Sisak, (IKA) – On Saturday, February 6, a Solemn Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Sisak on the occasion of the re-establishment of the Diocese of Sisak and the official installation of Msgr. Vlado Košić as the bishop of Sisak. In concelebration were Cardinals Josip Bozanić and Vinko Puljić, the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari; the general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, Archbishop Nikola Eterović; the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Marin Srakić of Đakovo-Osijek, Croatian bishops and archbishops, bishops from neighboring countries, provincials of religious communities and approximately 150 priests from throughout Croatia. In addition to the multitude of the faithful from all the parishes of the diocese, persons from other parts of Croatia also attended. Representatives of other Christian churches in the Republic of Croatia were present, as were representatives of the Islamic community and a representative of the Taize community. The celebration was also attended by the minister of culture and president of the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities, Božo Biškupić; parliamentary representatives from the territory of the new diocese, and mayors and heads of the cities and municipalities located within the territory of the diocese.
At the beginning of the Mass, Nuncio Cassari read the bull of the appointment of the diocesan bishop, after which Cardinal Bozanić presented Bishop-Elect Košić with the pastoral staff and thus installed him into office.
Congratulating Bishop Košić, Cardinal Bozanić recalled that the territory of the new diocese has been marked with traces of the difficult and significant history of that region. “Much martyred blood has been spilled on this land, including during the most recent war in the 1990s, to which you are a witness, because as a priest you shared the harsh destiny of the people entrusted to you,” said the cardinal. He also pointed out that the establishment of new dioceses is among the most important events in the life of the Church. “This is primarily the work and gift of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, we rejoice and thank God for the graces received. A diocese is part of the people of God that is entrusted to the pastoral care of a bishop so that he, in cooperation with the presbyters, can lead and gather it together through the gospel and Eucharist in the Holy Spirit. On February 6, the Diocese of Sisak, by the proclamation of the bull and the installation of its pastor, has begun its historic journey. We are pleased that this has happened during the year when we are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac. To his protection and to that of the heavenly patron St. Quirinus we entrust the new Sisak Church,” said the cardinal. He congratulated Bishop Košić on his appointment and the confidence expressed in him by the Holy Father. I am aware of your love of this Church and these people of God. I want you to be a merciful father to them, a wise teacher and good shepherd. I thank you for your devoted service as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Zagreb for the past 11 years, said the cardinal, and congratulated Bishop Košić and Bishop Mrzljak on the anniversary of their episcopal ordination.
The cardinal also thanked the priests of the Diocese of Sisak for their faithful cooperation in the community of the Archdiocese of Zagreb and said: “With this new diocese, in the Year of the Priest you begin a new Church reality, the building of the new diocesan community of the people of God. I urge you to approach this task that the Church has entrusted to you devotedly and responsibly.” Cardinal Bozanić urged the faithful of the Church of Sisak to receive the new pastor sent to them by the Pope with respect and love, and said: “Always cleave to the bishop like the Church cleaves to Jesus Christ, and as Jesus Christ cleaves to the Father, for everything to be for the glory of God in the unity and ceaseless growth of this Diocese of Sisak.” To Bishop Košić the cardinal said: “And you, dear Bishop Vlado, I wish and pray for you to constantly build the family of the Diocese of Sisak entrusted to you in truth and holiness.”

The continuation of the celebration of the Mass was led by Bishop Košić. At the beginning of his homily, visibly moved by the assembled crowd of believers, Bishop Košić greeted the faithful of the Diocese of Sisak in a particular way. “This diocese was established for you. I am yours and joyfully address the words to you that St. Paul wrote to his beloved Philippians: “I hold you in my heart, you who are all partners with me in grace … and this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception.”
Citing the words of St. Augustine, he said, “You cannot understand anyone except by friendship,” Bishop Košić said that it is not possible to know a person well without friendship. Thus, we do not even know Christ completely according to some objective perceptions but only through love and friendship. He added that he would primarily like to promote and expand the horizons of friendship everywhere, particularly in the Church, in trust and good relations among the priests and the faithful, as well as toward the Christians of other churches, and greeted the assembled representatives of Christian churches as well as the representatives of the Islamic community.
“I should like to say that the hands on my coat-of-arms signify the breadth of my love and friendship and that of the Sisak Church for all of you who believe in Christ and in one God. These hands are extended to every person who seeks God and man, to everyone who seeks the truth and who follows the voice of conscience in his heart, seeking the good and avoiding evil,” said Bishop Košić.
He then addressed the young: “In Sisak, as in our beautiful homeland of Croatia as well as throughout the world, many are lost and wandering without a goal. Many are tempted by the evils of drugs and other addictions. I would like to be a brother to you, dear young people, and to you, dear parents, who are fighting for your children and their future. Together we shall be stronger, especially if we are joined and strengthened by the love and friendship of Christ, our Lord. In you, dear young people, I see the great potential of our Diocese of Sisak. I was also convinced of this last night at the festival, and seeing you so engaged in helping organize our celebration,” said Bishop Košić.
Welcoming the representatives of the civil authorities, he told them that the bishop of Sisak extends his hand to all of them, as does the whole Church of Sisak.
The Church, however, is a community of friends, primarily on a personal level. It respects all authorities and offices but its priorities are little people, those for whom the Lord established it, to be the salt and yeast of society. It does not exist for itself but for man, especially the person who suffers, who endures injustice, whose dignity and rights are trampled, who remains out of work, who lives in Sisak without clean air. “It is for us to fight together, brothers and sisters, for our families, our children and young people, for the rights of workers, for the many who are disenfranchised and alone,” said Bishop Košić, pointing out that the bishop of Sisak and the Church of Sisak will be critical toward everyone in the society, because the Church has never been known to favor the powerful and rich but has always had a preference for the poor. “Let us try to see each other through the eyes of God, sub specie aeternitatis – from the perspective of the eternal. When we perceive each other in this way, a unique friendship prevails among us, we are ready to forgive and understand even the injustices inflicted upon us by others! We pray with the Lord on the cross: ‘Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,'” said the bishop, and recalled images of refugees returning to their demolished houses, schools and churches. “Those days bore our strength, our pride and built our community. In those days of suffering, we learned the meaning of friendship, the outstretched hand of a friend who hastens to help and how important it is to understand the misfortune of others, more than merely sending assistance.” Bishop Košić also recalled how refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina settled in the territory of the present Diocese of Sisak after the Homeland War. “I greet all of you, my dear faithful, with the same Christian love and accept you as my brothers and sisters, my associates and friends, remembering your suffering and misfortune but also sharing your hopes with you.” The bishop expressed the desire for Sisak, a city of Croatian victories, to become primarily a city of Croatian spiritual victories with the re-establishment of the diocese.
“The bishop comes to you, dear people of Sisak, to offer all of you his hand. This is not merely the hand of a bishop but a sign that the hand of Christ also embraces you. A bishop is merely a man but the Lord Jesus is with him. He accepts all of you, encourages and invites you to achieve the community of friends together, with Christ and among ourselves,” concluded Bishop Košić in his sermon.

