Fra Nevenko Mandić
Franciscan friar Nevenko Mandić
He was born on March 4, 1908 in Lise in the municipality of Široki Brijeg to father Mirko and mother Marija, née Ćorić. He graduated from the public school and the Franciscan classical gymnasium in Široki Brijeg, as well as from the seminary in Mostar and Fribourg (Switzerland). In 1932, he was ordained to the priesthood. He was a catechist in Mostar. On February 11, 1945, the Partisans took him out of the church in the middle of the mass, liquidated him and threw him into a pit near Gornji Gradac.
Here is what Vinko Mandić, his nephew, writes about him. “He came to Mostar to serve. There he was a catechist, a religion teacher in three elementary schools, and a hospital chaplain. In Mostar he was known as an outstanding and sought-after preacher. In December, Nevinko was kidnapped by Partisans from Izbično, where he was filling in for the sick priest, Fransciscan Father Metod Puljić, who went to Zagreb for treatment. That was at the beginning of 1945. Father Nevinko worked there as a parish priest. To a great horror of the faithful, the Partisans entered the church as he was beginning to celebrate the Mass. In the middle of the Mass, the Partisans took him out of the church and gave some of his documents to the cook, saying that Father Nevinko would return. Father Marko Dragičević and Father Bono Andačić were also taken away. That was on February 11, 1945; Partisans took them to Lištica and forced them to carry heavy ammunition. Loaded with the ammunition, they passed through Lištica. They were killed in Gornji Gradac and thrown into a pit. Their grave is unknown…
This is how Fra Nevinko died. Not even his grave is known. He was simply taken away, tortured and then thrown into one of the pit caves without any compassion or guilt. What kind of people would take a priest from the altar and kill him without any guilt or obligation? Did these people have a heart, did they have compassion and sympathy, did they feel the fear of God?! What kind of executioners were they! Were they never afraid for their own neighbors?! But such questions obviously did not worry them like they worry us today. Apparently they felt no remorse for a murdered priest. For them, Father Nevinko was just one of many priests who should have been liquidated, especially on the soil of Herzegovina – so that the Yugoslav Partisans could rule the people more peacefully.”
Fra Andrija Nikić writes in his book Hercegovački franjevački mučenici (Herzegovinian Franciscan Martyrs, t.n.) (1992):
“He was a mature and modern priest and a good catechist. Delicate in body, but indefatigable in spirit. He used all his care to make as many young people happy as possible and to give them a good education. The youth appreciated him and put his words into practice. He was torn from the altar he had always held on to. Brother Andrija Nikić described this our martyr in truly beautiful words. We see that the Communists were ruthless when it came to purging Herzegovina of Croats, especially priests who were great role models for the people of Herzegovina. We also see that the Communists were great infidels, because they even disturbed the peace and tranquility of the Holy Mass to kidnap and kill the priest who did them no harm.”
Source: Don Anto Baković, Hrvatski martirologij XX. stoljaća, Zagreb, 2007
Editorial/crimesofcommunism.net
