The Holy Mass was led by the metropolitan archbishop of Vrhbosna and the apostolic administrator of the Military Ordinariate in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Tomo Vukšić in concelebration with 15 priests and with the participation of many believers.

In his sermon, Archbishop Vukšić, among other things, said that on that day the entire Catholic Church gratefully remembers the birth of the Mother of our Savior Jesus Christ, and the parish community in Bežlja, whose Our Lady of Heaven is the protector, "remembers its 'birth', that is, its foundation, and thanks the Lord for a century and a half of its existence and faithfulness under the protection of Our Lady". "And this parish rejoices, and we all together with it, especially because during that time, which was full of trials and suffering, nothing could separate its believers from the love of Christ. Neither trouble, nor anxiety, nor persecution, nor hunger, nor nakedness, nor death, nor the sword (cf. Rom 8:35) succeeded in doing this, although they took turns in bursts and often repeated.

Loyalty of the people

He further explained that in the Catholic Church, saints' holidays are regularly associated with the day of their death, because in a spiritual sense, their departure from this world is understood as the day of their birth to heaven, but that during the year there are three holidays that liturgically celebrate the day of physical birth of some people: Christmas, the celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ; the feast of the birth of St. John the Baptist and the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which, especially in popular tradition among the faithful, is usually called Little Mary.

"He exists because the truth of the Catholic faith, the teaching, that 'Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first hour of her conception, by the special grace and privilege of Almighty God, anticipating the merits of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the human race, was preserved, untainted by every stain of original sin, revealed by God, and because of this all believers must firmly and steadfastly believe in him (Ineffabilis Deus, 1854)'", said Archbishop Vukšić.

He reminded the faithful of Bishop Paškal Vujičić, who was the apostolic vicar at the time of the founding of the parish of Bežlja, and of 26 priests, from the first OFM Dominik Markičić to today's rev. Ivan Karača, who leads this parish community. "It is commendable to see that those who live here regularly participate in Holy Masses and especially devotions during Lent and during the Marian months of May and October. The strong connection of those who emigrated and their descendants with their homeland, with the parish and those who live here is also pleasing", said the archbishop of Vrhbosna in his sermon.

Numerous believers

At the end of the Holy Mass celebration, the pastor Karača thanked those who came to Bežlja for the patron saint and the anniversary, and especially those who helped in the organization of the celebration. Holy Mass singing was led by the parish choir of St. Anthony of Padua from Žepče.

Among the many believers were representatives of different levels of political life in BiH and the Republic of Croatia.

After the Holy Mass celebration, there was a public celebration on the grounds of the former elementary school in Studenci, during which the parish priest from Bežlje presented a special gift to Msgr. Vukšić.

The beauty, tradition, customs and costumes of the Usora and Žepa regions were evoked with their performances by four folklore groups: HKUD Komušina from Škofja Loka, HKUD Ognjišta from Lug-Brankovići near Žepče, KUD Izvori Žabljak - Usora and KUD Rodna gruda from Dugo Selo.

Let us remind you that the parish of Bežlja was founded in 1874 and had 3 010 believers until the last war. In August 1992, Serbian forces expelled the entire Croatian population, destroyed their homes and church, as well as their registers. The return began in 2000, and today there are 120 believers living permanently in this parish.