Dum Oracio

U nekim katoličkim selima jugoistočne Hercegovine donedavno se pričalo o nekom svećeniku, strancu kojega su obično nazivali "dum Oracio". Oni koji su ga spominjali uglavnom nisu znali, kako je ondje došao, ali im je bilo poznato, da je bio Talijan. Upravo ovo njegovo podrijetlo bilo je razlog nekoga posebnoga poštovanja. Ali i bez toga, on je ostao u lijepoj uspomenici u mjestima gdje je djelovao, jer je na svaki način nastojao pomoći narodu i biti mu na raspolaganje i uz najveće lične žrtve.

Povod Oracijeva Dolaska u Hercegovinu

Stara trebinjska biskupija bila je god. 1839 dana na upravu dubrovačkom biskupu. Biskupi iz Dubrovnika nastojali su osigurati duhovnu pastvu u trebinjskim župama. Kada trebinjska biskupija nije imala svojih svećenika, oni biskupi tražili su svećenike na drugim stranama, posebno u bosanskoj i dubrovačkoj franjevačkoj provinciji.

Na početku biskupske službe Tome Jederlinića, koji je god. 1842 postao dubrovački biskup, pružila se dobra prilika, da se osigura duhovna pastva u trebinjskoj biskupiji. U veljači god. 1843 došla su u Dubrovnik tri Isusovca iz Skadra, kad su ondje 30 siječnja Turci srušili njihovu kuću, koju su podigli bez potrebne carske dozvole. Dubrovački biskup lijepo je primio progranike i ponudio im, da bi osnovali isusovačku misiju u trebinjskoj biskupiji. Oni su se pokazali pripravnim. A kad je odobrilo i njihovo starješinstvo, započeli su s misijom god. 1845.

Isusovci su djelovali u trebinjskoj biskupiji gotovo 10 godina. Ali kad su god. 1845 odlučili otvoriti svoj kolegij u Dubrovniku, članovi misije u trebinjskoj biskupiji imali su napustiti onu misiju i povući se u Dubrovnik.

Trebinjska biskupija imala je tada tri svoja svećenika (Vid Novaković Maslać župnik u Dubravama, Ilija Vukas župnik u Ravnom i Ivan Vlahinić župnik u Trebimlji), a pet župa. Dakle, odlaskom Isusovca dvije župe trebinjske biskupije ostale su bez župnika.

Biskup Jederlinić opet je morao naći svećenike, koji bi htjeli preuzeti one dvije nepopunjene župe trebinjske biskupije. Odmah se obratio Dubrovačkim franjevcima. Upravo onda nalazio se u dubrovačkom samostanu fra Lujo Ućelini (Uccellini), rodom s Lopuda, koji se spremao, ići kao misionar u Albaniju. Njega je biskup uvjerio, da mjesto u Albaniju, ide u trebinjsku biskupiju. S dozvolom generala Reda Ućelini je god. 1855 preuzeo župu Gradac, a brinuo se po po mogućnosti i za župu Hrasno, koja je bila nepopunjena.

Ućelini je marljivo započeo s radom, ali je uvidio brzo, da je jednom čovjeku nemoguće služiti oboje župe. Kako biskup Jederlinić nije uspijevao naći drugog svećenika, stavio se potražiti ga sam. Obratio je Generali franjevačkog Reda i zamolio ga, da bi mu našao jednog svećenika, koji bi htio misionar u trebinjskoj biskupiji.

Franjevački misionari pripravljali su se za svoje buduće djelovanje u dva kolegija u Rimu, u kolegiju sv. Bartolomeja i u kolegiju sv. Petra. Obično bi, ulazeći u kolegij, znali za koje se misije spremaju, budući da su njihove redovničke provincije imale svoje vlastite misije, a bilo je i takvih koji su stavljali na raspolaganje Generalu, da ih on pošalje gdje bude potreba od misionara.

