Drina Martyrs
Encyclopedia
Drina Martyrs are the professed Sisters
of the Congregation
of the Daughters of Divine Charity
, murder
ed because of their faith
in Bosnia and Hercegovina between December 15 and 23, 1941.
In the war year of 1941 the following sisters were sent by their superiors
to serve at the Pale convent of Daughters of Divine Charity: Sr. M. Jula Ivanišević (Croat, born in 1893) as superior of the community, Sr. M. Berchmana Leidenix (Austrian
, born in 1865), Sr. M. Krizina Bojanc (Slovene, born in 1885), Sr. M. Antonija Fabjan (Slovene, born in 1907) and Sr. M. Bernadeta Banja (Croat, born in 1912). Through their life and work the sisters witnessed to effective Christian charity in the spirit of their Congregation. With self-abnegation they served the sick
and magnanimously gave bread to the orphan
s of the nearby state-run home, making no distinctions according to religious or ethnic affiliation. They also helped the poor
and the beggars who came down from Romanija
Mountain.
During this period the country known as Yugoslavia
was undergoing the early stages of civil war. Croatia
had declared its independence and become a Nazi puppet state. Croatian and Serbian nationalists began to target one another, and the nuns were caught in the crossfire, as they were, fairly or not, identified as being on the side of Catholic Croatia
. On December 11, 1941, Serb nationalist forces ("Chetniks
") broke into the convent looted the house, and burned it down. They took the five sisters against their will and forced them to walk in the direction of Goražde
. These "Chetniks
" were allegedly under the command of one Jezdimir Dangić
.
Their suffering
began in freezing temperatures under snowy conditions without proper winter clothing. Their first stop was the place Careve Vode, before moving on to Sjetlina
, where the 76 year old Sister Berchmana, exhausted from the forced march and all the events, was separated from the group and forced to remain behind. Sisters Jula, Krizina, Antonija and Bernardeta were then forced onward to Goražde.
Their journey took four days and four nights from Pale to Goražde over Romanija Mountain. They reached Goražde on the afternoon of December 15, 1941 and were placed in a room on the second floor of the barracks
. On that same evening, the unrestrained Serbian nationalists guerillas, in a drunken state broke into their room and, with impure intentions, assaulted them. In order to defend their human dignity and consecrated
chastity
, the sisters broke loose from the hands of their aggressors and one by one jumped out through the window. Several of the men rushed to the front of the barracks and seeing that the sisters were hurt, killed them with their knives and threw their bodies into the River Drina
where they were carried down stream some days later.
Sister Berchmana remained at Sjetlina for about ten days where she recovered significantly. She was told that she would join the other sisters at Goražde but the others had already been killed. Two men put her in their sleigh pretending to take her to Goražde. Upon their return, the driver told the villagers that the sister had safely joined the other sisters, while one of them had her rosary
around his neck. According to a written statement, she was killed on December 23, 1941.
and beatification
followed on September 24, 2011 in Sarajevo
(capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina
), in Olimpic hall Zetra.
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
of the Congregation
Congregation (catholic)
The term "congregation" has three usages specific to the Roman Catholic Church. One concerns the Roman Curia, the other two concern religious institutes.- Roman Curia :...
of the Daughters of Divine Charity
Daughters of Divine Charity
The Daughters of Divine Charity are an order of Roman Catholic religious sisters with a mother house in Vienna.-History:Mother Franziska Lechner began her work in 1868 in Vienna, Austria by opening St. Mary's Homes for working girls during the European Industrial Revolution...
, murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed because of their faith
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
in Bosnia and Hercegovina between December 15 and 23, 1941.
Life
Their names were Marija Jula (Kata) Ivanišević, Marija Bernadeta (Terezija) Banja, Marija Krizina (Josefa) Bojanc, Marija Antonija (Josefa) Fabjan and Maria Berchmana (Carolina Anna) Leidenix.In the war year of 1941 the following sisters were sent by their superiors
Superior (hierarchy)
In a hierarchy or tree structure of any kind, a superior is an individual or position at a higher level in the hierarchy than another , and thus closer to the apex. It is often used in business terminology to refer to people who are supervisors and in the military to people who are higher in the...
to serve at the Pale convent of Daughters of Divine Charity: Sr. M. Jula Ivanišević (Croat, born in 1893) as superior of the community, Sr. M. Berchmana Leidenix (Austrian
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
, born in 1865), Sr. M. Krizina Bojanc (Slovene, born in 1885), Sr. M. Antonija Fabjan (Slovene, born in 1907) and Sr. M. Bernadeta Banja (Croat, born in 1912). Through their life and work the sisters witnessed to effective Christian charity in the spirit of their Congregation. With self-abnegation they served the sick
Sickness behavior
thumb|350px|right|[[Michael Peter Ancher|Ancher, Michael]], "The Sick Girl", 1882, [[Statens Museum for Kunst]]Sickness behavior is a coordinated set of adaptive behavioral changes that develop in ill individuals during the course of an infection....
and magnanimously gave bread to the orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
s of the nearby state-run home, making no distinctions according to religious or ethnic affiliation. They also helped the poor
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and the beggars who came down from Romanija
Romanija
Romanija is a geographical region in eastern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Main towns in the region include Pale, Sokolac, and Han Pijesak....
