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Ivan Štironja (born 10 May 1960) is a Croatian prelate of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
who has served as the bishop of Poreč-Pula since 2023. He previously briefly served as the bishop of
Kotor Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...
in
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
, from 2021 to 2023. Originally from the village of Pješivac near
Stolac Stolac ( sr-Cyrl, Столац) is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cit ...
, Štironja was ordained as a priest of the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan in 1986. Since then, he dedicated himself to missionary work, spending time in
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
from 1988 to 1992 and then among the Croatian community in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
from 1993 to 1996. Štiornja then went to
Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...
in
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, specialising in pastoral liturgy from 1996 to 1998 and at the same time working with the Croatian community there. The bishop of Mostar-Duvno Ratko Perić invited him to the new post of the parish priest of the Mostar cathedral, where he served from 1998 to 2002 when he was appointed the diocesan vicar for pastoral care, a post he held until 2011.
Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
appointed him the national director of the Papal Missions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2011, where he served until 2016. In 2016, Štironja was named a parish priest in Studenci near
Ljubuški Ljubuški is a city in the West Herzegovina Canton, a federal unit of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Kravica (waterfall), Kravica cascades lie within the city, near the settlement of Studenci, ...
. In 2020,
Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
appointed Štironja the new bishop of
Kotor Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...
in
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
. He was consecrated and installed as the bishop of Kotor in April 2021. After serving less than two years, he was appointed the bishop of Poreč-Pula in January 2023.


Early life and education

Bishop Štironja was born into a Herzegovinian Croat Catholic family of Stojan Štironja and Anica Bošković in Pješivac near
Stolac Stolac ( sr-Cyrl, Столац) is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cit ...
, in the family of ten children: three sons and seven daughters, one of whom died as a child. At the time when he was born, his village belonged to the parish of Prenj, and now it is a part of the parish of Aldanići of the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan. Štironja attended elementary school in Pileta near Crnići from 1967 to 1975. After finishing elementary school, Štironja continued his education toward the priesthood. He enrolled at a
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
seminary in
Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...
,
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
, where he studied from 1975 to 1979. He was then drafted for obligatory military service in the
Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/; Macedonian language, Macedonian, Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian language, Croatian and ; , J ...
and served in Vis and
Šibenik Šibenik (), historically known as Sebenico (), is a historic town in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka (Croatia), Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is one of the oldest Croatia, Croatian self-governing cities ...
in Croatia from 1979 to 1980. After leaving the military, Štironja studied at the High Philosophical-Theological School in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
, the capital of
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, from 1980 to 1986. Štironja was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno and the Apostolic Administrator of Trebinje-Mrkan
Pavao Žanić Pavao Žanić (20 May 1918 – 11 January 2010) was a prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno and apostolic administrator of Trebinje-Mrkan from 1980 until his retirement in 1993. Previously, Žanić served as bisho ...
on 29 June 1986. He briefly served as a chaplain in Dračevo from 1986 to 1987 before applying for missionary work.


Pastoral work

In 1988, not long after becoming a priest, Štironja applied himself to missionary work and prepared for half a year in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
for missions in Africa and studying English. His first missionary work was in the parish of Kaning'ombe in the Diocese of Iringa in
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
. While working there, he contracted
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
. Štironja worked there from 1988 to 1992. At the orders of Žanić, he went to work amongst the Croatian community in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
in the Croatian parish of Oakville of the Diocese of Hamilton, staying there for three and a half years, from 1993 to 1996. While serving in Canada, Štironja edited the parish bulletin and regularly aired a Sunday message for Croatian Catholics from the Radio of Toronto. Žanić's successor Ratko Perić sent him for studies in
Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. There, at the Institute of Pastoral Liturgy from 1996 to 1998, he studied liturgical subjects and specialised in pastoral liturgy. At the same time, he cared for the Croatian community in Padua and
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
. In 1998, Štironja was recalled by Perić to serve as the parish priest of the Mostar cathedral. In December 1999, Štironja was appointed the diocesan director for missionary work and was a contributor for the "''Radosna vijest''" magazine of the Papal missionary works for the territories of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2002, Perić appointed him a diocesan vicar for pastoral work. In March 2011,
Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
appointed Štironja, the national director of the Papal Missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Štironja worked until September 2016. In October 2016, Štironja was appointed the parish priest in
Studenci, Ljubuški Studenci (Serbian Cyrillic: Студенци) is a village in the municipality of Ljubuški in West Herzegovina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known ...
and the rector of the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Heart of Jesus. Štironja also worked for the diocesan magazine "''Crkva na kamenu''", where he edited the pastoral-liturgical rubric from 1998 to 2006, and from 2007 to 2021, the missionary rubric titled "''Za evangelizaciju naroda''" (English: For the evangelisation of peoples).


Episcopacy

On 22 December 2020,
Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
appointed Štironja the new bishop of Kotor in
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
. The diocese was administered by the archbishop of Bar, Rrok Gjonlleshaj, since the retirement of the last bishop of Kotor, Ilija Janjić, in 2019. Although Štironja's consecration was planned to be held in Kotor, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, he was consecrated in the Mostar cathedral on 7 April 2021. His principal consecrator was the
archbishop of Split In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...
, Marin Barišić, while Gjonlleshaj and the bishop of Mostar-Duvno, Petar Palić, served as co-consecrators. Štironja chose "''Bog je ljubav''" (God is love) as his episcopal motto. He was installed on 27 April 2021. On 31 January 2023, Štironja was appointed the bishop of Poreč-Pula, succeeding Dražen Kutleša, who served as the diocese's apostolic administrator since 2020. He was installed on 18 March 2023, while Archbishop of
Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...
Rrok Gjonlleshaj was appointed the apostolic administrator of Kotor the same day.


Personal life

Besides his native Croatian, Štironja speaks English,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
and
Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language officially used in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes. * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa. * Swahili culture, the culture of the Swahili p ...
.


Footnotes


References


News articles

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stironja, Ivan 1960 births Living people People from Stolac Roman Catholic missionaries in Tanzania Roman Catholic bishops of Kotor Bishops of Poreč-Pula 20th-century Croatian Roman Catholic priests Bishops appointed by Pope Francis 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Croatia 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Montenegro