Mother’s Village”, Fr. Mirko Barbaric, a Salesian priest and Fr. Slavko’s friend from childhood, as well as Fr. Marinko, the author of the book. Children from “Mother’s Village” under the direction of Prof. Zrinka Boras accompanied the event with instrumental music and with singing. Visnja Spajic, journalist from Radio “Mir” Medjugorje, presented the programme.
Fr. Marinko wrote this book “five years after Fr. Slavko Barbaric’s death, in thanksgiving to him, and to propose to the faithful a new and deeper reflection on their Christian vocation according to Fr. Slavko’s example”. The author tried to “penetrate into the heart of a man who lived among us, who was so close to us and so similar to us, and at the same time so really special”. From chapter to chapter, our eyes discover the richness of the personality and the original elements of the pastoral work of this priest “who was on fire and who burned out” for Our Lady’s messages: childhood, school time, studies, the encounter with the phenomenon of the apparitions in Medjugorje, the encounter with the visionaries and with the pilgrims, spiritual and pastoral work, spiritual profile, his “birth into heaven”, his burial… Fr. Slavko is alive, Fr. Slavko is an inspiration and an example, Fr. Slavko Barbaric traced a way of understanding Our Lady’s messages and developed a special pastoral work adapted to this particular place of prayer.
The book “Living with the heart – Fr. Slavko Barbaric, his personality and his work” has been published in 2000 ex. in the edition of the author. It can be purchased in the Souvenir shop of the Parish Office Medjugorje. It will be translated into other languages.
