Razgovor duhovni od svetoga Bone mucsenika

The Spiritual Conversation of Saint Bona the Martyr is the work of Fr. Antun Tomašević (c. 1713–1758), a Vukovar Franciscan, theology lector and preacher. It was originally printed in 1754 on the occasion of the ceremonial transfer of the relics of St. Bona (Bonifacius) the Martyr from Rome to Vukovar, where the relics became an object of great veneration in the Franciscan church.

The 1994 edition (Vukovar City Museum in Exile, Zagreb) is a reprint (facsimile) of the original edition. The booklet has 77 pages and contains: a facsimile of an old print from 1754, a transcription of the text into modern orthography, and expert afterwords by prominent authors (Vatroslav Frkin, Julijana Matanović and Vlado Horvat).

The work is written in the baroque style, characteristic of the 18th century — rhetorically rich, with emotional appeals, quotations from the Holy Scriptures and examples from the lives of saints. It represents a spiritual conversation (sermon) in which the author encourages believers to venerate St. Bona, reflect on martyrdom, faith and Christian life. The text is intended for a wider audience, and was delivered during a solemn church service in Vukovar.

Fra Antun Tomašević was one of the more prolific Vukovar Franciscan writers of the 18th century. This work testifies to the strong spiritual and cultural role of the Franciscans in Slavonia after the liberation from the Ottomans, and to the importance of relics and patron saints in shaping local identity.

The 1994 reprint was published in the context of the wartime suffering of Vukovar, as part of an effort to preserve and reaffirm the city's rich cultural heritage. Today it is considered a bibliographical rarity and an important source for the study of: Croatian Baroque literature, Franciscan sermon literature, the history of Vukovar and the veneration of St. Bona.

The book is ideal for collectors of old books, historians of literature and theology, and anyone interested in the church history of Slavonia. It represents a fine example of how old texts are being revitalized through contemporary critical editions with afterwords.