Nikola Kekić

Nikola Kekić or Kekić Nino ( born January 18, 1943 in Stari Grad Žumberački, Croatia) is a bishop of the Greek Catholic Diocese Križevci.

Childhood and education

Nikola Kekić was born in 1943 in the village of Stari Grad in Croatia Žumberački Žumberak. He comes from a Croatian family. Kekić was baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church of Peter and Paul in Mrzlo Polje. The Elementary School spent Nikola Kekić in Sošice and Ilok. As of September 1, 1956 his four-year education was initially in the Greek Catholic seminary in Zagreb with the visit of the local classical school. The school was a further four years in Zagreb's Franciscan Order, where he received his schooling in 1963.

Study

As of September 23, 1963 to March 10, 1965 Kekić made ​​in Yugoslavia his military service. In the same year Nikola Kekić begins with the theological and philosophical studies at the Catholic Faculty in Zagreb. The Episcopal Ordinariate of the Diocese Križevci gave him in 1967 for permission to study at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome to continue. During his studies Kekić also visited the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Pontifical College of St. Josaphat in Rome.

Ordination

Nikola Kekić was dedicated on November 1, 1970 St. by the Greek Catholic bishop of the diocese Križevci Gabrijel Bukatko, in the Greek-Catholic Church of Peter and Paul in Sošice a priest. In December 1970, he was commissioned in Mrzlo Polje with the pastoral governance of the Greek Catholic parish of St. Peter and Paul. This was followed in December 1972 was appointed head of the " Greek-Catholic center " in Karlovac. His pastoral activities continued Kekić in time temporarily in the Greek-Catholic parishes " Annunciation of the Lord " in Pribić and " Assumption " in Pećno continued.

Further study

Starting in 1977, Nikola Kekić stayed again in Rome. He attended the Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome in Rome and continued his studies in the field of Church History at the Pontifical Oriental Institute continued and finished it with the receipt of the degree of Master of Arts.

Return

After returning from Rome Kekić was again head of the " Greek-Catholic center " in Karlovac. As of November 1984 he was appointed Vice- Rector of the Greek Catholic Seminary in Zagreb, ibid took Kekić on 1 July 1990 this as rector. From 1 December 1984, he was introduced by Decree of the diocese Križevci senior pastor in the Greek Catholic parish of Cyril and Methodius, also in Zagreb. Nikola is Kekić since December 1, 1988 executive dean of the deanery of the diocese Križevci.

As of 8 December 2003 took over Kekić for the Bishop of Križevci Slavomir Miklovš the duties of a Konsultators, at the same time he was a member of the presbyters and Liturgierat the Diocese Križevci. For years, Nikola Kekić has been entrusted with the duties of a church archivist in the diocese Križevci. Since September 1998 Nikola Kekić initiated in Catholic radio "Radio Maria " the program " From the heritage of the Greek-Catholic Christians," also he was the organizer of all radio and television broadcasts Greek Catholic church services in Croatia. 1999 Kekić was a senior editor and publisher of the Greek Catholic church newspaper " Žumberački Krijes ". Nikola Kekić speaks his native language, Croatian, Italian, Ukrainian and German.

Pope Benedict XVI. appointed 25 May 2009 at the age of sixty-six Nikola Kekić years as Bishop of Križevci. The solemn consecration took place on July 4, 2009 in the Greek Catholic cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Križevci instead. As principal consecrator funigierte Bishop Emeritus of Kreutz Slavomir Miklovš. Co-consecrators were the apostolic nuncio in Croatia Mario Roberto Cassari and Josip Cardinal Bosanić.