Venerable Miroslav Bulešić

Miroslav Bulešić (13 May 1920 – 24 August 1947) was a Croatian Catholic priest. He studied in Rome before being recalled to his native Istria where he was ordained in 1943 during World War II prior to two parish postings where he became a vocal critic of communism. He renewed his parishes through well-organized pastoral activities and was a promoter of frequent sacramental reception. But his criticism of communism saw him make enemies who soon killed him. He was beatified in Pula, Croatia on 28 September 2013 on the recognition of the fact that he was killed in odium fidei ("in hatred of the faith"); Cardinal Angelo Amato presided over the beatification on the behalf of Pope Francis. Miroslav Bulešić was born on 13 May 1920 in Zabroni (Čabrunići) – a village in Istria, at that time in the Kingdom of Italy. He was born to father Miha Bulešić and mother Lucija Butković. His siblings were sisters Maria, Lucija and Zora and brother Beppo. He received his baptism on 23 May 1920 in the parish church at Roveria (Juršići). In his childhood he first learned the truths of the faith from a small book that Bishop Juraj Dobrila had written and the book focused on the spiritual needs of the Croatian faithful. His initial education was spent in Roveria where his religious education teacher was the priest Ivan Pavić. In 1930, he decided to commence his studies for the priesthood and after a brief stint at the Salesian Collegio San Luigi in Gorizia (Gorica) commenced his ecclesial studies at Capodistria (Koper) in 1931. He was there until 1939 after he did grammar school from 1931 to 1936 and then his lyceum until 1939 when he passed his final examinations. Pavić sent him a letter of recommendation and said that he was a "wise, frank, pious and good" seminarian. In the fall of 1939 the Bishop of Parenzo-Pola (Poreč-Pula) Trifone Pederzolli sent him to Rome for further studies.