Kad je u Rim došla molba fra Luje Ućelini, upravo je bio završio školu fra Horacije Torino. On je mislio ići u Kinu ili u Sv. Zemlju, ali je bio na raspolaganju Generalnog Reda. Kad mu je General saopćio molbu Ućelinia, fra Horacije je bez riječi primio ponudu, da ide kao misionar u Tursku, u trebinjsku biskupiju.

Život I Rad

Fra Horacije Torino rodio se u mjestu Buska (Busca), u blizini talijanskog grada Turina, 21 veljače 1828. U franjevački Red je stupio 15 rujna 1846. Postavši god. 1851 svećenik, odlučio se djelovati u misijama. Stoga je poslan u Rim, da se u kolegiju sv. Bartolomeja pripravi za misijsko djelovanje. A nakon završenih škola prihvatio je da ide u trebinjsku biskupiju. U Gradac je došao 18 siječnja 1856 i ostao neko vrijeme kod fra Luje, da nauči nešto jezika, a onda je prešao u Hrasno, kamo ga je biskup Jederlinić poslao za župnika.

Težak je bio početak fra Horaciju. Slabo je poznavao jezik svojih župljana, župa je bila prostrana, putevi više za koze nego za ljude, a svijet je bio siromašan. Ipak uza sve poteškoće, privikao se na prilike, naučio dosta dobro jezik i vrlo zadovoljavao potrebama župe, u kojoj je ostao pet godina.

God. 1860 vratila se iz Italije nakon završenih nauka, dva mlada svećenika trebinjske biskupije. Nikola Lazarević i Jozo Maslać. Sada im je dubrovački biskup morao naći mjesto, pa je dva franjevaca povukao u dubrovačku biskupiju, a ovoj dvojici dao je njihove župe. Ipak ove franjevce nije oslobodio misijske dužnosti nego ih je držao na raspolaganju, kad opet zatrebaju, a to se moglo brzo očekivati.

Radi nemirnih prilika na području trebinjske biskupije, biskup nije mogao obaći svu biskupiju, ali ju je ipak htio posjetiti, pa je u listopadu god. 1861 otišao u Trebimlju, da se porazgovori o prilikama trebinjske biskupije. Pozvao je i Vida Maslaća, koji je bi povikar trebinjske biskupije. Tom prigodom odlučeno je osnovati novu župu u Stocu, koja bi imala obuhvati nekoliko sela župe u Dubravama i tri sela župe Hrasno. Iako je pred nekoliko godina povikar Maslać kupio kućicu u Stocu, nisu je smatrali podesnom za župnika, pa su odlučili napraviti novu kuću, u kojoj bi bila kapelica i škola. Biskup je dao u tu svrhu odmah 100 cekina od dobivene milostinje za trebinjsku biskupiju.

Prije nego se započela praviti nova kuća u Stocu, umro je 14 siječnja 1862 Vid Maslać, koji je preko 20 godina bio glavna ličnost u trebinjskoj biskupiji. Naravno sposoban i spretan, kroz dugi niz godina uspijevao je rješavati poteškoće i otkljanjati pogibi od katolika trebinjske biskupije. Šta je Vid Maslać značio za onu biskupiju, vidjelo se prigodom početka gradnje kuće za župnika u Stocu. Iako su katolici dobili sve potebne dozvole za gradnju kuće, pobunili se mjesni muslimani i prisilili radnike, da obustave radove.

Međutim, biskup je htio otvoriti novu župu. Župnik se je imao privremeno nastaniti u staroj kući, koju je kupio Vid Maslać. Kad je biskup tražio svećenika, kojemu bi provjerio novu župu, oku mu je palo na fra Horacija, koji mu je bio na raspolaganju. On je došao u Stolac u svibnju 1863. Osim običnog rada na župi, nadgledao je radove na gradnji, kad se mogla ponovno započeti. Kuća je bila dogotovljena početkom god. 1866, a fra Horacije ju je naselio 15 travnja te godine.

