Auxiliary bishop of Banja Luka, Msgr. Marko Semren, OFM, as president of the Bishop’s Commission for the Pontifical Croatian Institute of St. Jerome in Rome, made a regular annual visit to the Institute from January 9th to 12th.
In the same period, the regular annual session of the Institute’s Supervisory Board was held, where, along with the rector, rev. Marko Đurin and vice-rector rev. Marko Škraba, its members participated: the priest of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna and the director of the Pontifical Missionary Works in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Luka Tunjić, priest of the Split-Makarska archdiocese and parish priest of Budimiri and Biorine parishes rev. Miroslav Vidović and priest of Gospić-Senj diocese, parish priest in Senj and professor at the Theology in Rijeka, rev. Richard Pavlić.
During the visitation, Bishop Semren met and held individual conversations with the Institute’s management, priest-students, nuns and employees, and toured the Institute’s property.
At the end of the visitation on Thursday, January 12th, a solemn Holy Mass was celebrated, which was led by Bishop Marko with the concelebration of Rector Đurin, Vice-Rector Škraba and the student priests.
By the way, 22 student priests started the academic year at the Institute. They come from two sovereign countries (Croatia and BiH) and two Bishops’ Conferences (HBK and BK BiH). They study at nine church universities: Pontifical Gregorian University (10), Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (4), Pontifical Salesian University (2), Alfosian Academy (1), Pontifical University Antonianum (1), Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm (1), the Pontifical Institute for Church Music (1), the Pontifical Oriental Institute (1) and the Faculty of Canon Law of St. Pius X. – Venice (1).
The priests are studying: canon law (7), dogmatic theology (2), liturgy (2), priest formation (1), church history (1), pedagogy (1), ecumenical theology (1), moral theology (1), philosophy (1), communications (1), catechetics (1), psychology (1), church music (1) and cultural assets of the Church (1).
There are currently seven master’s students studying to obtain a doctorate, and 15 priests are studying to achieve the academic master degree.
Student priests come from Croatian (arch)dioceses: Zagreb (4), Đakovo – Osijek (5), Split – Makarska (4), Rijeka (1), Vrhbosna (3), Požega (1), Varaždin (1), Sisak (2) and Križevci (1).
KT
Rim – January 13, 2023