Mountain.
During this period the country known as Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
was undergoing the early stages of civil war. Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
had declared its independence and become a Nazi puppet state. Croatian and Serbian nationalists began to target one another, and the nuns were caught in the crossfire, as they were, fairly or not, identified as being on the side of Catholic Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. On December 11, 1941, Serb nationalist forces ("Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
") broke into the convent looted the house, and burned it down. They took the five sisters against their will and forced them to walk in the direction of Goražde
Goražde
Goražde , is a city and municipality in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Drina river. It is located between Foča, Sokolac and Višegrad, and is administratively part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the center of the Bosnian Podrinje Canton.-Location:Goražde is situated on the...
. These "Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
" were allegedly under the command of one Jezdimir Dangić
Jezdimir Dangic
Jezdimir "Jezda" Dangić was a Bosnian Serb lawyer and gendarmerie officer. During World War II he was a member of the Chetnik movement.- Early life :...
.
Their suffering
Suffering
Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, is an individual's basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm. Suffering may be qualified as physical or mental. It may come in all degrees of intensity, from mild to intolerable. Factors of duration and...
began in freezing temperatures under snowy conditions without proper winter clothing. Their first stop was the place Careve Vode, before moving on to Sjetlina
Sjetlina
Sjetlina is a village in the municipality of Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
, where the 76 year old Sister Berchmana, exhausted from the forced march and all the events, was separated from the group and forced to remain behind. Sisters Jula, Krizina, Antonija and Bernardeta were then forced onward to Goražde.
Their journey took four days and four nights from Pale to Goražde over Romanija Mountain. They reached Goražde on the afternoon of December 15, 1941 and were placed in a room on the second floor of the barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
. On that same evening, the unrestrained Serbian nationalists guerillas, in a drunken state broke into their room and, with impure intentions, assaulted them. In order to defend their human dignity and consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
, the sisters broke loose from the hands of their aggressors and one by one jumped out through the window. Several of the men rushed to the front of the barracks and seeing that the sisters were hurt, killed them with their knives and threw their bodies into the River Drina
Drina
The Drina is a 346 kilometer long river, which forms most of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed...
where they were carried down stream some days later.
Sister Berchmana remained at Sjetlina for about ten days where she recovered significantly. She was told that she would join the other sisters at Goražde but the others had already been killed. Two men put her in their sleigh pretending to take her to Goražde. Upon their return, the driver told the villagers that the sister had safely joined the other sisters, while one of them had her rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
around his neck. According to a written statement, she was killed on December 23, 1941.
Beatification
Because of their Martyrdom Holy father Benedict XVI announced, 14 January, 2011, promulgation of decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of SaintsCongregation for the Causes of Saints
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of "heroic virtues" and beatification...
and beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
followed on September 24, 2011 in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
(capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
), in Olimpic hall Zetra.
Writers
Catholic priest Franc Ksaver Meško, a Slovenian writer, first wrote about the Drina Martyrs. Ante Baković, a Croatian writer and also a priest, also wrote a book documenting their story.See also
- Christian martyrsChristian martyrsA Christian martyr is one who is killed for following Christianity, through stoning, crucifixion, burning at the stake or other forms of torture and capital punishment. The word "martyr" comes from the Greek word μάρτυς, mártys, which means "witness."...
- Martyrs of the Spanish Civil WarMartyrs of the Spanish Civil WarMartyrs of the Spanish Civil War is the name given by the Catholic Church to the people who were killed by Republicans during the war because of their faith. As of July 2008, almost one thousand Spanish martyrs have been beatified or canonized...
- Dusty Miller (martyr)Dusty Miller (martyr)"Dusty" Miller was a British P.O.W. in Thailand on the Burma Railway during Second World War. His life and death is attested to in Ernest Gordon's autobiographical work Through the Valley of the Kwai .-Background:Miller was a gardener from Newcastle and a Methodist...
- Óscar RomeroÓscar RomeroÓscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was a bishop of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. He became the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador, succeeding Luis Chávez. He was assassinated on 24 March 1980....
- Alojzije Stepinac
- Roman Catholicism in Bosnia and HerzegovinaRoman Catholicism in Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Roman Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....
Source
Literature
- Franc Ksaver Meško: Izbrano delo I-VI Mohorjeva družba v Celju (1954-1960)
- Anto Baković: Drinske mučenice, Vlastita svjedočanstva, Svjedočanstva očividaca, Dokumenti, Anto Baković, Sarajevo 1990.