Vukasin of Klepci

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St. Vukašin of Klepci.

Our father among the saints, Vukašin of Klepci (in Serbian: Свети Вукашин из Клепаца), was a Serbian Orthodox Christian from Herzegovina who was martyred by fascists during World War II for refusing to acknowledge the Ustashi leader. He is remembered on May 3 under the new calendar (in another sources - May 19 (6)).

Little is known about the life of Saint Vukasin. He was born in the village of Klepci, in Herzegovina, at the turn of the nineteenth/twentieth century. He was from a well known family of Mandrapa and moved from Klepci to Sarajevo. His family was known as benefactors of the church of Archangel Michael and Gabriel in Sarajevo. He and his nephews Chedo and Dobro were serving as readers at this church. At the beginning of World War II, he fled from Sarajevo and was hiding from fascists until the members of the Croatian fascist Ustašas arrested him and transported him, together with other Serbs of that region, into the notorious concentration camp of Jasenovac (the number of victims at this camp have been estimated to be at least 700,000). His martyrdom was revealed by doctor Nedelko Nedo Zets in 1946. Many relatives of Vukašin were also killed, including his nephews who died in Jasenovac.

When one night, in January of 1943, 3000 people were sent to death, 4 Ustashe`s soldiers (their names were Petro Brzitza, Zrinushich, Shipka and Zhila) decided to kill people on a bet and compete who will kill most. During the night, one of the killers, lieutenant Josep Friganovich with nickname Zhila, signifincantly surpassed the others killing more than 1000 people in several hours and feeling an ecstasy, a special enthusiasm from the killing. When Zhila saw Vukašin, he was stroke by his calmness, the ecstasy disappeared and for several seconds could not even move.

Zhila approached him and asked about his life, his family and felt an irresistible desire to destroy the calmness of Vukašin. The killer said he would spare his (Vukašin's) life if Vukašin cried loudly: "Long live Ante Pavelic!". Ante Pavelic was the leader of Ustashe. Vukašin, who saw a knife in the hands of the soldier, replied calmly: "My child, you do what you must", and refused to obey the soldier`s request. The Ustashe soldier brandished his knife and cut off Vukasin`s ear. The soldier then repeated his request. Vukasin repeated his answer. The soldier then cut off Vukašin's other ear, followed by his nose, and then scarred Vukasin`s face. Next his tongue was cut. After repeating the request to Vukasin to utter the vicious words and hail the Head of Ustaše (Ante Pavelic), Vukasin once again calmly replied: "My child, you do what you must". Distracted, the soldier eventually killed him, and afterwards went mad.

Right after the death of Vukasin, Zhila could not kill any more and lost the bet to another killer, Petro Brzitza. He started to often see a vision of Vukasin saying "My child, you do what you must". And this phrase in the head became so unbearable to him that he started to drink a lot of alcohol, running around and attacking random people trying to suppress this memory. The story of martyrdom of Vukašin was written by doctor Nedo Zets in the hospital from the words of the killer.

At the regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1998, Vukašin, from the Klepci village, was entered into the List of Names of the Serbian Orthodox Church as a martyr. His feast day is May 16 (Julian Calendar).

External Links

• Joachim Wertz. On the Serbian Orthodox New Martyrs of the Second World War: A Brief Historical Background. Orthodox Life, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Jan.-Feb. 1983), pp. 15-22.
• Serbian New Martyrs at Wikipedia.
• (Russian)

Martyrs from the camp of Jasenovac.

• (Russian)

Service to St. Vukasin. May 6/19.