The Eparchy of Osijek Plain and Baranya (; ) is a diocese (eparchy) of the Serbian Orthodox Church, covering eastern part of Slavonia and Croatian part of Baranya, in eastern Croatia.
The episcopal see is located at the Saint Demetrius Cathedral, Dalj. Its headquarters and bishop's residence are also in Dalj.
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 Plain to the south. The term "Osijek Plain" (Osječko polje) 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.
During the Great Migration of the Serbs, those regions were also inhabited by new Serb settlers, who were also included in collective privileges granted by Habsburg rulers to their Eastern Orthodox population.
Since the Osijek Plain lies at the intersection of Syrmia, Baranya, and Slavonia, it was at various times attached to one or another of the three neighboring eparchies, and at other times maintained its own bishop. In 1710, at the Church Council at Krušedol Monastery, Nicanor Melentijević was elected bishop for the eparchy that was encompassing the entire Baranya, and also the Osijek Plain.
In 1733, the eparchy was divided, with northern part (Baranya) being attached to the Eparchy of Buda, while Osijek Plain was incorporated into the Eparchy of Srem. Patriarch Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta assigned the Eparchy of Osijek Plain in 1746 to Bishop Jovan Georgijević. The residence of Bishop Jovan was in Osijek, where Eparchy then had two houses. In 1748, it was once again united with the Eparchy of Slavonia. From 1758 until 1991, the eparchy remained firmly within the jurisdiction of the Eparchy of Srem. In 1991, by the decision of the Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church, present eparchy was established in 1991.
List of bishops Lukijan Vladulov (1991–2017) Irinej Bulović (administrator) (2017–2018) Heruvim Đermanović (2018–present)
Notable churches Church of St. George, Bobota Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, Bolman Church of St. Stephen, Borovo Church of the Presentation of the Theotokos, Čakovci Church of the Saint Archangel Michael, Darda Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Gaboš Church of St. Nicholas, Jagodnjak Church of St. Stefan Štiljanović, Karanac Church of St. George, Kneževo 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 Sts. Peter and Paul, Orolik Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Osijek Church of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Ostrovo Church of the Presentation of the Theotokos, Popovac Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Srijemske Laze Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Šarengrad Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Trpinja Church of Pentecost, Vinkovci Church of St. Nicholas, Vukovar
Gallery
See also Eastern Orthodoxy in Croatia Eparchies and metropolitanates of the Serbian Orthodox Church Lordship of Dalj Serbs of Vukovar Serbs of Croatia
References
Sources
External links
The Serbs in the Former SR of Croatia