BISHOP HRIZOSTOM NEW MEMBER OF JASENOVAC COMMITTEE

His Grace Bishop of Bihać and Petrovac Chrisostom (Jević) was born on March 4 1952 in the village of Vođenica near Bosanski Petrovac in the Western part of Bosnia, Bosanska Krajina. Primary school he attended in his native village, theological seminary in the Monastery of Krka until 1973. He became a monk on the eve of The Nativity of Theotokos, September 20 1971, hierodeacon on the feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross on September 27 same year, and hieromonk on June 10 1973. He was for come time secretary of late Bishop of Dalmatia Stephen (Boca) and a clerk at diocesan Ecclesial Court. Theology he graduated at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki in 1980. Afterwards he spent a decade teaching and as a tutor at the Theological Seminary at the Monastery of Krka. In May 1991 he was elected for the bishop of renewed Diocese of Bihać and Petrovac, consecrated on July 12 and enthroned on August 4 same year.
On September 13 1995 Bishop Hrizostom was together with his people expelled by force from his residency in the town of Ključ and eventually on September 10 from territory of his diocese. He returned after implementation of Dayton accord. As refugee he spent some time in the village of Podrašnica, in Šipovo town, and in the Monastery of Klisina near Prijedor. In the capital of his diocese, Bosanski Petrovac, he returned only in 2002. Bishop Hrizostom is fluent in Greek, uses Russian and French besides.
On the territory of the diocese of Bihać and Petrovac exists many killing and burial fields from the Second World War as result of genocidal policy of Independent State of Croatia - Serbs, Romas and Jews being victims, some antifascists as well. Among them, Garavice near Bihać and Šušnjar near Sanski Most are of utmost importance. In Garavice, beginning as early as June 17 1941, approximately ten to twelve thousand Serbs and Jews from Bosnian Krajina and Lika were executed. In Šušnjar first slaughter happened on St. Elijahu’s feast, August 2 1941 and subsequently approximately three thousand people were murdered there. In the capacity of the head of Jasenovac Committee, Bishop Atanasije (Jevtić) visited those killing fields in July 1995, accompanied by His Grace Hrizostom.
On its session in Banja Luka in July 2005, Jasenovac Committee proposed His Grace Hrizostom to be included in the Committee and Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church accepted it on November 11 same year.