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Bosnia-Herzegovina: Help for the congregation of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ in Banja Luka
Construction aid for the Sisters of the congregation "Adorers of the Blood of Christ" in Nova Topola. @ACN
The diocese of Banja Luka in northwest Bosnia still suffers today from the consequences of the Balkan war in the 1990s. Some 98% of the churches and convents in the diocese were damaged or destroyed. The bishop of the diocese, Bishop Franjo Komarica, reports that in many parts of the country there were scarcely any Catholics left, almost all of them having fled or been expelled. Out of 220,000 Catholics formerly, just 37,797 remain, including those who have returned since the war. Even during the communist era under Tito, oppression and persecution were present everywhere, and the objective of the communists was to destroy the Catholic community. The communist regime was immediately followed by the breakup of Yugoslavia and the Balkan wars, in which thousands died or were uprooted. Even after the end of the war, many hesitated to return home, since conditions were very insecure and the new rulers did little to create the conditions for these refugees to return to their former homes.
ACN has helped the diocese of Banja Luka with numerous projects, including the renovation of the convent of the congregation, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, and the construction of its Holy Family Centre in Nova Topola. For many decades these sisters worked here, helping the people in the area in numerous different ways, through teaching, giving private music lessons, tilling and sowing the fields, caring for the poor and leading a whole range of different groups of people - including preparation courses for the Sacraments, women's prayer groups and altar servers. The first wave of persecution struck in 1946, when the communists came to power. They confiscated the convent school and banned the sisters from working in it any more. The second wave of repression came with the war in Bosnia. Sister Cecilija, the superior, recalls, "During the war the sisters were very badly treated and forced to abandon the convent, which was used for Serbian refugees and the Serbian army. The building was finally returned to us on 5 July 2002, by the NATO-supervised authorities. But it was in a terrible state". Indeed, this once lovingly maintained convent was utterly devastated; everything usable had been looted and the outbuildings had been burnt down. The whole place looked like one big rubbish tip, with wrecked and rusting cars.
Thanks to the generosity of the benefactors of ACN, the convent was renovated, and on 16 October 2002 the first small group of sisters was able to move in. In 2005 ACN contributed another €25,000, and in 2007 a third instalment of €50,000. With this aid the convent has now been completely renovated, including the sanitary and heating systems, and at the same time it has been possible, with help from other sources, to establish a dispensary, a host baking plant and a family and drug addiction counselling centre. In a final instalment, ACN recently helped again with €7,000 for the final finishing work on the exterior. Bishop Franjo Komarica replied immediately in response to this aid. "Once again I wish to thank you most sincerely for your solidarity with my diocese, which has suffered in many respects. May God reward you, and likewise all those generous benefactors of ACN, for all that you have done for us". And Sister Cecilia, the superior adds, "May the good Lord be with you and bless all your efforts and your work on behalf of others who are in great need".
The centre is intended to be a meeting place for Catholics in the region of Banja Luka, and above all for the Croat minority. People come here to pray and take part in the seminars and retreats. Says Mother Cecilia, "We want this place, where our sisters live and which suffered at the hands of the Serbian army and its hatred towards the Croats, to be a place of peace, reconciliation and love for everyone". And the sisters themselves, with their return to Nova Topola, their quiet presence and their commitment to all around them, are a symbol of reconciliation. A neighbour put it like this: "You Catholic nuns live a life that points to something higher, and you show love to all who come here". Regardless of their denomination, people come to the sisters to talk about their personal problems, and for many the sisters have become almost like "mother confessors" to them.
On October 3, 2009 the fully renovated building was formally consecrated by Bishop Franjo Komarica. "Without your support for this project, we would never have been able to finish it", the superior says in her letter of thanks to ACN. And yet there is still a great deal to do in the diocese. "We continue to wait and hope for help from near and far", says Bishop Komarica. "So far we have only been able to repair a fraction of the ruined buildings. We need people here who can think constructively and are ready to help the people generously."
To know about this and many other similar projects in favour of the pastoral needs of the suffering Church, please contact our national offices.