Horacije nije dugo ostao u Stocu. God 1865 došao je sa škola iz Rima Lazar Lazarević. Biskup ga je poslao za kapelana u Dubrave tadanjem povikaru Nikoli Lazareviću, gdje je on ostao dvije godine. Međutim, god. 1867 biskup je smatrao, da je Lazar najpodesnija osoba za povikara, pa je tada i imenovao. A kako je u Stocu napravljena nova kuća, imenovao ga je također stolačkim župnikom. Tako je sijelo trebinjskog povikara preneseno iz Dubrava u Stolac.

Na taj način fra Horacije je izgubio ponovno župu. A kako su tada sve župe trebinjske biskupije bile popunjene, dubrovački biskup imenovao je fra Horacija župnikom u Crnoj Gori na Pelješcu. Na toj župi je bio tri godine.

Nakon 14 godina rada po raznim župama, fra Horacije se zaležio samostanskog života. Kako se nije mogao vratiti u Italiju, jer samostani njegove provincije bili zatvoreni od liberalnih revolucionara, zamolio je 15 svibnja 1869, da bi ga smjestio u samostan u Dubrovniku. To mu je dozvoljeno 8 lipnja 1870.

Fra Horacije je ostao u dubrovačkom samostanu nekoliko godina. I ondje je marljivo radio, ali često je mislio na prilike trebinjske biskupije. Upalo mu je u oči da je onda u Dubrovniku bilo 40 svećenika na 6.000 duša. Naprotiv u trebinjskoj biskupiji na 10.000 duša bila su samo 6 svećenika. A prostrana župa Dubrave imala je oko 3.500 duša, za koje se brinuo samo jedan svećenik.

U to vrijeme dubrovački biskup kao upravitelj trebinjske biskupije bio je napravio plan, da osnuje novu župu otcijepivši 1.000 duša od župe Dubrave i 200 duša od župe Hrasno. Samo je trebalo naći svećenika. Obratio se fra Horaciju i zamolio ga, da se opet žrtvuje za narod trebinjske biskupije. Kad je on pristao, biskup je dobio dozvolu od Generala Reda 4 ožujka 1874.

Fra Horacije je zaputio u novu župu 9 svibnja 1874. Nastanio se u selu Doljanima, gdje je iznajmio kuću za stanovanje, a u blizini je bila je god. 1862. obnovljena kapelica, koja je sada služila kao župska crkva. Ovu župu zvali su župom Doljani ili Gabela, kasnije Klepci i konačno Dračevo.

U ovoj siromašnoj močvarnoj župi fra Horacije je ostao 10 godina. U njoj je proživio teške dane ustanka, kad je zajedno sa pukom jedno vrijeme morao prebjeći na austrijsko područje, i dočekao austrijsku vlast.

Kad je Austrija zaposjela Bosnu i Hercegovinu, fra Horacije je bio odlučio vratiti se u Italiju. Ipak je na molbu biskupa i naroda ostao do konca god. 1884, jer mu je tek onda dubrovački biskup Vodopić uspio naći zamjenika.

Povratak U Domovinu I Smrt

Početkom god. 1885 fra Horacije je zauvijek napustio trebinjsku biskupiju i vratio se u Italiju. Na prolazu kroz Rim bio je lijepo primljem. General Reda i rimska kongregacija Propaganda bili su zadovoljni s njegovim dugogodišnjim misijskim radom u Hercegovini. Da bi mu na vidljiv način pokazali svoje priznanje, dali su mu naslov i čast isluženog provincijala.

Njegova redovnička braća u Piemontu dočekali su ga s poštovanjem. Gledali su u njemu junaka, koji je usprkos žrtva služio kroz duge godine katolicima u dalekoj Turskoj. Na prvom kapitulu su ga u starješinstvo svoje provincije i postavili ga gvardijanom u samostanu Krea (Crea).

Fra Horacije je zdušno započeo novu dužnost. Misleći na dugogodišnji rad u Hercegovini, gdje je bio sam i zapušten, veseo je provodio život među svojom redovničkom braćom. Posebno je uživao u zajednočkoj molitvi, za kojom je tako čeznuo, dok je sam hodao po neprohodnim brdima Hercegovine.

