Oasis_of_peace1.pdf

Ramathrough History

Rama spans the area of valleys and canyonsencircled by mountains on all sides, by Ivan andBitovnje from the east, Radua from the north,Ljubua and Vran to the west and vrsnica to thesouth.

Behind the Name

Since time immemorial the name Rama hasbeen used to denote a river and its valley. Theriver Rama rose near the village of Varvare andflew into the Neretva River near the village ofUstirama. The river was flooded after thedevelopment of the artificial lake, and todayRama denotes the area split into Upper and LowerRama. The Upper Rama includes parishes of it,Rumboci, Prozor and Uzdol, and the Lower Ramaincludes Graac and Doljani. The administrativecenter of this region is the town Prozor, and onepart of Lower Rama belongs to the municipalityof Jablanica.

The origin, meaning and the first mention ofthe name Rama have been shrouded in mysteryuntil this day. The fact that the same namerepeatedly appears in the Old Testament of theBible and even Hindu literature does little to shedlight on it. 9

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Rama prije potopa


Ancient History

Material remains found in the early 20th cen -tury bear witness to a very old settlement at thesource of the Rama River, in archeology knownas Velika Gradina (the Great Hill Fort). This sitesee med to have been settled as early as the earlyStone Age. According to archeologists, there wasa settlement in the village of Ometala in theBrozne Age.

By all indications, Pre-Roman settlers of Ramawere Illyrian Derriopes. There are remains of anumber of buildings from the Roman era aroundVelika Gradina in Varvara. This settlement wassituated at the crossroads of major Roman roads.One of them led to Duvno, and further to Salona,the other led to Blidinje, and the third road ranalong the Rama and the Neretva river valleytowards Konjic. Among the buildings in Varvara,there was also a basilica-shaped church. Thechurch dates from the late ancient period (IV-VI

Dolina Rame, 1928.


century) and thus represents an importantmonument of the early Christian period. Thesettlement with a church had been identified asBistue Vetus and it was assumed to have been thebishops seat. This assumption, however, has beenabandoned and today experts agree that thesettlement with the church in Varvara was notafter all the bishops seat. It is equally unclearwhether Varvara was named after St. Barbara,who was tortured in 306 and on whom theChristian tradition bestowed the title of thepatron saint of miners.

The arrival of Slavs in the 7th century and thedestruction of the church in Varvara heralded theera of which we have no credible testimony.Christian community in Rama, however, stillexisted as witnessed by an old tradition andreference to the ancient church of St. Peter. 13

Samostan i crkva na itu, 1928.


Spomen obiljeje poginulima


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Medieval Parish

Historical sources indicate that medieval Ra -ma was an important historical and geogra phicalarea. The Chronicle of the Priest of Doclea menti -ons the parish of Rama, as a part of Primorje.Dubrovnik sources also state that Prozor was amarketing town. In the 12th century Rama isfound in the title of common Hungarian andCroatian rulers. The true meaning of the nameRex Ramae (the king of Rama) is hard todecipher, but the fact is that from this period onRama shared the fate of Bosnian state.Circumstances in Bosnia in this period verymuch depended on the plans of Hungary and theByzantine Empire, since both of them laid claimto Bosnia, or at least some parts of it. In the 14century Bosnia achieved a high level of indepen -

Fra Luka Tei, dr. Luka abraji, dr. fra Kazimir Ivi i fra Bono Boi,it, 1928.


dence. Accordingly, in 1345 Ban (medie val ruler)Stjepan Kotromani calls himself banus Bosne,necnon terrarum Usure, Salis, Dolmine, Crayne,Rame. Some noblemen from Rama wererespectable members of bans court. One chartermentions prince Ostoja of Rama who was Bansattendant.

The center of Rama parish in the 14th and 15thcentury was Prozor. In August 1366 Ban Tvrtko Iwrote a charter at our town Prozor and it wasin Prozor that Tvrtko II received a delegationfrom Dubrovnik in 1433.

The Franciscans in Rama

After Bosnia fell under the Turkish rule in1463, Rama was faced with utterly changedpolitical and religious circumstances. Even beforethe Turkish conquest, there was a Franciscanmonastery and a church of Sts. Peter and Paul inRama. The fact that the chalice, which people of

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it, 1941.


Rama brought to Sinj (Croatia)in 1687, has the year 1402inscribed on it indicates thatthe monastery existed as earlyas in 1402. Numerous Francis -can sources unequi vocallyacknowledge the exi sten ce ofthe monastery in Rama in late15th century. By all accounts,the original site of the mona -ste ry was precisely on it, aswitnessed by the graves recen -tly found around the presentday Church and the Mona -stery. This finding is also a witness to the oldcustom of churchyard burials among Catholics.

