Friar Petar Bakula`s 200th Birth Anniversary

Fr. Petar Bakula was born on May 24th 1816, and was baptized on June 4th 1816 in Batina, parish of Posušje. His parents Ivan and Marija, born Krnjić had given him the name Jakov. He entered the Franciscan order on September 9th 1833 in the Kreševo monastery. He made his eternal vows on September 9th 1934, and became a priest on October 7th 1939. He finished his theology studies in Italy and stayed there as a professor in Lucca up to 1846. In that same year, he was assigned as a pupil educator in Čerigaj. Afterwards, he became a pastor in Grabovica (1848 - 1849) and in Gradnići (1849 - 1855) and a year later became an abbot and pastor in Široki Brijeg. He was a pastor in Gorica (1856 - 1859) and the constructor of the St. Stephen's church, therefore was a pastor in Ružići for a year. He lectured theology and philosophy in Široki Brijeg, and then leaves for Rome (1861 - 1864) as the Definitor General of the Franciscan order. An exceptional merit carries his immeasurable contribution in establishing and working on the beginnings of the Herzegovinian Franciscans’ Custodia.
Besides his pastoral work, he brought up and taught young generations, had an exquisite sense for constructing and an economic sense which he selflessly implemented in foundations of the newly formed Herzegovinian Franciscan community. Upon returning from Rome up until his death, he was the General Vicar to the bishop father Anđeo Kraljević. His exceptionally valuable printed work has remained, as well as a great number of manuscripts that partly has been destructed or was burned by the communists in 1947 in Široki Brijeg. Two valuable schematisms of Herzegovinian Franciscans must be mentioned: from 1867 and 1873. Father Petar Bakula is one of the most meritorious and most known Herzegovinian Franciscans. He died when he was 57 years old, in his 37th year of monkhood and in his 34th year of priesthood. On October 2nd 1873 he was buried in Mos