On the day when we remember beatified Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, February 10, we prayed in Međugorje parish for all murdered Franciscans who were born in Međugorje parish: Fr. Križan Galić, Fr. Jozo Bencun, Fr. Marko Dragičević, Fr. Mariofil Sivrić, Fr. Grgo Vasilj and Fr. Jenko Vasilj, who were amongst those 66 priests from Herzegovinian Franciscan Province, brutally murdered by Partisans during the II World War and at the very end of the same war. Fr. Karlo Lovrić celebrated Holy Mass at 6 p.m. in parish church of St. James, and there were also ten other priests that concelebrated with him. Parish priest, Fr. Petar Vlašić spoke before the Holy Mass and said that there isn’t a single family in Međugorje parish that did not have at least one person killed during that period. Fr. Karlo, in his homily, said amongst the other things, the following: “We should be praying for them, but at the same time, we should be praying to them. They were not frightened, they did not deny our Church, and on the contrary, they gave their lives for Jesus and for their country. We thank them for that!”
Let us remind ourselves how Fr. Križan Galić was killed by the bomb that Partisans threw through the window of parish house on October 30, 1944, and he was buried at the cemetery Kovačica at the back of parish church. On February 14, 1945, Partisans came to Mostar monastery and took Fr. Jozo Bencun and Fr. Grgo Vasilj along with six of their priest brothers and they were killed and thrown in river Neretva in Mostar. Fr. Marko Dragičević along with two other priests was taken from the church during the time of Holy Mass that he celebrated and killed at the unknown place in Izbično village on February 11, 1945. Fr. Mariofil Sivrić was arrested by Partisans on February 8, 1945 in Široki Brijeg, and he was not killed immediately with his other eight brothers, but he was killed at the unknown place on February 12, 1945. Fr. Jenko Vasilj was killed in May 1945 as he was on “the way of the cross” with many other priests and Croats and Catholics at that time. He was killed in north east region of Croatia, close to border with Austria.
Number of over 700 parishioners should be added to the sacrifice of these priests, who were killed during the World War I and II and recent, homeland war, all from parish of Međugorje.[Cardinal Alojzije] Stepinac : The Man for His Time (Croatian Almanac 1999)
The case of Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac
Le cardinal Stepinac: Martyr des droits de l'homme (French Edition)
