20 years of Diocese of Osek-Polje

In the church of St. Great martyr Demetrius in Dalj, on Saturday 15, 2011 with the Divine Liturgy the twentieth anniversary of the restoration of the Diocese of Osek-Polje and Baranja was marked, the twentieth anniversary of the enthrownement of His Grace Bishop Lukijan on the throne of bishops of the Diocese and the Patron Saint's Day of the Diocese of Osek-Polje and Baranja - Saint Stefan Stiljanovic.

The Holy Hierarchal Liturgy was served by Bishop Lukijan with the concelebration of priests of the Dioceses of Bihac-Petrovac, Srem and Osek -Polje and Baranja.

The Diocesan bishop Lukijan was accompanied by the clergy in the procession from the Patriarchate court until holy church, where the faithful people welcomed the Bishop to commence with the Holy service.

The Divine Liturgy was attended also by high guests from Serbia, counsellors of the Ministry of Faith of the Republic of Serbia Dragan Novakovic and Toma Brankovic,  representative of the Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS) in the Croatian Assembly Mile Horvat, vice zupans of Osek-Baranja Jovan Jelic and of Vukovar-Srem Djordje Curcic, Serbian consul in Vukovar Zivorad Simic, mayor of the municipality Erdut Jugoslav Vesic and many other politicians.

The diocese of Osek-Polje exists as an independent until 1758, when it was  incorporated into Archdiocese of Karlovac. Later, until 1991 the diocese of Osek-Polje was part of the diocese of Srem.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops brought the decision on May 22, 1991 on restoring the diocese of Osek-Polje and Baranja. The next day, the Assembly elected archimandrite Lukijan for its first diocesan bishop.

In july 1991 in the Cathedral church of St. Nikolai of Miriklija in Sremski Karlovci the hierarchal chirotony of Bishop Lukija was performed by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle.

Bishop Lukijan was enthroned on August 18, 1991 in the church of St. Demetrius in Dalj.

Protopresbyter  Predrag Azap

Source: Diocese of Osek-Polje