Feast of St. Francis in Sarajevo

On the eve of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a triple celebration was held on Friday, the 3rd October 2025, at the Franciscan Seminary in the friary of St. Paul in Sarajevo: the rite of solemn profession, the rite of admission to the Franciscan postulancy and the rite of the Transitus. 

In the church of the friary of St. Paul, during the solemn Mass presided over by Br. Zdravko Dadić, Minister of the Province of the Holy Cross of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna Srebrena), concelebrated by the members of the Provincial Curia, the Master of Students Br. Danijel Nikolić, the Master of Postulants Br. Bruno Ćubela and the friars gathered, five students made their solemn vows:  Br. Robert Bašić (parish of Busovača), member of the Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena, and four friars from Africa: Br. Alexander Tusiime (Uganda) and Br. Fraser Kizito Chipata (Malawi) of the Province of St. Francis in East Africa, and Br. Olivier Dukunze (Burundi) and Br. Teophile Habimana (Rwanda) of the Autonomous Custody of Our Lady of Kibeho of Burundi and Rwanda. 

In his homily, the Minister Provincial Br. Zdravko spoke about the evangelical counsels, encouraging the young friars not to be afraid of challenges, to repair the house of Christ like St. Francis, to preach the peace of God and thus awaken hope in this world. For the assembled faithful, the act of prostration during the singing of the litanies was particularly moving, followed by the rite of vows. The students individually recited vows in which they solemnly promised to live in obedience, without property and in chastity until the end of their lives according to the Rule of St. Francis of Assisi and the Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor. 

During the same Mass celebration, four young people were admitted to the postulancy: Jerko Tunjić (parish of Kraljeva Sutjeska), Mihael Stanišić (parish of Ovčarevo), Gabrijel Perković (parish of Vidoši) and Luka Marić (parish of Kraljeva Sutjeska). They began their journey of Franciscan vocation and knowledge of life in the Franciscan community. 

At the end of the Mass, the celebration ended with the rite of the Transitus with which the Franciscan Family commemorates the death of St. Francis of Assisi and his passage to eternity.  

The Mass and all the rites were animated by the Franciscan Student Choir "Fr. Nenad Dujić" under the direction of Br. Emanuel Josić.  

After Mass, the celebration continued in the refectory of the friary Relatives and friends of the professed and postulants also participated. 

Br. Luka Grubešić ofm 
Photo: Br. Marin Mamić 

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