Ordination of the first bishop of Varaždin

Varaždin, September 28, 1997 (IKA) — The Varaždin Diocese was officially established today and its first bishop, Marko Culej, was ordained at a celebration of the Holy Mass in the Varaždin Cathedral. The ordination ceremony began with a procession from the building of the Diocesan Ordinariate to the Varaždin Cathedral. When the new bishop arrived at the cathedral, he was greeted by Deacon Alojzije Domislović of the Čazman-Varaždin Cathedral Chapter, who thanked him for assuming the office of the shepherd of the Church in this territory, and thanked Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, who has administered this territory up to now, for everything he has done for the faithful of this region.
Ordination of Bishop Culej and Greetings by Cardinal Kuharić
At the beginning of the Mass in the Varaždin Cathedral, Archbishop Cardinal Franjo Kuharić of Zagreb thanked the media, who had made it possible for all who wished to participate in the ceremonies of the establishment of the new dioceses in Požega and Varaždin. He especially greeted the ill, the wounded and refugees whom world politics has not allowed to return to their homes, all people of good will who work in any area, as well as those who promote the general good of the Church, nation, homeland and state. Cardinal Kuharić thanked all who had assisted in the preparations for the ordination of the first bishop of Varaždin. The establishment of the Varaždin Diocese was the decision of Pope John Paul II and a gift of the free activity of the Church, said the cardinal. At the end of these remarks, Cardinal Kuharić urged all believers and priests to pray and work for the good and growth of the new diocese. The Pope#!s letters were read that established the Varaždin Diocese and named Marko Culej as its first bishop. Cardinal Kuharić thanked all who had helped him in leading the Zagreb Archdiocese. He then presented the bishop#!s staff and office to the first bishop of Varaždin.
The first words with which the first bishop of Varaždin addressed believers were as follows:
“Today this city of Varaždin, a city of candles, music and baroque, becomes the home of the God of Jacob in a special way. It has become an episcopal see, so that, as the Holy Father John Paul II wrote in his letter on the founding of the diocese, it is #!more suitable for apostolic service.#!” Bishop Culej was ordained by Cardinal Franjo Kuharić and the new archbishop of Zagreb, Josip Bozanić, in the presence of the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Giulio Einaudi, and nearly all the bishops of the Croatian Conference of Bishops; bishops from Bosnia-Herzegovian, Yugoslavia and Hungary; prelates, the heads of religious orders, numerous clergy and representatives of political and cultural life. Among those present were the president of the Croatian Parliament, Vlatko Pavletić, and the president of the Government Commission for Relations with Religious Communities, Dr. Jure Radić.
During the liturgical celebration of the ordination of the first bishop of Varaždin, greetings were conveyed to Bishop Culej on behalf of the diocesan parish priests by the parish priest of St. Nikola of Varaždin, Josip Dubovečki; on behalf of the members of religious orders by the guardian of the Varaždin Franciscan monastery, Father Gordan Propadalo; on behalf of nuns by the superior of the Ursuline convent in Varaždin, Sister Elvira Krišto, on behalf of the laity of the diocese, Julijana Il i , and on behalf of the Varaždin Municipal Government and Honorary Committee for the Installation of the Bishop of Varaždin, Mayor Hrvoje Vojvoda.
First Sermon and Expressions of Gratitude by Bishop Culej
Bishop Marko Culej, in his first sermon as the bishop of Varaždin, expressed his readiness and openness to cooperate with all the members of the diocese, from the laity to the priests and canons. Bishop Culej said he plans to be particularly attentive to the welfare of all the weak and infirm. Especial concern will be devoted to the young, the spiritual renewal of the parishes in the diocese, so that they will truly be for the good of every believer. Bishop Culej placed his entire diocese, including all its officials and believers, under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom the Varaždin Cathedral is consecrated.
