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Roman Catholic Diocese of Banja Luka

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Diocese of Banja Luka
Dioecesis Banialucensis
Banjolučka biskupija
Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure
Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure
Location
Country Bosnia and Herzegovina
Territory Republika Srpska
Ecclesiastical province Archdiocese of Vrhbosna
Deaneries Banja Luka
Livno
Jajce
Bihać
Prnjavor
Bosanska Gradiška
Statistics
Area 16,457 km2 (6,354 sq mi)
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2022)
735,000[1]
24,660[1] (3.36%)
Parishes 48[1]
Information
Denomination Catholic
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established 5 July 1881
Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure
Patron saint Saint Bonaventure
Secular priests 34[2]
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Željko Majić
Metropolitan Archbishop Tomo Vukšić
Vicar General Karlo Višaticki
Bishops emeritus Franjo Komarica, Marko Semren
Map
Website
biskupija-banjaluka.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Banja Luka — The Diocese of Banja Luka (Latin: Dioecesis Banialucensis; Croatian: Banjolučka biskupija) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in western Bosnia. The diocese is centred in the city of Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Erected on July 5, 1881, the diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna, as the Diocese of Banjaluka. In 1985 the name of the diocese was changed to Banja Luka.

Željko Majić became bishop of Banja Luka in 2024.

History

After Bosnia Vilayet came under Austro-Hungarian rule in 1878, Pope Leo XIII restored the vilayet's church hierarchy. In Ex hac augusta, his 5 July 1881 apostolic letter, Leo established a four-diocese ecclesiastical province in Bosnia and Herzegovina and abolished the previous apostolic vicariates. Sarajevo, formerly Vrhbosna, became the archdiocesan and metropolitan seat. Its suffragan dioceses became the new dioceses of Banja Luka and Mostar and the existing Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan.[3]

From 1883 to 1884 the Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Josip Stadler, was an apostolic administrator of the Diocese.

The original Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure in the city was built in 1887 and levelled in an earthquake in 1969. A new cathedral was built in 1974.

During the Second World War and after one-third of all the parishes (thirteen) ceased to exist, and in ten others the number of parishioners dropped significantly. There was also a shortage of priests. The Holy See started the process of beatification of four priests killed in the war, in 2014, including Juraj Gospodnetić and Waldemar Maximilian Nestor.[4]

Ordinaries

Apostolic Administrators

Apostolic Administrators of Banja Luka
From Until Incumbent Notes
1882 1884 Josip Stadler Archbishop of Vrhbosna. Elected on 29 September 1881 and confirmed on 18 November 1881. Consecrated on 20 November 1881. Appointed Apostolic Administrator of Banja Luka on 18 November 1882. He held office until 24 March 1884.
1884 1912 Marijan Marković Franciscan friar. Appointed Apostolic Administrator of Banjaluka on 27 March 1884, consecrated on 4 May 1884. Died in office on 20 June 1912.
From 1912 until 1946 Josip Stjepan Garić served as Bishop of Banja Luka
1946 1951 Smiljan Franjo Čekada Franciscan friar. Appointed Apostolic Administrator of Banjaluka in 1946 after death of bishop Garić. Also served as Auxiliary Bishop of Vrhbosna (1939–1940), bishop of Skopje (1940–1967), Coadjutor Archbishop of Vrhbosna (1967–1970) and Archbishop of Vrhbosna (1970–1976).
1951 1958 Dragutin Čelik Appointed on 15 December 1951 and consecrated on 16 December 1951. Died in office on 11 August 1958.
Sources:[5]

Bishops

Bishops of Banja Luka
From Until Incumbent Notes
1881 1912 Sede vacante Office held by apostolic administrators.
1912 1946 Josip Stjepan Garić Franciscan friar. Appointed on 14 December 1912 and consecrated on 20 February 1913. Died in office on 30 June 1946.
1946 1958 Sede vacante Office held by apostolic administrators.
1959 1989 Alfred Pichler Appointed on 22 July 1959 and consecrated on 18 October 1959. Resigned on 15 May 1989 and died on 17 May 1992.
1989 2023 Franjo Komarica Appointed on 15 May 1989, previously consecrated on 6 January 1986 as Auxiliary Bishop of Banja Luka and Titular Bishop of Satafis. Resigned on 8 December 1989.
2024 present Željko Majić Priest of Mostar-Duvno. Appointed on 8 December 2023 and consecrated on 2 March 2024.
Sources:[6]

Auxiliary Bishops

Auxiliary Bishops of Banja Luka
From Until Incumbent Notes
1985 1989 Franjo Komarica Appointed on 28 October 1985 and consecrated on 6 January 1986. Succeeded Bishop of Banja Luka on 15 May 1989.
2010 2024 Marko Semren Franciscan friar. Appointed on 15 July 2010 and consecrated on 18 September 2010. Resigned on 15 July 2024.
Sources:[7][8]

Demographics

The Diocese of Banja Luka has a population of 550,300. As of 2012, 35,428 (6.44% of the population) are Roman Catholics.

