Varaždin, (IKA) – On Saturday, August 19, having received the holy sacraments, the first bishop of Varaždin, Msgr. Marko Culej, died in the Lord following a long and serious illness at the age of 68 in his bishop’s residence, after having served 43 years in the priesthood and 15 years in the episcopate. The first bishop of the newly founded Varaždin Diocese was appointed on July 5, 1997 and installed in the Varaždin Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary at the formal proclamation of the Varaždin Diocese on September 28 of the same year.

Msgr. Marko Culej was born on January 19, 1938 in Malo Repno in the parish of Belec to Petar and Josipa Culej. He attended elementary school in Belec and in Zagreb completed the archdiocesan secondary school on Šalata and the Catholic College of Theology. On April 26, 1964, he was ordained a priest in Zagreb. Immediately following ordination, he served as parochial vicar in Samobor and after two months was transferred to serve as parochial vicar in Desnić. From 1965 to 1981, he served as the parish administrator in the parish of Desnić. From 1981 to 1992, he was the vice rector of the archdiocesan theological seminary in Zagreb, and from September 1992 to September 1993, he served as the rector.
On January 7, 1992, he was appointed as auxiliary bishop of Zagreb and ordained on February 22 of the same year.
In the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Msgr. Culej performed various services, as the auxiliary bishop of Zagreb and later as the bishop of Varaždin. At his death, he was the president of the Committee of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for Pastoral Activity with Incarcerated Persons, the president of the Committee of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for Pastoral Activity with Roms, and the president of the Croatian Branch of the World Conference of Religions for Peace.