Grgo Ilić

Grgo Ilić was born in Vareš, Ottoman Empire (central part of modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina). In 1752 he entered the seminary at the Franciscan monastery Kraljeva Sutjeska, and than went to study philosophy and theology in Italy. He returned to Kraljeva Sutjeska to teach novice friars, and became monastery vicar. He also served as župnik (vicar) in several župas (parishes) until 1774.[1] He served as provincial minister of Franciscan province Bosna Argentina (official: Provincia OFM Exaltationis S. Crucis - Bosna Argentina) in two terms. Pope Pio VI appointed Ilić to the position of provincial minister first in 1783, a position he held only for one year from opposition within the provincial electoral plenary council, and than in 1793 for a second term, this time for life. In 1796 Grgo Ilić was named Bishop of Ruspe and auxiliary to bishop Augustin Botoš-Okić (1784-1798). In 1798 Ilić became Apostolic vicar in Bosnia, one of the roles he performed for the rest of his life.[2][3]

As a bishop he wrote and printed many pastoral-catechist works. In Filip Lastrić's work Od’ uzame (Mleci, 1796) he published 14 of its speeches aimed at Bosnian common people: Kratko nadometnuće u’ knjižice Od’ uzame O. fra Filipa iz Oćevje. Tojest XIV. razlikî, ravnî, i kratkî, govorenjah za pùk priprostiti bosanski, a u Cvitu razlika mirisa duhovnoga (Mleci 1802); T. Babića svoja Četeri govorenja ćudoredna. He wrote and printed many of his letters, circulars and speeches: Epistola pastoralis illmi. et revmi. f. Gregorii a Varess, episcopi Ruspensis (Dubrovnik 1797); Epistola pastoralis cum aliis nonnullis litteris circularibus illustris. et reverendiss. domini fratris Gregorii a Varess, episcopi Ruspensis olim coadjutoris et modo vicarii apostolici in Bosna othomana (Padova 1800); Način pribogoljubni za štovati prisveto uznesenje Marijino na nebo (Dubrovnik 1799). He further printed Nauk krstjanski i druge stvari za znati potrebite (Mleci 1804), while leaving behind in writing a manuscript of Sveta govorenja prieko ciele godine. An important contribution to Bosnian translation is a collection of speeches of archbishop Alessandro Borgia, with whom Ilić closely associated and printed it in Dubrovniku 1799. under the title Varhu kraljevstva Marijina, govorenja prisv. i pripoš. g. Aleksandra Borgie.[2]

• Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena