Before the Eucharist, a ceremony was held to unveil and bless the monument dedicated to women who lost their spouses during World War II and the post-war period and bravely carried the burden of motherhood, faith and hope. The work of academic sculptor Ante Jurkić, placed on a roundabout in the city centre near the parish church, was blessed by Archbishop Vukšić, and was unveiled by the President of the Government of Posavina County Đuro Topić, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Posavina County Ana Andrić, and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Darijana Filipović.

Mother Protects Life

The gathered guests were addressed by the parish priest of Odžak and dean of the Dobor Deanery, Rev. Ilija Orkić, who pointed out that his mother lost her father in the fall of 1945, only because one evening he refused to go to the partisan circle out of solidarity with his neighbour who was grieving that night. He emphasized that by erecting the monument, they are not looking for the guilty, but rather want God to heal them. "Mothers and wives, forgive us men for all the misery we have caused you. And a mother is a mother, of any religion and nation, of any age. May the Lord reward you in heaven with eternal joy. Pray for this land of ours, Bosnia and Herzegovina, that wars will stop and children will grow up with mom and dad", emphasized Rev. Orkić.

Minister Andrić, Odžak imam Jasmin ef. Gobeljić, Prime Minister Topić, and MP Filipović also delivered speeches. The musical part of the program, led by Dijana Vranić, featured the ethnic group Čuvarice from Rama.

Good for the Mourners

The central Holy Mass was led by Msgr. Vukšić in concelebration with Rev. Orkić, Archdeacon of Tolisa Archdeacon Rev. Darko Tomašević and 19 other priests.

In his homily, the Archbishop said that the Gospel of Matthew contains five great discourses that summarize Jesus' teachings, and particularly highlighted the Sermon on the Mount, which emphasizes that the blessed are those who mourn because they will be comforted. He said that God's comfort is a gift that encompasses all human suffering, pain and loss, explaining that this can only be understood through the eyes of faith.

He also emphasized that he believes that John the Baptist was an inspiration to many mothers, especially those from Posavina, when, in the difficult years during World War II and the post-war period, their children were forcibly orphaned and they were widowed.

"I remember one man who said that when he started elementary school after World War II, not a single child in his class had a living father", Archbishop Tomo emphasized, asking what today's message was from St. John the Baptist and the grieving mothers of Posavina. Underlining that every time brings its challenges and "Herods" who commit immorality, violence, and allow injustice, he emphasized that in the face of ugly phenomena, every time has saints and martyrs, people who have become role models who proclaim justice. "Sadden by the frequent insults to God's dignity and the increasingly frequent violation of the rules of his morality, saddened by every form of injustice towards any nation and violence against any person, saddened by the injustices towards the Croatian people and, following the holy example of John the Baptist and proud of the mothers who were kissed by the consolation of God, to all the 'Herods' of our days, regardless of their power, we repeat in the name of God that they must not do this", said Msgr. Vukšić.

At the end of the Holy Mass, the parish priest thanked those who participated in organizing the installation of the monument.

The celebration of the patron saint was preceded by a three-day spiritual preparation. After the vigil Holy Mass on August 28^th, a festive concert was held in the churchyard by the ethno group Čuvarice. The vigil Holy Mass was celebrated by Rev. Jakov Filipović, former parish priest of Odžak, and the Eucharist on the patron saint at 8:00 am by Rev. Tomašević.

Let us add that the unveiling ceremony of the monument was organized by the Odžak parish and the Women's Association of the HDZ BiH Queen Katarina Kosača.

Let us recall that in the Odžak region, 3 400 Croatian victims of World War II and the post-war period have been recorded so far, leaving behind around 2 000 widows. The tragedy is even greater because on the other side of the Bosna River is the Burića stable in Garevac, where around 500 Croats were executed in May 1945 alone.