On the improvised altar of the ruined church, devoted to the Exaltation of the Holy cross in 1903. in the parish of Gumjera, Banja Luka’s Bishop Franjo Komarica, led a mass on July 30th while a Polish nun renewed her vows.
The mass, in a place that is situated on the right side of the lower stream of the Vrbas River, was attended by 50 believers, and five priests concelebrated, among which was this year’s golden jubilee priest, also Polish, the son of Polish immigrants to Bosnia, venerable Adolf Višaticki, parish priest in Lištani, manager of parish Odžak-Ćaić and a dean of Livno.
There were also eight nuns of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ.
Since sister Magdalena Karaban, that is from the Polish town of Boleslawiec, was born and baptized before the Second World War in the parish church of Gumjera, which was then composed mainly of Polish Catholics, she wanted her religious duties to be renewed at the church of her baptism on the 60th anniversary of her consecrated life.
With the help of the parish priest from Prnjavor, Msgr. Vlado Lukenda and the Bishop Komarica, the wish of sister Magdalena, was realized, and with her came a group of believers from Poland, whose parents were born in Bosnia.
A welcome word was said by the parish priest of Prnjavor, Msgr. Lukenda, and the mass was celebrated in Polish and Croatian.
In his homily, the bishop emphasized the importance of monkhood in the Church, the significance of the presence of Polish Catholics in Banja Luka’s Diocese, and the justification of marking monk’s and priest’s jubilees.
At the end of the Eucharist, under which she renewed her religious vows, sister Magdalena expressed her gratitude to God, and especially the sacrifice of the young priest of Gumjera, rev. Ante Dujlović, whose torture death in 1943. she well-rememberes, and to which she attributes her religious vocation and the vocation of other nuns and priests, all natives of Gumjera.
After the mass, the people continued social gathering in the place around the church grounds, and those who were interested in seeing the newly discovered foundations of the parish house overgrown by the woods as well as the whole parish of Gumjera, could do so.
The day before, a crucifix was raised to a wooden structure above the altar area of the former parish church, which was blessed by bishop Franjo during the Mass celebration.
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