Alfred Pichler

The Most Reverend
Alfred Pichler
Bishop of Banja Luka
Diocese Banja Luka
See Banja Luka
Appointed 22 July 1959
In office 1959-1989
Predecessor Dragutin Čelik
Successor Franjo Komarica
Orders
Ordination 13 March 1937
Consecration 18 October 1959
by Franjo Šeper
Personal details
Born (1913-12-18)18 December 1913
Oštrelj, Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary
Died 17 May 1992(1992-05-17) (aged 78)
Banja Luka, Republika Srpska
Buried Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure, Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nationality German
Denomination Catholic
Parents Anton and Matilda (née Helk) Pichler
Motto Nec laudibus nec timore

Alfred Pichler (18 December 1913 – 17 May 1992) was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Banja Luka, the first bishop of Banja Luka who was diocesan priest and the first who was born on the territory of the Diocese of Banja Luka.[1]

Early life

Alfred Pichler was born in Oštrelj near Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Anton and Matilda (née Helk) Pichler. He had finished elementary school in Šipovo and Prijedor where he also attended six years of gymnasium, then he went to the minor seminary in Travnik. He continued studying at the University of Catholic Theology in Sarajevo where he was ordanied deacon by Ivan Šarić on 20 February 1937.[1]

Priesthood

Pichler was ordained to the priesthood on 13 March 1937[2] in the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Sarajevo. He first served as a chaplain in Banja Luka, and then as a parish priest in Novi Martinac.

During the war, he had to escape from Chetniks to Bosanski Aleksandrovac.[1] After the war ended, from May 1945 to March in 1946, he was situated with other Germans in a camp in Bosanski Aleksandrovac. He was administrator of parishes in Nova Topola, Bosanski Aleksandrovac and Mahovljani from the autumn 1946 until spring 1952.[1]

Communist authorities accused him for alleged enemy propaganda and imprisoned him until April 1954. After his release until the appointment of the bishop, he served as parish priest of Prnjavor.[1]

Episcopal career

On 22 July 1959, Pichler was appointed Bishop of Banja Luka[2] by Pope John XXIII. He received his episcopal consecration from Franjo Šeper, with Smiljan Franjo Čekada and Matija Zvekanović serving as co-consecrators on 18 October 1959.[2]

On 15 May 1989, he retired from the ministry and until his death remained bishop emeritus of Banja Luka. He died on 17 May 1992, and was buried two days later at the cathedral.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Alfred PICHLER, rezidencijalni biskup od 1959. do 1989" (in Croatian). biskupija-banjaluka.org. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Bishop Alfred Pichler". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Dragutin Čelik
Bishop of Banja Luka
1959–1989
Succeeded by
Franjo Komarica
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