In an expression of gratitude at the end of the ordination ceremony, Bishop Marko Culej thanked all who had contributed to the celebration, especially Cardinal Franjo Kuharić and the newly appointed archbishop of Zagreb, Josip Bozanić, to whose metropolitan archdiocese the Varaždin Diocese belongs. The ordination of the first bishop of Varaždin was also the last official appearance by Cardinal Franjo Kuharić as the head of the Zagreb Archdiocese. “Through thirty years, you have led our Church in Zagreb. You have led it courageously, during times of hardships that were not at all favorable to the Church. You led the Church in joy, while our state of Croatia was born. During the time of aggression and war, when churches and homes were destroyed, when columns of hundreds of thousands of refugees and homeless set forth, when hatred destroyed and killed, and when the powerful of the world looked on and held conference after conference, you were a beacon of conscience and a voice that echoed fearlessly, uttering words that will enter history: #!If someone sets your house on fire, you should safeguard his; if someone kills your father, you should safeguard his!#! You were an example for us, how to love the Church but also how to love your own nation, and how not to hate other nations. On March 1, 1992, you said in Daruvar: #!It is patriotic to defend what is yours, but also to respect what belongs to others. If I am hated, that is one hatred, but if I hate, then there are two hatreds, because hatred multiplies,#!” emphasized Bishop Marko Culej in his remarks about Cardinal Kuharić.
Bishop Marko Culej, prior to his ordination as the bishop of Varaždin, was auxiliary bishop of Zagreb. His episcopal motto is “Life and Peace” (“Vita et Pax”). Ivan Godina, until now secretary to Cardinal Kuharić, has been named the general vicar of the newly established Varaždin Diocese.
The Chorus Liturgicus, the Children#!s Choir of the Varaždin Music School, the Choir of the Craftsmen#!s Musical Society, the Podravka Mixed Choir of Koprivnica, the Josip Štolcer Slavenski Choir of Čakovec, as well as the Varaždin Chamber Orchestra and the Brass Quintet of the Varaždin Music School participated in the ordination ceremony. The organist was Alen Kopunović-Legetin. The Croatian Mass by Josip Vrhovski was performed, conducted by Tomislav Fačini.
Information About the Varaždin Diocese
The territory of the first Varaždin Diocese, in which approximately 420,000 Roman Catholics live, includes sections of three Croatian provinces: parts of Croatian Zagorje and Podravina [Drava River Valley], and all of Me imurje. In terms of territorial-pastoral organization, the diocese has 4 archdeaneries and 9 deaneries, with a total of 96 parishes, of which 89 are led by diocesan priests and 7 by members of religious orders. Varaždin has become an episcopal see. Historically speaking, it has been and remains a religious, economic, cultural and political center of northwestern Croatia.
The most beautiful baroque building in Varaždin, according to experts, has been selected as the new cathedral, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. This church was consecrated in 1656.
The Bishop#!s Staff is 4,000 Years Old
The Honorary Committee for the Ordination of the First Bishop of Varaždin presented Bishop Culej with a staff made of petrified oak. This staff was fashioned from black petrified wood taken from the bed of the Bednja River, which is estimated to be approximately 4,000 years old. It was carved by the artist Izidor Popijač Žiga Bednjanski and depicts scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The bishop#!s staff can be folded into three parts, symbolizing the Holy Trinity. It also includes a figure of the Child Jesus, carved from olive wood brought from the Holy Land, and a cornflower, the symbol of Zagorje. The staff is decorated with gold, silver and rubies in the form of a cross, the work of the Varaždin goldsmith Vičenco Koljnjerkaj. At the head of the staff are the stations of the Way of the Cross and the Croatian pleter [a braided ornament]. The Organizing Committee for the Ordination of the Bishop presented the first bishop of Varaždin with a unique commemorative volume modelled after a medieval Croatian missal. On the cover is the coat of arms of the Varaždin Diocese. The volume contains the Pope#!s letter on the establishment of the diocese, the bishop#!s biography and information about the new diocese.