Bio je petak 14 listopada 1887. Kada obično, i onaj je dan fra Horacije zajedno s braćom završio večernju molitvu, a onda je započeo ispit savjesti i pokorničke molitve, kako je to propisivao franjevački obrednik. Idući, iza toga, prema blagovaonici zajedno sa braćom naizmjenice je molio: "Smiluj mi se Gospodine, po ljubeznoj dobrostivosti svojoj". Po svoj prilici tada je u njegovoj svijesti bila prisutna njegova misionarska djelatnost: koliko je mogao bolje djelovati, koliko je mogao biti uslužniji svojim vjernicima. Gledao je u svom životu mnoge manjkavosti i propuste. Ali ipak, uza sve, vjerovao je u milosrđe Božje, pa je iskreno riječima kralja Davida molio:

"Stvori, Bože srce čisto u meni, ulij u me novi i postojni duh...".

Došavši u blagovaonicu čekao je, da braća zauzimu svoja mjesta, pa da započne molitvi prije jela. Međutim, prije nego je otvorio usta, osjetio je velika bol u srcu. Bez oklijevanja dao je svoju dušu Gospodinu, o čijoj je dobroti toliko godina propovijedao po Hercegovačkim brdima.

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Izvor: Bazilije Pandžić, "Dum Oracio" Hrvatski Kalendar 1978 Str. 257-261

Pater Horacio


Until recently in some Catholic villages in southeastern Herzegovina there were stories about a priest, a foreigner who was frequently called "Dum Oracio." For the most part, those who talked about him did not know how he got there, but it was known to them that he was Italian. In fact, his origins were the reason for a particular respect. But even without it, he remained a pleasant reminder in those places where he worked because he worked by any means to help the people and be accessible to them even in the face of great personal suffering.

The Cause of Horatio's Arrival in Herzegovina

In 1839, the old Trebinje Diocese was under the administration of the Bishop of Dubrovnik. Bishops from Dubrovnik worked to secure spiritual aid in the Treninje parishes. When the Trebinje Diocese didn't have its own priests, the bishops would look for priests in other places, particularly in the Bosnia and Dubrovnik Franciscan provinces.

At the beginning of his Bishop's service, Tome Jederlinic who became Bishop of Dubrovnik in 1842, a good opportunity arose to secure spiritual aid in the Trebinje Diocese. In February of 1843, three Jesuits arrived in Dubrovnik from Shkoder (1), when on January 30, the Turks destroyed thier house which the built without the proper permits from the empire. The Bishop of Dubrovnik graciously accepted these refugees and asked them to found a Jesuit mission in the Trebinje Diocese. They were ready to do so. They began their mission in 1845 when their Custodial Board gave their permission.

The Jesuits worked in the Trebinje Diocese for 10 years. But in 1854, when the Jesuits decided to open a College in Dubrovnik, the members of the mission in the Trebinje Diocese had to leave this misson and return to Dubrovnik.

At that time, the Trebinje Diocese had five parishes and three of its own priests: Vid Novakovic Maslac pastor of Dubrave, Ilija Vukas pastor of Ravno and Ivan Vlahinic pastor of Trebimlja. Therefore, with the departure of the Jesuits, two parishes in the Trebinje Diocese were left without pastors.

Bishop Jederlinic had to once again find priests who would be willing to take over these two open parishes in the Trebinje Diocese. He immediately went to the Franciscans in Dubrovnik. He came across friar Lujo Ucelini (Uccellini) from Lopud, who was ready to go to Albania as a missionary. The Bishop prevailed upon him to go to the Trebinje Diocese instead of going to Albania. With the permission of the General of the Order, Ucelini took over the parish of Gradac in 1855, and concerned himself when it was possible with the parish of Hrasno, which was also open.

