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On December 9 2002, the
Croatian Dominican Province lost one of its members – Fr. Tomo Veres,
philosopher and prominent translator, who died after being seriously
ill at the age of 73, after 53 years of monastic life and 47 years
of priesthood.
Fr. Tomo was born in
Subotica (Vojvodina, Yugoslavia) on February 24, 1930, where he
finished elementary and grammar school. He entered the Dominican
order in Dubrovnik, in 1949. He took his first vows on October 7,
1950. He was ordained a priest in 1956, in the French city of
Etiolles. He studied philosophy and theology in Dubrovnik (Croatia)
and in Saulchoire (France), where in 1958 he got his theology
license. He continued the studies in Freiburg im Brisgau (Germany)
and in Zagreb (Croatia), where in 1970, at the Theological
University, he defended successfully his doctoral theses. He
lectured philosophy at the Dominican philosophy-theological faculty
in Dubrovnik, and from 1974 at the Philosophical Faculty SJ in
Zagreb. From 1976 to 1985 he acted as a secretary of the Bishops'
Conference.
In the Dominican
convent of Zagreb he worked as a librarian for more than thirty
years. Under his guidance the Convent library «Hijacint Bo¹kovię»
became a regional cultural monument with significant library
holdings.
As a lecturer he
lectured at numerous international congresses dedicated to studying
of the learning of St. Albert the Great, St. Thomas Acquinas, as
well as dialogue between Christians and Marxists.
Twenty books he wrote, or translated, and several hundred
bibliographical units (discussions, articles and polemics in
Croatian and international reviews and anthologies) show his vast
interest: from Aristotelian philosophy, philosophy of St. Albert the
Great and St. Thomas Aquinas, Church social science and dialogue
with Marxists, up to questions of the national minorities. He wrote
in Croatian, Hungarian, German and French, and his works were
translated to Albanian, English, Slovenian, Spanish and Italian.
The work of Fr. Vere¹
was not only ground-breaking in starting with systematic
translations of the medieval philosophers and theologians to
Croatian, but also in starting scientific dialogue between
Christians with Marxism. Because of his contribution to the dialogue
between Marxists and Christians he was very appreciated by
non-Christians, and because of his knowledge of Marx's doctrine he
was respected even among the Marxists. In that period of his work he
pointed out the social science of the Church and learning of the
mutual teacher St. Thomas Aquinas.
The Master of the
Order, Fr. Timothy Radcliffe OP, bestowed him an order «Teacher of
Saint Theology» (Magister in Sacra Theologia) on June 10, 2000 - the
greatest award in the Dominican order, which is honoured for special
contribution in promoting science, especially philosophy and
theology.
Respecting the wish
of the prominent Croats and the bishop of Subotica, as well as many
others, Fr. Tomo was buried in Subotica, on Tuesday, December 17,
2002. The Holy Mass for the late Fr. Vere¹ was celebrated in the
Subotica Cathedral, and the funeral was organized at the local
cemetery.
Funeral party with the concelebrated mass was celebrated in the
Church of the Queen of Peace (Dominican convent) in Zagreb.
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