Biography of Bishop Heruvim of Osijek-Polje and Baranja

The new elected Bishop Heruvim was born in Vukovar from father Dusan and mother Milica (born Jovkovic) on 30 July 1987. His baptismal name is Vitomir. After having finished of the primary school in Vukovar, with the blessing of the then Diocesan Bishop Lukijan of Osijek-Polje and Baranja, he enrolled the Theological Seminary of the Holy Three Hierarchs in Krka Monastery, as a pupil of the second generation after the civil war of this restored educational institution of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia.

In 2006 he matriculated the Faculty of Philology, Serbian Language and Literature Department. During the studies he decided to embrace monastic way of life. The affection towards the Krka Monastery was decisive when choosing it as a place of his monastic tonsure. On the feast-day of Sts. Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian in 2009, Bishop Fotije of Dalmatia tonsured him and gave him monastic name Heruvim, after the name of the first abbot of the Krka monastery. On the feast-day of the monastery patron-saint, Holy Archangel Michael, 21 November 2009, he was ordained hierodeacon, and on the feast-day of Holy Prince Lazar in 2010 he was ordained hieromonk.

In 2010/11 he became a teacher in the Seminary of the Holy Three Hierarchs in Krka Monastery, where he performed duties of a manager of the boarding school, librarian and spiritual father of the Seminary pupils.

With the blessing of Bishop Fotije in 2013, hieromonks Heruvim started to lead his monastic life in the new-established monastery of Holy Great Martyr Kiryaki in Ocestovo. During that period, a monastic brotherhood and active liturgical life was built up in this shrine. Works on the restoration of the monastery complex were performed and the monastery economy was promoted as well.

With the blessing of His Grace Irinej, Bishop of Backa and Administrator of the Diocese of Osijek-Polje and Baranja, in 2017, the principal of the monastery Ocestovo, abbot Heruvim, was received into the link of the clergy of the Diocese of Osijek-Polje and Baranja. On 1 October 2017 he was appointed principal of the monastery of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God in Daljska Planina, from which position he was elected Bishop of Osijek-Polje and Baranja.

On the Sunday of Holy Pentecost, 27 May 2018, in the Cathedral church of Novi Sad His Grace Irinej, Bishop of Backa and the Administrator of Osijek-Polje and Baranja, elevated abbot Heruvim to the rank of an Archimandrite.