Friar Ucelini dilligently began his work, but he saw early on that it was impossible for one man to serve both parishes. As Bishop Jederlinic was not able to find another priest, friar Ucelini looked for one himself. He went to the General of the Franciscan Order and asked him to find a priest, who would like to go as a missionary into the Trebinje Diocese.

Franciscan missionaries prepared for their future work in two colleges in Rome, in St. Bartholomew's College and in St. Peter's College. Customarily they would already know what missions were being prepared for when they entered the college, even though their own provinces had their own missions, and there were those who put themselves at the discretion of the General to send them where missionaries were needed.

When the request of frial Lujo Ucelini arrived in Rome, friar Horacio Torino has just finished school. He was planning to go to China or to the Holy Land, but he was at the discretion of the General of the Order. When the General informed him of friar Lujo's request, friar Horatio accepted the request without a word to go to Turkey as a missionary in the Trebinje Diocese.

His Life and Work

Friar Horatio Torino was born in Busca near the Italian city of Turin on February 21, 1828. He joined the Franciscan Order on September 15, 1846. In 1851 he became a priest and decided to work in the missions. He was sent to Rome to St. Bartholomew's College to prepare for missionary work. After finishing school, he agreed to go to the Trebinje Diocese. He arrived in Gradac on January 18, 1856 and stayed at friar Lujo's for a while to learn some of the language, and then moved into Hrasno where Bishop Jederlinic sent him to be the pastor.

Beginning was difficult for friar Horatio. He didn't know the language of his parishioners too well, the parish covered a wide area, the roads were more for goats than for humans, and the people were poor. However, in spite of this he adjusted to the environment, learned the language well enough and satisfied the needs of the parish in which he stayed for five years.

Two young priests of the Trebinje Diocese, Nikola Lazarevic and Jozo Maslac, returned home in 1860 after finishing their studies. Bishop Jederlinic had to make room for them and moved two Franciscans back to Dubrovnik and gave their parishes to the newcomers. However, this did not free the Franciscans from their missionary responsibilities, but were held at their discretion when they were needed again, which could be soon.

Because of unstable situation in the Trebinje Diocese, the Bishop could not visit the entire diocese, but wanted to still visit it, and in 1861 went to Trebimlja to discuss the situation in the Trebinje Diocese. He invited Vid Maslac who was the vice-vicar of the Trebinje Diocese. It was decided then to begin a new parish in Stolac, which would encompass several villages of the Dubrave parish and three villages of the Hrasno parish. Even though vice-vicar Maslac bought a small house in Stolac, it wasn't considered suitable for a pastor, and it was decided a new house would be built which would have a chapel and a school in it. The Bishop gave 100 ducats from donations already received for the Trebinje Diocese.

Before work on the new house started in Stolac, Vid Maslac, who for over 20 years was the main figure of the Trebinje Diocese, died on January 14, 1862. Skilled and hard working, he was able to through the years, successfully solve the difficulties and ended the destruction of Catholics in the Trebinje Diocese. What Vid Maslac meant for this diocese, could be seen in the beginning of building the new house for the pastor in Stolac. Even though Catholics received all the necessary permits for building the house, the local Muslims became agitated and forced the workers to stop their work.

In the meanwhile, the Bishop wanted open the new parish. The pastor had to live in the old house temporarily, which Vid Maslac had bought. When the Bishop was looking for a priest to work in the new parish, his sights fell on friar Horatio who was at his discretion. He came to Stolac in 1863. Aside from the customary work in the parish, he supervised the work on the construction, which could start again. The house was finished at the start of 1866, and friar Horatio moved in on April 15 of that same year.

Friar Horatio did not stay long in Stolac. In 1865 Lazar Lazarevic came back from school in Rome. The Bishop sent him to be the assistant pastor in Dubrave to the then vice-vicar Nikola Lazarevic, where he stayed for two years. In 1867, the Bishop believed that Lazar was the most capable person to be vice-vicar and named him that year to the post. Now that the new house was completed in Stolac, the Bishop also named him pastor of Stolac. That is how the seat of the Trebinje vice-vicar moved from Dubrave to Stolac.

