Eparchy Of Osječko Polje And Baranja

The Eparchy of Osječko Polje and Baranja ( sr-Cyrl, Епархија осјечкопољска и барањска / Епархија осечкопољска и барањска; ) is a eparchy (diocese) of the Serbian Orthodox Church that encompasses the easternmost regions of Croatia in Podunavlje region, with its seat located in the village of Dalj. The eparchy was re-established in 1991, covering the western parts of what was previously the Eparchy of Srem. The cathedral of the Eparchy is the Church of St. Demetrius in Dalj. The Eparchy is divided into three vicarages, located in Osijek, Vukovar and the region of Baranja, and is served by a total of 39 priests and two deacons.

History

During the period of Ottoman rule (16th and 17th centuries), Eastern Orthodox Christians in the region were under ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć, with local eparchies on both sides of the river Drava, including Baranya to the north and ''Osijek field'' to the south. During the Great Migration of the Serbs (1690), those regions were also inhabited by new Serbian migrants, who were also included in collective privileges granted by Habsburg rulers to their Eastern Orthodox subjects.

The term ''Osječko polje'' (lit. Osijek field) is an archaic name, created in the first years of the 18th century, designating the area that included the entire vicinity of the city of Osijek and the region between the lower course of the Drava and Danube rivers, up to the river Vuka.

Since Osijek field lies on the border of Syrmia, Baranja and Slavonia, it was added, sometimes to one and sometimes to the other of three neighboring eparchies, while sometimes it had its own bishop.
In 1710, at the Church Council in Monastery Krušedol, Nicanor Melentijević was elected bishop for the eparchy that was encompassing the entire Baranja, and also the Osijek field.

In 1733, the eparchy was divided, with northern part (Baranja) being attached to the Eparchy of Buda, while Osijek field was incorporated into the Syrmian archdiocese. Patriarch Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta handed Eparchy of Osječko polje in 1746 to his Bishop Jovan Georgijević. The residence of Bishop Jovan was in Osijek, where Eparchy then had two houses. Archbishops Synod after the election of a new Metropolitan in 1748 joined this Eparchy again to the Eparchy of Slavonia-Pakrac.

From 1758 the Eparchy definitely came into the composition of Syrmian diocese till the year 1991. Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1991 renewed Osječko polje eparchy and joined the whole Baranja to it, so the eparchy got its present name: Osječko Polje and Baranja Eparchy.

List of local parochial churches

* Church of the Saint Archangel Michael, Beli Manastir
* Church of the Transfer of the relics of the Holy Father Nicholas, Bijelo Brdo
* Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Bijelo Brdo
* Church of St. George, Bobota
* Church of St. Peter and Paul, Bolman
* Church of St. Stephen, Borovo
* Church of St. Stefan Dečanski, Borovo Naselje
* Church of the Saint Archangel Gabriel, Bršadin
* Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Budimci
* Church of the Presentation of Mary, Čakovci
* Church of the Saint Archangel Michael, Čepin ''(destroyed in 1992)''
* Church of St. Demetrius, Dalj ''(Eparchy's cathedral)''
* Church of the Saint Archangel Michael, Darda
* Church of the Saint Archangel Gabriel, Erdut
* Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Gaboš
* Church of St. Nicholas, Jagodnjak
* Church of St. Stefan Štiljanović, Karanac
* Church of the Presentation of Mary, Kneževi Vinogradi
* Church of St. George, Kneževo
* Church of St. George, Marinci
* Church of Pentecost, Markušica
* Church of St. Nicholas, Mikluševci
* Church of St. Nicholas, Mirkovci
* Church of St. Panteleimon, Mirkovci
* Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Mohovo
* Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Negoslavci
* Church of St. Elijah, Novi Jankovci
* Church of St. George, Opatovac
* Church of St. Peter and Paul, Orolik
* Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, Osijek
* Church of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Ostrovo
* Church of St. Nicholas, Pačetin
* Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Petrova Slatina
* Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Petrovci
* Church of the Presentation of Mary, Popovac
* Church of St. Elijah, Silaš
* Church of St. Nicholas, Sotin
* Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Srijemske Laze
* Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Šarengrad
* Church of St. Nicholas, Tenja
* Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Trpinja
* Church of Pentecost, Vinkovci
* Church of St. Peter and Paul, Vladislavci
* Church of St Nicholas, Vukovar
* Church of the Holy Venerable Mother Parascheva, Vukovar
* Church of St. Elijah, Uglješ ''(in construction)''
* Monastery of the Assumption of the Most Holy Mother of God in Dalj Planina

See also

* Serbs of Croatia
* Eastern Orthodoxy in Croatia
* List of the Eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church
* Declaratory Rescript of the Illyrian Nation

References

Sources

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External links

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The Serbs in the Former SR of Croatia

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eparchy Of Osecko Polje And Baranja
Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia
Serbian minority institutions and organizations in Croatia
Eparchy of Osječko polje and Baranja