Gospa od suza
Gospa od suza naziv je za iskazivanje pobožnosti prema Blaženoj Djevici Mariji (prema katoličkom nauku) koja se svake godine odvija u sklopu župne zajednice grada Pleternice. Svetkovine traju devet dana (od 23. kolovoza do 1. rujna), a lokalno stanovništvo ih zbog toga često naziva i „Devetnice“.
Povijest
Godine 1954. u selu Bučje kraj Pleternice održavale su se misije. U misijama je sudjelovao pater Stjepan Müller iz Zagreba sa paterom Šantićem. Pater Müller u razgovoru je između ostaloga govorio i o događajima čudesnog zbivanja u crkvi. Spomenuo je događaj suzenja Gospina reljefa u gradu Sirakuzi na Siciliji dana 28., 29., 30. i 31. kolovoza 1953. godine. Suzenje kipa prestalo je dana 1. rujna, a ljudi iz raznih krajeva dolazili su vidjeti spomenuti događaj.
Po ustaljenom običaju, susjedni svećenici odlazili su na ispomoć ostalim župama, pa se tako u župi Bučje zatekao i upravitelj pleterničke župe velečasni Ljudevit Petrak. Saslušavši razgovor zamolio je oca Müllera za fotografiju Gospe od suza. Prema pisanoj knjizi, kojoj je sam autor, Petrak je nakon toga „otišao u bučjansku crkvu, kleknuo u klupe i molio rasvjetljenje u Gospodina“.
Tako je velečasni Petrak osmislio svečano slavljenje Gospe od suza koje će se provoditi u Pleternici. Slavljenje će trajati devet uzastopnih dana, od 23. kolovoza do 1. rujna, a održavat će se redovito svake godine.
Prva sveta misa održana je 23. kolovoza 1955. godine.
Svetkovina je kasnije u narodu prozvana „Devetnice“, zbog devet dana trajanja.
Gospa od suza danas
Pleternička Gospa od suza je 2005. godine, na svoju 50. obljetnicu, proglašena drugim svetištem Gospe od suza u svijetu (nakon onoga u Sirakuzi na Siciliji).
Svetkovanje Gospe od suza s godinama je u Pleternici postalo tradicija. Svake godine okupljalo se sve više hodočasnika, koji dolaze iz svih seoskih i gradskih područja u bližoj, ali i daljoj okolici. Primjer su hodočasnici iz Slavonskog Broda, Našica, Nove Gradiške, Pakraca, Lipika i Požege ali i oni iz Zagreba, Osijeka i drugih većih hrvatskih gradova. Osim toga, poslijednjih nekoliko godina Pleternicu je za vrijeme trajanja svetkovine posjetila i nekolicina hodočasnika iz inozemstva. Premda ne navode to kao službeni podatak, lokalni mediji govore o 10-ak tisuća ljudi svake godine koji pohode svete mise tijekom „Devetnica“.
EN:
Relief of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, made of plaster and placed above the marital bed of a young married couple Angelo Iannus and Antonina R. Giusto, cried human tears on 29th, 30th and 31st of August as well as on 1st September 1953. On Sunday the 30th of August one amateur movie maker shot the shape, the flow and the melting of these tears.
On the first September at 11 am a Committee of doctors and analysts took more than one cubic centimeter of this liquid and conducted a microscopic analysis, which found traces of protein and urate. Science gave the answer: it were human tears. Since mid-November 1953 there were around 300 physical healings, declared as extraordinary by a medical commission and numerous were the conversions.
Word of the Church Magisterium
On 13th December 1953, under the chairmanship of Cardinal Ernesto Rufini, the Sicilian episcopate gave their offical opinion: "can not be questioned about the reality of tears ... Let such events of Heavenly Mother encourage all of us to the salutary penance and lively devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary." A year later Pope Pius XII. concluded the Marian Congress on Sicily radio with a message which among other things, said: "Without a doubt, Mary is in heaven forever happy and do not suffer pain nor sorrow, but She is not insensitive, moreover, She has always had love and compassion for humanity... Will people understand the mysterious language of these tears?" On 6th November 1994, during the consecration of the Shrine of Our Lady of Tears in Siracusa the Pope John Paul II. said: "These are the tears of pain for those who reject God's love. These are the tears of prayer, the prayer of a mother who gives power to any other prayer, these are tears of hope to melt the hardness of hearts!"
In 1954 in a parish Bučje near Pleternica missions were led by the missionary Stephen Muller, a Jesuit from Zagreb. While he talked with the priests of the miraculous events that were happening in the Church, the missionary specifically mentioned the event of tearing figure of Our Lady in Syracuse the previous year. Fr. Ljudevit Petrak, a pastor of Pleternica was also present during this conversation. Having listened to the missionaries, he asked for the image of Our Lady of Tears and with the picture in his hands went to church and kneeling in prayer sought the enlightenment from the Lord. It was a difficult time for the parish in Pleternica and him personally. Namely, on 3rd December 1944 the partisans knocked to the ground the parish church of St Nicholas. In the night of 11th to 12th of May 1945 a former pastor, rev. Franjo Radovic, was assassinated in front of his eyes. After the destruction of the church, the Communist banned the rebuilding of the parish church. Nevertheless, the parishioners were gathering on Sundays and holidays, and celebrated holly mass in the open.
Thinking about all these events, reverend Petrak decided to introduce the devotion to Our Lady of Tears for nine days. He realized his wish the following year, and on 23rd of August 1955 a nine-day celebration (Novena) began on the foundations of the destroyed parish church. The last, ninght night, on 31st of August, after a holly mass, he led a procession with lighted candles around the church foundation. Beside a deep commitment to the Mother of God, Rev. Petrak began a novena to Our Lady of Tears for the following reasons: as a prayer for a spiritual renewal of the parish, the preservation of faith during overrun of atheistic communism, and obtaining a permission to rebuild the parish church. Year after year, a growing number of believers from all parts of the Croatia began to arrive in Pleternica, despite the systematic suppression of the government. People´s faith and his love for Mary helped the remains of the destroyed church to become a place of prayer, proclamation of God's word, the celebration of holy sacraments where many pilgrims achieve spiritual and physical healing through the intercession of Our Lady of Tears. Until his retirement in 1994, Pastor Petrak had carefully and lovingly led the parish for 50 years and 40 years of devotion to Our Lady of Tears. Reverend Antun Corkovic was appointed as his successor. He has also made great effort to continue the devotion.
With the establishment of the Diocese Pozega in 1997 and also thanks to the Bishop, Dr. Antun Skvorcevic, a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Tears in Pleternica has been given a new meaning. In 2005 the 50th anniversary of the veneration of Our Lady of Tears was celebrated. On 26th of August 2005 Archbishop Mons Giuseppe Constanzo visited the parish and brought a part of the original power of Siracusa Lady that permanently remained in the property of Pleternica sanctuary. In year 2005 a DECREE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF TEAR IN PLETERNICA was issued.
