Jaglika of Piva

Jaglika Adžić, now venerated as Saint Jaglika of Piva, was a young Serbian girl born in 1926 in Gojkovića dol, near Plužine in Montenegro. Her life was tragically cut short on June 6, 1943, during the horrific events of the Doli Pivski massacre, an atrocity perpetrated by the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen. The Serbian Orthodox Church recognized her sacrifice and canonized her as a saint in 2017.

Life and Historical Context

Born as the second of eight children, Jaglika was baptized by Jovan Sočica, who was himself later recognized as a martyr. Her family resided in Gojkovića dola, a village that became a site of immense suffering. On June 6, 1943, German and Ustashi forces burned approximately 60 citizens of Pivlja in a hut. Among the victims were Jaglika's parents, Stoja and Krsto, and three of her brothers: the two-year-old twins Dušan and Momčilo, and eight-year-old Milorad.

Jaglika was part of a group that managed to escape the initial attack and reach the safety of the forest. However, upon hearing the cries of her family and the other victims trapped inside the burning hut, she made the courageous decision to return. Accounts suggest that German soldiers attempted to prevent her from entering, but Jaglika broke free from their grasp and voluntarily jumped into the inferno to be with her family. This act of profound love and sacrifice is the central event in her hagiography.

Legacy

Jaglika's martyrdom has been formally recognized by the Serbian Orthodox Church, which canonized her in 2017. Her memory is preserved through public tributes, including a plaque erected at the site of the tragedy by SUBNOR Plužine. Furthermore, a kindergarten in Plužine and a street in Podgorica bear her name, serving as lasting reminders of her sacrifice and the suffering endured by her community. Her story is often invoked in discussions of wartime atrocities and the resilience of faith in the face of unimaginable loss.