Fr Mladen Hrkac — Life and Action

Fr Mladen Hrkac born on December 19, 1950 in Izbicna. His parents are Franjo and Janja r. Bonja. He was baptized on December 22, 1950 also in Izbicna. He attended Pučka School from 1957-1961 in Izbicno; 1961-1963 in Donji Crnč; 1963-1965 in Čerin. After that, he enrolled in the seminary of the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina, and finished high school at the Franciscan Gymnasium and Seminary in Visoko in 1965-1969, and philosophy and theology from 1972 to 1974 in Sarajevo and from 1974 to 1977 in Fulda, where he graduated with the subject “Family in Herzegovina in the Changing Times”. He put on the Franciscan habit on July 14, 1969 in Humac, he has his novitiate from July 14, 1969 to August 19, 1969 and from February 1971 to January 1972, he made simple vows on January 5, 1972 at Humac, and eternal ones on March 29, 1976 also on Humac. He was divided by the deaconate on April 24, 1976, and ordained a priest on June 5, 1976 in Fulda by Eduard Schick, bishop.

His priestly and religious services were: Spiritual Anointed at Široki Brijeg from August 1977 to July 1987. ; Monastery vicar on Široki Brijeg from August 1982 to July 1987 ; Dean of the Slyobrzebrzeg Deanship from July 1987 to August 1991. ; Guardian and pastor at Široki Brijeg from July 1987 to August 1991 ; Convalescent in Gorica from August 1991 to August 1992. ; Parish Vicar of Vitina from August 1992 to March 1, 1994. ; Pastor in Vitina from 1 March 1994 to 20 August 2000 ; Confession and sermon at Humac from August 2000 to May 12, 2003. ; Assistant educator at the seminary in Humac from March 2001 to June 29, 2001 ; Guardian in Zagreb-Dubrava from 12 May 2003. ; Member of the Spirituality Council since August 25, 2005 Fr Mladen was a Herzegovinian friar.

From his parents he took the foundations of a deep and reliable faith in dear God. On this foundation he built everything. He loved his parents and his brothers and their families immensely. This love gave rise to the immense love that he, as a priest and monk, extended to the families with whom he was active as a friar. He saw in each mother his Bondžuša, as his mother Janja was called by her maiden name, and in each father he saw his Cakić, as his father Franja was affectionately called. And in all men he saw his brothers, in children he saw his nephews. He was immeasurably loyal and devoted to his faithful.

With great respect, as a young friar, he absorbed the experiences of our older brothers. And they instilled in Fr Mladen their love and he knew how to spend hours talking with them. By his behavior, he always sought to make the monastery one warm family nest. After the hard days of the Lady, religious studies, construction work, pilgrimage, the youth would never be tired of socializing in the monastery chatroom. There came those wonderful times of fraternal atmosphere and recounting everything that was done in the monastery and parish during the day and on those days. With the same measure and seriousness, with a trepidation shouted only to him, he approached religious studies, preaching, pastoral conversation, thinking about how to do this or that, as well as the need to stand in defense of the few, the disenfranchised, that the poor should be given, that their voice should be raised, that they should stand before the tanks. He was good at noticing. He was able to enrich the solution of a problem with beautiful strokes. He liked to keep Fr Vojin's oak behind the big one in front of the church. He knew German really well, but he also learned Italian, he learned to use the computer. But he was always happy if someone else did it. Not that he would be lazy, but to show respect to others, in order to give his sincere affection, especially to the younger ones, to the theologians in Zagreb.

He liked to always calculate what would be more beneficial to the community more profitable. Always at the very beginning of any act, he clearly saw how it should be completed. He knew he was seriously ill. I knew it, and I wanted to deal with it. Let's see how it ends. He knew that he would go to his dear God whom he had drunk with his mother's milk and upbringing. He wasn't afraid, because he knew. This knowledge was not intended to hide the tears when they came. That one knew. And the tears were silent on his eyelids. He knew. He lay eternally in his Mekovac. Somewhere around him are these brothers with whom he has shared so many years, months, days and hours. He left with so much love measured by so many premature and unexpected deaths, so many interrupted lives. Not only his Rajkas and Mladen, but so many young men and girls whom the Franciscan loved from the bottom of his soul.

Fr Mladen's life did not leave many people indifferent. He remained in many hearts, not only his fellow friars, his relatives, but also those of many, who knew each other and did not know each other, and who knew Fr Mladen. The humanitarian association “Fr Mladen Hr” wants to continue what was so dear to Fr Mladen's heart. Help those who are in need. Mladen always did it honestly, honestly, he did it with all his heart. That was always the case with those he helped. And he always wanted to hide this act, always to do it in a way that would be known to God, not to men. Jesus said, “Let not the right hand know what the left does. Therefore, a great responsibility lies with the Association that bears his name. From its president to every member. Follow in Fr Mladen's footsteps and do good. Not out of self-interest, but out of immense love for one's neighbor. Honest, honest, self-assertive and responsible at all times. That's why it was founded.

Fra Ante Marić