On the Sunday of the Good Shepherd and the World Day of Prayer for Spiritual Vocations, May 8th, the Bishop of Banja Luka, Msgr. Franjo Komarica in the Cathedral of St. Bonaventura ordained Ilija Kelić, a native of the parish of Ljubunčić near Livno, as a deacon.
Five priests concelebrated, among whom was the parish priest from Zagreb, rev. Antun Vukmanić and the Dean of the Philosophical and Theological Study in Zagreb, father Ivo Antunović.
In his homily, Bishop Francis spoke, among other things, about this year’s message of Pope Francis on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for Spiritual Vocations, presenting its main highlights. He then interpreted the “central notion” for God’s entire work of redemption of the human race, “sacred exchange”, as the primordial reality of Christianity. He emphasized important facts in Christianity – “God’s speech and man’s answer”, God’s precious self-giving to man and man’s due devotion to God, which is closely related to sacrifice. He explained that Christianity is not a “paper religion”, but an emphatically “experiential one”.
He then addressed Ilija in particular and reminded that “Christ, the Good Shepherd – after many past jobs and commitments in various environments in his love, turned him and left him for a new and even more important job that now entrusts him, right here, in this part of his Church, ie in his native diocese”. He stated the specific tasks of his deacon service in the Church and on behalf of the Church, and made him aware of the seriousness of the obligations he undertakes with his deacon ordination. “Love Christ and his Church, so do not be afraid of the future”, the bishop told the newcomer, wishing him close cooperation with the Holy Spirit and calling on his mother’s intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God and Mother of the Church on him and all present.
At the end of the Holy Mass, the Bishop thanked those present for their prayers for new spiritual vocations, encouraging them to continue to pray for saints and devotees, monks and nuns in the future.
After the Eucharist, the present stayed for some time in the courtyard of the cathedral in pleasant company with the ordained deacon.
Pleasant socializing continued in the afternoon with a tour of Marija Zvijezda and some other institutions of the Banja Luka diocese.
Rev. Ilija was born in 1969 in Prisap, in the parish of Ljubunčić near Livno, in the family of Vinko and Slavka, born Karaula, who have four more sons and two daughters. After high school, Ilija moved to Zagreb, where he spent almost his entire life. Sensing a spiritual vocation, he enrolled and graduated in theology in 2020 at the Jesuit Philosophical and Theological Study in Zagreb.
KT
Banja Luka – May 9, 2022
