Founding Catholic Parishes in Osijek during the Communist Regime in Yugoslavia

Uspostava komunističke vlasti u Jugoslaviji za Katoličku je crkvu značila ograničavanje njezina djelovanja, zlostavljanje njezinih pripadnika i velike financijske poteškoće. Komunistički je režim pokušavao suzbiti rad Crkve, ali je ona kontinuirano djelovala, osobito na župama. Grad Osijek imao je tri katoličke župe koje su se početkom 60-ih godina 20. stoljeća, uslijed naglog širenja grada, pokazale prevelikima za sustavni pastoral. Biskup Bäuerlein odlučio je 1961. godine osnovati na području Osijeka dvije nove župe, u Industrijskoj četvrti te u Retfali. Uspostaviti rad na novim župama bio je iznimno zahtjevan posao jer nije bilo osiguranih financijskih sredstava, naselja u kojima su osnovane nove župe već su bila izgrađena te u njima nije bilo mjesta za izgradnju crkve, a gradska je vlast nastojala blokirati svaki korak Crkve. Međutim, upornim radom i strpljivošću župnikâ novih župa, vlč. Nikole Kerčova i vlč. Željka Pavličića, te suradnjom župljana i pomoći časnih sestara ove su župe uspješno započele s radom.The establishment of the communist government in Yugoslavia meant for the Catholic Church the suppression of its activities, the abuse of its members and great financial difficulties. The communist regime tried to repress the work of the Church, but the Church continued her work, especially at the parish level. The City of Osijek had three parishes that became too large for systematic pastoral care due to the rapid expansion of the city in the early 1960s. In 1961, bishop Bäuerlein decided to found two new parishes in two city districts, in the Industrial District and Retfala. It was extremely challenging to found the new parishes due to the lack of funds, the settlements of the new parishes were already built and there was no space to build the churches, and the city authorities tried to block the Church at every step. However, through patient and persistent efforts of the new parish priests, Rev. Nikola Kerčov and Rev. Željko Pavličić, with the cooperation of their parishioners and with the help of religious sisters, these parishes successfully started their work