During the entire period of Turkish rule, theFranciscans were the only spiritual counsels aswell as guardians of the Catholic community.Monastery chronicles give ample accounts ofsufferings of Catholics and Franciscans. TheMonastery and the Church were burnt down in

Izletnici iz Rame (fra Kazimir Ivi, fra Vitomir Jelii) kraj planinskih atora na Draevu


1557 for the first time. Franciscans who happenedto be in the Monastery at the time were torturedand killed, as borne out by the gravestoneinscription found later on: Iam justificati in coelis,quamvis corpora eorum jacent in terris: (Thoughtheir bodies may lie underneath, righteous theyshall be in heaven). The Rama Monastery metsimilar fate several times, in 1667 and in 1682.

Tragic Exodus

The greatest tragedy for Catholics and Francis -cans in Rama happened in 1687. The Church andthe Monastery were burnt down again and theFranciscans together with the people fled to Sinj.This exodus happened as a consequence ofTurkish oppression as well as Venetian politicsthat tried to settle and secure the border areas inthe Dalmatian hinterland. The Franciscans also 19

Sinj, 2008.


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brought to Sinj a painting of the Virgin Mary,which had been the subject of particular worshipin Rama. Today the painting is known as theBlessed Virgin Mary of Sinj. It is hard to give evenrough estimates of the number of Catholics inRama at the time as well as the number of thosethat fled to the Cetina region. Those who stayedbehind faced new tribulations, they would hidein the woods, but their faith was preserved.Even in such harsh circumstances, the Francis -cans of Rama made major efforts to provideeducation to their young generations. Apparentlyin 1626 there was a school within the Monasteryand in 1674 an institution of higher educationand the Franciscan novitiate.

Staying Power

After exodus to Sinj, the Franciscans from theMonastery in Fojnica would come to tend tothose who remained in Rama and who gatheredaround burnt Church and Monastery. As at first

Gospa Ramska - Majkaod milosti - bez nakita,

danas Gospa Sinjska


they didnt have a permanent place to stay inRama, they would come occasionally to visitparishioners. According to a tradition recordedby friar Jeronim Vladi, the Franciscans soonsettled in Rama, first in Proslap and then forsome time in Jaklii. In 1773 they establishedparish registers ensuring their regular andthorough keeping. However, the registers weredestroyed in fire in 1942 when the chetnicksburnt down the house where they had been putaway.

Despite many hardships, during the 18th andthe first half of the 19th century Rama was visitedon multiple occasions by bishops vicars aposto -lic. Records also show that Fr. Marijan Bogdano -vi and Fr. Grgo Iliji visited Rama in 1768 and1797 respectively. During their missions, thebishops celebrated mass with the people andregularly administered the sacrament of confir -mation. Believers usually gathered on it,around ruins of the Church and Monastery, but 21

Na Krupiu: Fra Kazimir Ivi i Ilija Faletar na kerepama (splavu) u pohodu bolesniku


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masses were celebrated in other Rama villages aswell. According to records of Jeronim Vladi, on26th September 1779 in a church in a place calledit(ovo) in Rama, the eternal and completeforgiveness was bestowed on those who came tovisit this church and who confessed and receivedcommunion there. Some of the particularly well-known and remembered parish priests from thisperiod were Fr. Ludovik Filipovi, Fr. JakoKrianac, Fr. Marko Grabovac, Fr. Franjo Dobre -ti, Fr. Mijo ui Younger, Fr. Bono Perii

Construction of the Church andMonastery on it

The second half of the 19th century saw thebeginning of a more favorable climate for theCatholics and Franciscans in Rama. In 1855 Fr.Franjo Franjkovi managed to redeem the

Samostan iz 1857. (lijevo), crkva Uznesenja BDM i samostan iz1930. (desno), snimljeni 1928.


formerly Franciscan-owned land on it fromBey (provincial ruler in the Ottoman Empire)Dugali. The construction of the new Monasteryon old foundations was initiated by Fr. PavaoVujii. Soon after that a spacious house withtwelve rooms, kitchen and parish office was built.Up until recently, the following was inscribedabove the front door: To Gods fairness and useby brethrens, I have built this with the help of folksby Fr. Pavo Vuii, parish priest. Ano Domini1857. This Monastery served its purpose untilthe construction of the new Monastery in1930ties, after which the former has been trans -for med into the House of Peace. The people inRa ma used to call the old Monastery the OldChapel. Since at the time masses were celebratedin a twig hut, church construction was consi -dered. The number of parishioners increased andin 1870 the parish had around 2700 members. Ittook three years to get the construction permit.

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it, 1928.


