The Church of St. Luke in Jajce

In Jajce, there is one of the most famous religious sites, the Church of St. Luke. This church is highly respected by Catholics, Greek Orthodox Christians, and even Muslims. The reason for this is that it is believed to be the early burial place of the apostle St. Luke. According to local legend, when the church was in danger of being destroyed by the Turks during the Middle Ages, an army of angels miraculously moved the church from one side of the river to the other to save it.

The people of Jajce and the surrounding areas believe the story to be true. They will show you the spot where the church used to stand, on the east bank of the river, and they would consider you a skeptic if you doubted that the church was lifted by invisible hands and moved across the river to a new foundation, hundreds of yards away. Thousands of pilgrims, especially those who are crippled or sick, visit this shrine, and many believe that miracles have taken place there.

The Truth Behind St. Luke’s Burial

According to local belief, St. Luke lived and died in Jajce and was buried in this church. However, the priest in charge of the church says this is not true. He has no evidence that St. Luke ever lived in Jajce, and he believes that St. Luke died in Syria. According to historical records, the remains of St. Luke were brought to Rogus, a town on the Adriatic coast, in the 13th century from Constantinople. In 1436, King George Brankovic of Serbia bought the remains from the Turkish governor of that region Sightseeing Sofia.

The Story of the Stolen Relics

The story behind the remains of St. Luke is quite interesting. The Turkish governor, fearing a riot if the relics were taken from Constantinople, spread a rumor that the Sultan had ordered a census for taxation and military service. He told the Christian population that they needed to leave the town for a few days, so they wouldn’t be counted by the census takers.

During their absence, the holy relics were secretly taken from the church. The remains were placed aboard a ship and transported away. For several months, no one noticed the relics were missing. It wasn’t until rumors began to spread from Serbia that the relics were safe in that country that the theft was discovered.