The Day of the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Sarajevo celebrated

On the holiday of St. Luke,  18 October 18, the UNSA Faculty of Catholic Theology celebrated its heavenly patron with a Eucharistic celebration and a solemn academy.

Mass in the seminary church of St. Cyril and Methodius, which is located within the building, was celebrated by the great chancellor of this higher education institution, the archbishop of Vrhbosna, metropolitan mons. Tomo Vukšić in concelebration with about 30 priests, among whom was the new Dean of the KBF, Dr. Pres. Mario Bernadić, Rector of the Vrhbosna Theological Seminary, Dr. Pres. Zdenko Spajić and the new secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Javier Camañes-Forés.

Those present were greeted at the beginning by Pres. Bernadić also pointed out that it is difficult to imagine a better patron for a Catholic higher education institution than the doctor and scholar St. Luke, one of those who knew how to "reconcile the spiritual and the material" and for whom, in his writing work, in which he had no personal ambitions, man came first.

The liturgical celebration was animated by the theological choir of the Vrhbosna Theological Seminary.

After the Eucharist in the Hall of Paul VI the academic act followed, and the ceremony began with the singing of the hymn Gaudemaus igitur performed by the VBS Theological Choir. At the beginning, the new dean, Dr. Bernadić, greeted the attendees and then presented the work of the KBF in the past year, highlighting numerous different projects, scientific conferences and several valuable books.

Dr. Bernadić also stated that the European Society of Ethicists, Societas Ethica from Uppsala University, Kingdom of Sweden, held its annual conference in Sarajevo, August 24-27, and he also mentioned the 16th International Scientific Symposium of Ecclesiastical Lawyers on the topic of Management of temporal goods according to laws Churches on October 6 and 7.

He then presented on the mobility of students and staff as well as academic and non-academic staff of KBF as part of various projects and training programs.

In particular, he pointed out that last year, the seventh generation of participants of the Master's degree in Interreligious Studies and Peacebuilding, jointly organized and conducted by the KBF, the Faculty of Islamic Sciences of the University of Sarajevo, and the Orthodox Theological Faculty of St. Vasilije Ostroški in Foča of the University of East Sarajevo, and the study also received two new master's degrees.

At the end, he thanked the donors (Renovabis, Church in Need, the Federal Ministry of Education, Sarajevo Canton, CRS, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the American Bishops' Conference, the Archdiocese of Vrhbosnia), the employees of the KBF, without whose contribution and selfless giving this institution would not even exist and thanked God with whose help the last academic year ended happily and the new academic year began.

After the lecture and music, the master of theology promotion followed. The new masters are: Kristijan Krišto, Roberta Josipović and Gabrijel Pavlović. Only Kristijan Krišto was present at the ceremony and he was the only one to hand out the diploma. The Dean's Award was given to student Nikolina Jukić for the best achievement in the previous academic year with an average of 9.75.

The Academy ended, as it had begun, with the performance of the VBS theology under the leadership of Dr. Rev. Ivana Rake God is my Shepherd Antonina Dvořák.

Tekst i foto: nedjelja.ba, Ž. I.