Maria Jula Ivanišević and companions

The congregation of the Daughters of Divine Charity established itself in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of the 19th century. In 1911, the sisters acquired a property in Pale, near Sarajevo, to establish the Marijin dom (Mary's House) convent. Their mission was deeply charitable and social, helping the local population without distinction of religious confession or ethnic background. They provided free care to the sick, distributed bread and wood, cultivated the land, and managed a primary school. Sister Marija Jula Ivanišević had been in charge as superior since 1932. Sister Marija Berchmana Leidenix spent her final days there in prayer after a long teaching career. Sisters Marija Krizina Bojanc and Marija Antonija Fabjan dedicated themselves to agricultural work and helping the poor, while Sister Marija Bernadeta Banja managed the kitchens. In 1941, despite the chaos of the Second World War, the sisters refused to abandon their convent in order to continue assisting the needy.

The martyrdom of the five nuns took place in December 1941. On December 11, Chetnik fighters invaded and set fire to the convent in Pale. The sisters were forced into an arduous march through the snow toward Goražde. Sister Marija Berchmana Leidenix, 76 years old and exhausted, was separated from the group at Sjetlina, where she was murdered on December 23, 1941. The other four sisters reached Goražde on December 15 and were held captive in a school. That same evening, to escape the drunken Chetnik soldiers who intended to rape them and thus preserve their vows of chastity, the four nuns threw themselves from the window. Surviving the fall but severely wounded, they were finished off with knives by the soldiers, who then threw their bodies into the Drina.

The memory of their sacrifice spread rapidly, earning them the nickname of "heavenly sisters." The cause for beatification opened in December 1999 in Sarajevo. On January 14, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree recognizing their martyrdom in odium fidei. The beatification ceremony was celebrated on September 24, 2011, at the Zetra Olympic Hall in Sarajevo by Cardinal Angelo Amato, before more than 20,000 pilgrims. The five religious sisters are liturgically commemorated on December 15.

The spirituality of the Drina Martyrs stems from the charism of their congregation: "To make visible the invisible love of God." Their life of prayer, humble work, and service was fulfilled in the total gift of themselves. They are invoked as models of purity, courage, and fidelity. In September 2025, a church dedicated to the Blessed Drina Martyrs was consecrated in Goražde. This sanctuary, funded by local Christians and Muslims, has become a strong symbol of peace, reconciliation, and ecumenical fraternity.