Daughters of Divine Charity - Servants of Gods. M. Jula Ivanišević,
s. M. Berchmana Leidenix,
s. M. Krizina Bojanc,
s. M. Antonija Fabjan,
s. M. Bernadeta Banja
The sisters of the Daughters of Divine Charity were brought to Sarajevo in 1882 by their foundress Mother Franciska Lechner at the request of Archbishop dr. Josip Stadler. In 1911, at Pale near Sarajevo, they opened their convent called Saint Mary's Home. Originally destined as an oasis for recovering sick sisters who were teachers at saint Joseph Institute in Sarajevo, saint Mary's Home developed into a very fine convalescent center known for its good deeds toward anyone in need who knocked at its door, especially the neighbouring Orthodox residents. This is why it was named the 'hospice for poor people'.
In the war year of 1941 the following sisters were sent by their superiors to serve at the Pale convent: Sr. M. Jula Ivanišević (ethnic 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 (Hungarian, born in 1912). Through their life and work the sisters witnessed to effective Christian charity in the spirit of their gave bread to the orphans 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. Despite all this, Serbian fighters called 'cetnics' broke into the convent on December 11, 1941, 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.
Their 'way of the cross' began in freezing temperatures under snowy conditions without proper winter clothing. Their first stop was the village of 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 Bernadeta 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 cetniks 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. The cetniks 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 cetniks 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.
Sister Jula, Berchmana, Krizina, Antonija and Bernadeta, known as 'the martyrs of Drina', were missionaries who served their God by assisting the sick and poor of the suffering population of Eastern Bosnia. They confirmed their fidelity to God by shedding their blood. The fame of their martyr's death has been spread far and wide. On December 4, 1999, the Archbishop of Sarajevo, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, after having been granted the necessary permission from the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, issued his Decree of Inauguration of Diocesan Process of their beatification. We should all pray for the beatification of the Servants of God Maria Jula Ivanišević and her co-sisters. Their beatification will not only be an official acknowledgment of their martyrdom but it will also foster spiritual values, for which they lived and gave their lives.
Servants of God Jula Ivanisevic, Berchmana Leidenix, Krizina Bojanc, Antonija Fabjan and Bernadeta Banja are extraordinary models of fidelity to God and potent love of those who are afflicted. We sincerely hope that their spilled blood will be the seed of new conscientious and responsible Christians, as well as new spiritual vocations-the focus of Christians and the spiritual vocations for a new time.
They can also intercede for us in our needs, especially in life's trial and dangers. Those who have asked for their intercession are convinced that this is true.
PRAYER
Lord God,
You have endowed
your servants Jula, Berchmana,
Krizina, Antonija and Bernadeta
with the grace of religious vocations
and the strength to confirm
their fidelity and love of you
through the shedding of their blood.
Grant also to us
the constancy in the faith,
so that we may not be
separated from you,
even under the price of suffering.
Grant that the Holy Church
raises your servants
to the honor of altar.
May their example and intercession
help us in our life’s struggles
and in reaching eternal salvation.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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