Source: https://glashrvatske.hrt.hr/hr/krajevi/ ... ca-6110327

Translation courtesy of Google...




Srebrenica - seat of the Bosnian Franciscans

It is almost unknown to our public that in the area of ​​Eastern Bosnia from Zvornik through Bratunac to Srebrenica live members of the Croatian people gathered through the work of the Roman Catholic parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Zvornik-Srebrenica and the Association of Citizens "Klisa".

Although before the war in eastern Bosnia there were about 2,000 Roman Catholic Croats, today, 30 years later, about 120 of them live in about eighty families. Mostly in mixed marriages.



Ljubica Janjuš has been living in Srebrenica for 25 years. Since arriving in the area in 1997, he has lived with his family in the city, which today has an estimated 15,000 inhabitants. Ms. Ljubica points out that her family is used to this situation: - It's nice for us. I do not work. I am in the house and I have two workers. I escort them to work, then wait again when they come home from work. I have a Muslim neighbor. We drink coffee every day. One day with me, another with her. When the weather is nice, there’s Guber. Let's take a walk. We're hanging out. There are no problems.

Retired teacher Ljubica Lončarević, born in Bosanski Brod, also lives in nearby Bratunac. She says that she married a doctor who got a job at the well-known pre-war health resort Guber, and when it comes to love there are no rules, so she taught the first letters to children in Srebrenica, not in Brod. He says that life is not easy, but ...: - We mostly live on retirement, because we are an elderly population. I worked in education for 40 years and now I live from retirement. Pensions are increasing, but so are prices, so we are always on the same page. Basically, they live.

According to the parish priest of the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Zvornik-Srebrenica, Fr. Franjo Ninić, which gathers believers in Zvornik, Bratunac, Srebrenica and nearby villages, the structure of this parish community is interesting: - It consists of of those who did so after the war. We have several individuals from Dalmatia, both male and female, Mr. Ivek and Mrs. Jadranka, for example, - says Fr. Franjo and explains that in the 13th century Srebrenica was the seat of the Bosnian Franciscans. According to him, they came to the area at the invitation of Dubrovnik merchants and Catholic miners, who were extremely widespread in the area and needed pastoral care. The Franciscans came from Italy with the intention of pastorally accompanying these Catholics and founded their first houses. and dwellings.

This is evidenced by the excavated and reconstructed monastery foundations, which are a living witness that the life of the Catholic community in Srebrenica was extremely rich.

-By the way, the entire Franciscan province is still called Bosna Srebrena. It used to be called Bosna Srebrenička. The Franciscans have not only a semantic but a real life connection with this place. In 2006, archaeologists excavated the walls of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the 13th century monastery, and then built a new small chapel that the faithful call here their cathedral, and often tourists come here - says Fr. Franjo, while Ms. Janjuš notes that the small a newly built chapel in recent years a place that attracts many tourists.

- Since I have the key, I come and open it. They visit. They paint. They look. A little less, how is this crown - Ljubica points out, while her namesake, retired teacher Ljubica Lončarević explains that there was a need to establish an association of Croat Catholics in Srebrenica, so they founded it and gave it the historical name "Klisa". members of the association are representatives of other denominations.

- The association "Klisa" was founded with the aim of preserving this site, to return the land to the possession of the Church, Bosna Srebrena. So far, this association has had a number of quality activities, from numerous pilgrimages, humanitarian activities, and recently opened a workshop "Klisa" that produces rosaries. to Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, ...

Although Bosnia and Herzegovina is a rather unorganized country, where severe tragedies took place at one point in life, the biggest one is in Srebrenica, according to the pastor, there is no giving up on Eastern Bosnia. There is no giving up on Catholics living in this area.

- There is no giving up on any part of this country where the Franciscans have lived for 700 years, within the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - concludes our conversation with the pastor of the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Zvornik-Srebrenica, Fr. Franjo Ninić.

In the entire parish that stretches from Zvornik through Bratunac to Srebrenica live about eighty Catholic families, and in fact these are people from the Drina who keep the beauty of their speech and expression, but also the beauty of witnessing to the Christian faith and cultural identity to which they belong.