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In 1873 on St. Anthonys day the foundation stonewas laid, mostly owing to the efforts of Fr. AnteVladi. The construction was going slowly due tokey political milestones: the Congress of Berlinplaced Bosnia and Herzegovina under theadministration of Austria and their army came toRama from Duvno on 4th October 1878.

In the next two years, the main works werecompleted. Four bells were procured and in 1903the main church altar was finished. The sameyear archbishop Stadler consecrated the newchurch on the day of celebration of the Assum -ption. As a memory to church construction thereis still a tablet in the church with the followinginscription: To the glory of God and purity ofBlessed Virgin Mary with the help of His Highness,King Franz Joseph I and efforts of Venerable Fr.Ante Vidi, together with folks built by O. Josipuri in 1880.

In 1913 the Franciscans decided to build a newmonastery designed by entrepreneur Franjo Holz.However, hard times set in again: the First World

Franjevakisamostan na

itu iz 1930.


War broke out in 1914, bringing diseases such asSpanish influenza and pneumonic plague. Despi -te all of this, the monastery was roofed in 1920. Inthe next decade the works were carried out at aslower pace so that the monastery was consecra -ted in 1930.

Calamities of World War II

Further calamities of Catholics and Francis -cans in Rama happened during the war as well asthe postwar period. As early as 1941, variousarmies marched through Rama. Yugoslav Parti -sans attacked Prozor and it on 13th July 1942.They burnt down the Church on it, wherebythe sacristy and the library with valuable churchvestments and large book collections were lost inthe fire. Later on, parish registers, which had beenput away in a house on it, were also destroyedin fire. The Partisans then also killed GuardianFr. Julijan Jurkovi. The location of his grave stillremains unknown.

After this unfortunate event, curate Fr. ViktorSlikovi remained in the Monastery. Soon after, 25

U crkvi UznesenjaBDM na itu,Velika Gospa, 15. 8. 1936.


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OSTACIZAPALJENECRKVE NA

ITU


27

1942.


the Partisans arrested, questioned and forced himto make false statements. He was killed in Prozoron 16th or 29th September 1942. The parish priestof Prozor Fr. Petar Peri met the same fate.

The greatest tragedy however befell Rama inthe fall of 1942. In early October, Montenegrinchetnicks arrived in Rama through Sovii. Theyburnt down several villages, and killed all adultmen who hadnt managed to escape. Recordsshow that around a thousand people were killedin Rama during World War II. The Franciscansof Rama, though falsely accused, imprisoned andwounded, stayed with their flock. They servednot only it parish, but also two other in Prozorand Uzdol. The Monastery was bombarded butwithout major damages. In the fall of 1943 theFranciscans decided to build a church. The nextyear a log cabin was built which they calledbasilica. It was only in 1956 that they tore it down.

Panorama Rame prije potapanja


Postwar period

On 20th June 1956 works on reconstruction ofthe destroyed church on it began. On 4th ofNovember of the same year the mass was celebra -ted in the reconstructed church. Three years later,the church was largely completed. In this periodFranciscan Sisters from the Herzego vina Fran -ciscan Province returned to the Monas tery. Sincesome of the works on the Church had beenpoorly done, in 1965 some improvements weremade. The middle aisle was elevated, the roof wasreplaced, the foundations were impro ved, a newchoir was built and the tower repaired.

From 1966 to 1970, the church amassed valu -able art works, the most important of them beingfresco Mary the Patroness of the People of Rama,by painter Josip Biffel. In early 1960ties largenumber of people left Rama to work as guestworkers in the Western European countries. Thisto a large extent impro ved the economic situationof the families. New family homes were built and 29

Drvenabazilika -baraka


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the hosts with their financial contributions parti -ci pated in the recon st ruc tion and construction ofchurches.

In 1968 a new ordeal ensued for Rama. Thecon struc tion of the dam and artificial lake wascompleted, flooding several villages and fertilelands and forcing people to migrate. Most ofthem migrated to Zagreb and the surroundings,

Obnova crkve na itu, 1965.


to Popovaa, Pleternica, Rovie and a number offamilies settled in Stup, a suburb of Sarajevo. Theparish of it was reduced by half. Every year onSunday following the celebration of the Nativityof Mary, Rama expatriates organize a gatheringin Zagreb.

Recent times

Apart from the regular pastoral activities,Franciscans of Rama have put major efforts in thefields of both construction and culture. A newwing was added to the Monastery on it and theHouse of Peace was opened in the old one. In theextended and redesigned Monastery courtyard anumber of outstanding works of art have been in-stalled including: The Cross of Rama, the LastSupper and the Mother of Rama.

On the occasion of the 300th anniversary ofmigration to Sinj, historical and theological sym-posium was held on it in September of 1987,and on the celebration of the Nativity of Mary, asolemn mass was celebrated by the archbishop ofZagreb cardinal Franjo Kuhari. For this eventthe people of Sinj brought the painting of theBlessed Virgin Mary and returned it to Sinj twodays after it.

