On May 12th, with the Holy mass celebration in the parish church and the sanctuary of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Presnače on the outskirts of Banja Luka, the 24th anniversary of the martyrdom death of rev. Filip Lukenda and s. Cecilije Grgić was marked.
Concelebrated Mass celebration was led by bishop Franjo Komarica and with him, along with the parish priest, Msgr. Ivica Božinović , two more priests concelebrated. Despite the city blockade due to sporting event, the anniversary was attended by the parishioners and other believers, more than 30 nuns from the Sisters of Charity and Missionaries of love sisters from Croatia and BiH, among whom were the Head sister from Sarajevo s. Julijana Djaković and deputy of the Head sister from Zagreb s. Jelena Ikić. From Croatia, for the Holy mass, also arrived the relatives of the murdered pastor Filip and the nun Cecilija.
Before and after the Mass, many of the present, as per usual, visited “memorial room” of the torture death of parish priest Filip and sister Cecilija, that is situated in a rebuilt, war-torn parish office, and prayed in silence. Many believers stayed after the Mass and talked to the bishop and priests.
For this reasonless murder and burning of the parish priest and nun, as well as for the burning of the parish house and the demolition of the parish church, in this part of Banja Luka, not even after 24 years (!) has anybody been called out for responsibility.
KT/TABB
www.nedjelja.ba
Banja Luka – Presnače, 9. May 2019.