Again friar Horatio lost his parish. Now that all of the parishes in the Trebinje Dioceses were taken, the Bishop named friar Horatio to be pastor in Crna Gora on Peljesac. He stayed at this parish for three years.

After 14 years of work in various parishes, friar Horatio yearned for monastic life. Because the liberal revolutionaries closed the monasteries of his province, he could not return to Italy, and asked on May 15 1869 to reside in the monastery in Dubrovnik. His request was granted on June 8, 1870.

Friar Horatio remained in the Dubrovnik monastery for several years. He worked dilligently there but frequently thought about opportunities in the Trebinje Diocese. It occurred to him that in the city of Dubrovnik there were 40 priests for 6,000 people. However, in the Trebinje Diocese there were only 6 priests for 10,000 people. The territorially large parish of Dubrave had around 3,500 people, who were cared for by only one priest.

At that time the Bishop of Dubrovnik, as administrator of the Trebinje Diocese, had created a plan to create a new parish and separate 1,000 people from the parish of Dubrave and 200 from the parish of Hrasno. He only needed to find a priest. The Bishop went to friar Horatio and asked him once again to suffer for the people of the Trebinje Diocese. When friar Horatio accepted, the General of the Order gave him permission on March 4, 1874.

Friar Horatio traveled to the new parish on May 9, 1874. He resided in the village of Doljani where he rented out a house to live in, and nearby was a chapel that was renovated in 1862 and served as the parish church. This parish was called the parish of Doljani or Gabela, later Klepci and finally Dracevo.

Friar Horatio stayed 10 years in this poor swampy parish. He lived the hard days of the uprising (2) when he fled together with his people to Austrian areas and awaited Austrian rule.

When the Austrians occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina, friar Horatio had decided to go back to Italy. However, at the request of the Bishop and the people, he stayed until the end of 1884, when Bishop Vodopic of Dubrovnik succeeded in finding him a replacement.

His Return Home and His Death

At the beginning of 1885, friar Horatio left the Trebinje Diocese forever and returned to Italy. While traveling through Rome, he was graciously awaited. The General of the Order and the Propaganda Congregation of Rome were satisfied with his many years of missionary work in Herzegovina. To openly show their gratitude, they gave him the title and honor of Provincial Emeritus.

His monastic brothers in Piedmont awaited him with respect. They saw in him a hero who despite suffering served the Catholics of distant Turkey for many long years. At the first meeting, they named him to the Custodial Board and made him Guardian of the Crea monastery.

Friar Horatio wholeheartedly began his new duties. Reflecting back on his many years of work in Herzegovina where he was alone and abandoned, he joyfully carried out life among his monastic brothers. He particularly enjoyed communal prayers, which he desired, while walking the impassible mountains of Herzegovina.

It was Friday October 14, 1887. On that day as always, friar Horatio had finished evening prayers with his brothers, and began to ask for advice and penitential prayers as Franciscan customs has prescribed. Next, afterwards he began praying with his brothers while heading towards the dining room: "Lord have mercy on me by your loving benevolence." At that time his missionary work was present in his mind: how could he have worked better, how he could have better served his faithful. He saw in his life many deficiencies and shortcomings. But, however, he believed in the grace of God and honestly prayed in the words of King David:

"God create a clean heart in me and fill me with a new respectable spirit..."

He arrived in the dining room and waited for his brothers to take their places and to begin the prayers before dinner. However, before he opened his mouth, he felt a great pain in his heart. Without hesitation, he gave his spirit to the Lord, for whose benevolence he preached those years among the mountains of Herzegovina.


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1. Shkoder is the main city of northen Albania, near the Montenegrin border.

2. The Herzegovinian uprising began among the Croatians in 1875 near the parish of Dracevo. In 1878, both Bosnia and Herzegovina were occupied by Austria as a result of the uprising.

Source: Bazilije Pandzic, "Dum Oracio" Hrvatski Kalendar 1978 pp. 257-261

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