Celebration marking the 700th anniversary ofthe arrival of Franciscans to Bosnia was held onit in early June 1991. Though the patronage ofthe church and the parish is the Assumption ofthe Virgin Mary, every year the Nativity of Maryis also solemnly celebrated with a large numberof pilgrims. 31


The War of 1992-1995

Just as the whole country of Bosnia and Herze -govina, Rama was also hard hit by consequencesof the recent war. At first there was an immediatedanger posed by Serbian Army that in April 1992occupied Kupres. A front line was establishedtowards Kupres municipality where several youngmen from Rama were killed. Majority of Ramapeople then had fled to other areas, but soon afteralmost all of them returned. In August 1992 Serbsbombarded Rama from Kupres, killing a numberof civilians, mostly in town area of Prozor.

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In October 1992, the conflict between theCroats and the Muslims began in Rama. Apartfrom soliders on both sides, civilians were killed,in particular in Uzdol and Doljani in the summer

of 1993. In total 163 Croa -tian soldiers and civilians

were killed in the lastwar in Rama, inclu -

ding the village ofDoljani, which be -longs to the muni ci -pality of Jabla nica.

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New parishes

Despite hard circumstances endured as a resultof willfulness of the Ottoman bureaucrats, in theearly 19th century the Rama Franciscans wantedto establish new parishes. The congregation in -cre ased and in 1834 decision was made toestablish a new parish in Lower Rama.

a) GraacTwo years after this decision, the land was

purchased and the house was built in Trijeani(Triani), at first having a status of chaplaincyand in 1860 it was proclaimed a parish. Fr. BonoMilii purchased the land in 1888 in Graac,

Crkva na Graacu iz 1893., nova crkva iz1959. godine i upna kua (dolje)

K. Kovai: Sv. Anto, 2009.


since this village was more suitable as a parishcenter. The construction of the house and churchbegan in 1892 during the tenure of Fr. AndrijaTomi. The church was completed and consec -rated on 21st April 1901. As the Neretva Dam wasbuilt, Jablanica Lake flooded the church and theparish house. The new house was completed in1957 and the church in 1959. The present dayparish house in Graac was built in late 1980ties.The church recently received valuable works ofart. The patron saint of the parish is St. Anthonyof Padua.

Crkva na Graacu iz 1893. godine

Potapanje upne kue na Graacu, 1956.


b) DoljaniThe new parish in Graac also included

villages of Doljani and Sovii. As these were quitedistant from the parish center, the establishmentof one more parish was considered. Tradition hasit that the Rama Franciscans used to celebratemass at Elias cave at the entry into Doljani. Thenew parish was founded in 1882. Soon after, theparish house was built, which also served as thechurch for some time. In 1893 the parish churchwas completed and it was used until 1973 when


the new one was built. The tower was completedin 2002. The old parish house was used until1989. This parish also includes the site Kedara(Turkish: girl) on Vran mountain, location of thegrave of Diva Graboveva (The Maiden ofGrabovac). The patron saint of the parish is St.Elias the Prophet.

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Stara crkva u Doljanima

GrobMijata Tomia


c) UzdolThe parish of Uzdol was founded in 1856.

Three years later the church was built, the onlyone at the time in Rama area. The present daychurch was built in 1985. The Franciscanssurrendered the parish to diocesan priests in1907. The grave of Fr. Stjepan Barii, killed inWWII, is located in Donja Vast in this parish. Thepatron saint of the parish is St. John the Baptist.

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Nova i stara crkva na Uzdolu

Stara crkva na Uzdolu


d) ProzorIn the summer of 1906, Prozor with surroun -

ding villages was separated from the it parish.The new parish was given to diocesan priests. Thepresent day churchwas completed in1964, and the parishhouse in 1980ties.The parish is dedi -cated to the SacredHeart of Jesus.

Stara crkva snimljena1940. i nova crkva u

Prozoru


e) RumbociThe artificial lake was the main reason to es-

tablish one more parish. This was the subject of aconversation with the Archbishop of Vrhbosna.In accordance with the contract between the Or-dinariate and the Provincial signed on 15th March1971, the parish was given to the Franciscans, andthe new parish priest took over on 6th May of thesame year. The construction of thenew parish house and church inRumboci started in October1972. The church foundationswere consecrated in July thefollowing year. The works ofart in the church include inparticular a stained-glass win-dow on the southern wall ofthe church done by DraenTrogrli. The patron saint of theparish is St. Francis of Assisi.

J. Poljan: Sv. Franjo

Crkva sv. Franje u Rumbocima


41J. Poljan: Gospa


Oasis_of_peace1.pdf

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