Deaneries

  • Deanery — Dean — Parishes
  • Banja Luka
    Banjolučki dekanat
    — Ivo Orlovac O.F.M. — Banja Luka
    Barlovci
    Budžak
    Ivanjska
    Marija Zvijezda
    Motike
    Petrićevac
    Presnače
    Šimići
    Trn
  • Bihać
    Bihaćki dekanat
    — Rev. Iljo Arlović — Bihać
    Bosanska Dubica
    Bosanska Kostajnica
    Bosanska Novi
    Drvar
    Ljubija
    Prijedor
    Ravska
    Sanski Most
    Sasina
    Stara Rijeka
    Stratinska
    Šurkovac
  • Bosanska Gradiška
    Bosansko-gradiški dekanat
    — Msgr. Vlado Lukenda — Bosanski Aleksandrovac
    Bosanska Gradiška
    Dolina
    Mahovljani
    Nova Topola
  • Deanery — Dean — Parishes
  • Jajce
    Jajački dekanat
    File:Deanery of Jajce location map.png — Niko Petonjić O.F.M. — Jajce
    Ključ
    Liskovica
    Mrkonjić Grad
  • Livno
    Livanjski dekanat
    File:Deanery of Livno location map.png — The Very Rev. Adolf Višaticki — Bila
    Bosansko Grahovo
    Čuklić
    Glamoč
    Lištani
    Livno
    Ljubunčić
    Odžak-Ćaić
    Podhum
    Vidoši
  • Prnjavor
    Prnjavorski dekanat
    File:Deanery of Prnjavor location map.png — Msgr. Vlado Lukenda — Dragalovci
    Kotor Varoš
    Kulaši
    Prnjavor
    Sokoline
    Vrbanjci

Churches

Parish churches

This is a list of Parish churches by deanery:

Deanery of Banja Luka

  • Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Banja Luka
  • St. Vitus's Church, Barlovci
  • Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Ivanjska
  • Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Banja Luka
  • Saints Peter and Paul Church, Motike
  • Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, Banja Luka
  • Church of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Presnače
  • Saints Peter and Paul Church, Šimići
  • Saint Joseph's Church, Trn

Deanery of Bihać

  • Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, Bihać
  • Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Bosanska Dubica
  • Saint Joseph's Church, Bosanska Gradiška
  • Holy Trinity Church, Novi Grad
  • Saint Joseph's Church, Drvar
  • Church of Saint Leopold Mandić, Ljubija
  • Saint Joseph's Church, Prijedor
  • Saint John the Baptist Church, Ravska
  • Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sanski Most
  • Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sasina
  • Church of Saint Anthony the Hermit, Majdan
  • Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, Stratinska
  • Sacred Heart Church, Šurkovac

Deanery of Bosanska Gradiška

  • Church of Saint Roch, Gradiška
  • Saint John the Baptist Church, Bosanski Aleksandrovac
  • Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Dolina
  • St. Francis' Church, Mahovljani
  • Saint Joseph's Church, Nova Topola

Deanery of Jajce

Deanery of Livno

Deanery of Prnjavor

  • Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, Prnjavor
  • Church of Saint Leopold Mandić, Dragalovci
  • Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Kotor Varoš
  • Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Kulaši
  • Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sokoline
  • St. Francis' Church, Vrbanjci

Roman Catholic churches in Diocese of Banja Luka

Missionaries

Mons. Drago Balvanović (1936-2026), born in Bosansko Grahovo, ordained in Đakovo in 1959, priest of the Diocese of Banja Luka (1959-1987), went to Lima in the summer of 1987, to serve Croatian community;[9] since 1988, he was parish priest of the St. Leopold Mandić Parish in Lima, where he built parish church dedicated to Leopold Mandić.[9] Since 1997, he was diocesian vicar for the Croats of Peru, and since 2003 delegate of South-American Croats for Croatian Episcopal Conference (HBK) and Episcopal Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BKBiH).[9]

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Roman Catholic Diocese of Banja Luka is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[10]

References

  1. Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 "Diocese of Banja Luka". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  2. Back to citation ":: BANJOLUČKA BISKUPIJA::". Archived from the original on 2010-10-27.
  3. Back to citation Leo XIII, Ex hac augusta
  4. Back to citation "Pokrenuta beatifikacija četvorice svećenika iz BiH". hrt.hr. Croatian Radio and Television. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  5. Back to citation "Archbishop Josef Stadler". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015; "Bishop Marijan Marković, O.F.M." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015; "Archbishop Smiljan Franjo Cekada". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015; "Bishop Karel Celik". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  6. Back to citation "Bishop Emmanuel Josip Stepan Garić, O.F.M." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015; "Bishop Alfred Pichler". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015; "Bishop Franjo Komarica". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015; "Father Željko Majić". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  7. Back to citation "Bishop Franjo Komarica". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  8. Back to citation "Bishop Marko Semren, O.F.M." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  9. Back to citation occurrence 9.0 Back to citation occurrence 9.1 Back to citation occurrence 9.2 AO (May 2026). "In memoriam: Drago Balvanović". Radosna vijest (in Croatian). Vol. LV, no. 605. p. 21. ISSN 1331-1204.
  10. Back to citation Roman Catholic Diocese of Banja Luka, official website

Bibliography

44°46′31″N 17°11′43″E / 44.775361°N 17.195144°E

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