The Eucharistic celebration in the monastery church of the Sisters of the Daughters of God's Love was led by the Bishop of Sisak, Msgr. Vlado Košić concelebrating with the archbishop of Vrhbosna in peace cardinal Vinko Puljić, Vicar General of the Vrhbosna Archdiocese, Msgr. Slađan Ćosić, teacher at the boarding school of KŠC Sv. Josip and the rector of the Queen of the Holy Rosary Church in Banjski Brijeg, rev. Sandro Jurešić and about 15 other priests.

At the beginning of the Holy Mass, rev. Jurešić greeted those present and emphasized the joy of the many believers who filled the church.

Courageously endure martyrdom

In the appropriate sermon, Msgr. Košić reflected on the Holy Mass readings, which were chosen because they speak of martyrdom and its message. He also mentioned the Maccabean brothers who bravely endured death because they did not want to renounce their Jewish faith before the godless king, comparing their fate with the fate of the Drina martyrs. “They did not submit to the demands of the soldiers who captured them in Pale in their house, which was Mary's home for the poor, whom they cared for regardless of religion and ethnicity. It often happens in life that those who have done good to others are persecuted. We have many such examples, especially from the Second World War and the Homeland War”, said the bishop of Sisak, then speaking about the march of the martyrs who walked across Romania towards Goražde, forced and without suitable shoes and clothes. Some of them, like sister Berchmana, were old women, unprepared for such a journey.

He pointed out that when such evil happens, hardly anyone is brave enough to resist hatred with love, because people run away and do not want to risk their lives. “Our martyrs were also able to do that, especially sister Jula, who was absent when the soldiers invaded their Home in Pale. No, she joined her sisters and bravely stood up to the violence. It seemed that violence won because they were killed and violently ended their lives in Goražde and in the waves of the Drina river”, said Msgr. Košić, then emphasizing that violence never wins, even in this case. The martyrs could not resist by force, but they did by their resistance and, although they died, they did not obey their orders.

To be united with Christ

He then referred to the reading from the New Testament in which St. Paul says that no one and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. “If we are in Christ, he protects us, embraces us and holds us close to him, that no earthly evil, and no evil man can separate us from him. Neither death nor life can do that, as the apostle beautifully enumerates. Nothing, nothing! Not even a violent death could separate our blessed, Drina martyrs from Christ. Not enemy soldiers, not Chetniks, not yesterday, not today, never. They were united with Christ and he protected them”, said Bishop Vlado, encouraging us to “rejoice with the blessed sisters who lost their earthly life because of Christ, but gained it in eternity, with him”.

At the end of the Holy Mass, rev. Jurešić thanked those present, and then at the picture of the Bl. Drina martyrs were followed by a prayer for their canonization.

The nuns of the Daughters of God's Love, theologians, faithful worshipers of Bl. Martyrs of the Drina and high school students from the KŠC boarding school who magnified this celebration with their singing.

Let us remind you that on December 15^th 1941, five martyred sisters, members of the Society of the Daughters of God's Love, were abducted by the Chetniks from the monastery in Pale near Sarajevo and taken to Goražde. In the period between December 15^th and 23^rd, they were killed “out of hatred for religion” in the territory of eastern Bosnia. They were beatified on September 24^th 2011 in Sarajevo.