Holy Mass in the parish church of St. Joseph in Nova Topola on the feast of the Heart of Jesus, June 16th, when the 31st anniversary of the martyrdom of the former parish priest, rev. Ratko Grgić, was led by the auxiliary bishop of Banja Luka, Msgr. Marko Semren.
Four priests concelebrated, and the Adorers of the Blood of Christ nuns from the local monastery and a smaller group of believers from the almost entirely displaced parish participated.
Starting from Jesus’ love for every person, which is symbolized by the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Bishop Semren pointed out that the priestly guide thought of rev. Ratko was: “Give me, Lord, to love all people and to bring everyone Your joy and the joy of Your Son.” He added that following the example of Jesus, martyrs give their lives out of their loyalty to God and their mission. He invited those present to pray to reveal the place where rev. Grgić died, so that he could be buried with dignity.
Let us remind you that on June 16th, 1992, the priest Ratko was taken away from the parish house by uniformed Serbian forces in the direction of the neighbouring village of Laminci, and since then all trace of him has been lost.
KT