Offertory gifts were brought to the altar by representatives of the six deaneries of the Diocese of Sisak: Sisak, Glina-Petrinja, Dubica-Kostajnica, Ivanić Grad, Kutina and Pokupsko-Vukomerec.
Greetings and congratulations to Bishop Košić and the Diocese of Sisak were conveyed on behalf of all the bishops of the Croatian Conference of Bishops by their president, Archbishop Marin Srakić of Đakovo-Osijek.
“We pray and desire that as a bishop, the pastor of the Church of Sisak, you will create and preserve Church and national unity and community. We pray to the Lord for Grace that you will sow hope where there are injustices, that you will proclaim the gospel of social justice, solidarity, peace freedom and economic balance, that you will be a sign of Christ’s reconciliation and that, together with your priests, you will correct the evil of sin, the evil that separates man from God, man from man, and man from himself. Be a visible sign of the love of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, manifested to all, individuals and groups, full of compassionate consolation and friendship. We pray for the grace of the Lord for you to be a sign of the certainty of faith, a herald of the truth of Christ. Proclaim the truth at convenient and inconvenient times, without fear and ambiguity, regardless of whether it is pleasing to someone or not,” urged Archbishop Srakić.

Archbishop Eterović recalled that in the year 1999, by his appointment as the titular archbishop of Sisak and the apostolic nuncio in the Ukraine, Pope John Paul II made a decision that was of importance not only to him and his Church office but was also of a Church and national character. This decision revived the memory of the formerly glorious Diocese of Sisak, which became an object of interest among a broad circle of people in the homeland and other countries, especially experts in Church and national history. Congratulating Bishop Košić, he invoked God’s abundant blessings upon him and his office, and particularly commended him to the intercession of St. Quirinus, so that there will always remain a vital and fresh unity and love between Sisak and the Roman cathedra, which presides over the Church community. “At the same time today, in this beloved city, I promise that I will not forget all the inhabitants of the Sisak of Diocese who are so dear to me in my prayers, especially its first bishop, Vlado Košić,” said Archbishop Eterović.

On behalf of all the persons consecrated to God in the Diocese of Sisak, Bishop Košić was congratulated by the dean of the Deanery of Sisak and the pastor of the Parish of St. Quirinus, the Most. Rev. Zdravko Novak, who noted that all of them together were presenting a chalice to him, and expressed the wish that during the Year of the Priest he would be a pledge of unity before the countenance of God. “Community is a pledge of maturity, a manifestation of respect, and a pledge for the future. In this sense, Your Excellency, you are welcomed and accepted by us,” said the Most. Rev. Novak.

A message from Brother Alois, Prior of the Taize Community, was read by Brother Ulrich. “I would like to tell you that we, brothers in Taize, are praying for you and for all those entrusted to you,” wrote Brother Alois. He once again thanked Cardinal Bozanić and Bishop Košić for the confidence they have shown in the Taize Community, inviting it to Zagreb three years ago, and emphasized the desire to continue on this path.

Congratulations to Bishop Košić on behalf of the lay faithful were conveyed by Đuka Kovačić. “You have come to our parishes many times to conduct Masses on holy days and today you have come to stay as our bishop of Sisak,” he said, and called attention to the Christian symbols displayed on the altar – a lamp from the 4th century in the form of a lamb with a Christogram and the Sisak Crucifix from the 11th century. “These clear symbols of Christian presence in our region speak of the permanent values of the Almighty God,” he said. “We faithful promise to provide our bishop with every assistance in prayer, work and every need. May the gift of the faithful, the Sisak Crucifix that you wear on your chest, join us together even more so that, through the intercession of St. Quirinus, we may walk together in the Christ’s kingdom of peace, love and justice,” said Mr. Kovačić.

On this occasion, the mayor of Sisak, Dinko Pintarić, presented Bishop Košić with a painting of the cathedral chapter, the future diocesan see. The parish of Bishop Košić’s birth, SS. Peter and Paul in Petrijanec, presented the bishop with the red and white chasuble in which he conducted the Mass, and the nuns and religious with a candle.

After the Mass, a reception was organized for all the pilgrims in the courtyard of the cathedral chapter, where the Croatian Army set up a tent in which 2,500 portions of goulash and beans were served. Following refreshments, there were performances by various cultural societies. In the evening, a concert of classical music was held in the cathedral.