The former guardian and parish priest of the Parish of St. Rocco in Virovitica has been honored for three years of work that enriched the spiritual, cultural, and social life of the city, and now takes on the leadership of the Croatian Franciscan Province of St. Cyril and Methodius.
Fr. Ivica Jagodić, the former guardian and parish priest of the Parish of St. Rocco in Virovitica, has been awarded the Golden Plaque of the City of Virovitica. The recognition was bestowed upon him for three years of work during which, as the City of Virovitica states, he enriched the spiritual, cultural, and social life of the city, as announced on August 13, 2026.
Fr. Ivica arrived in Virovitica in August 2023, and in April 2026, he assumed the new role of Provincial Minister of the Croatian Franciscan Province of St. Cyril and Methodius. According to the City of Virovitica, the news of his departure left many parishioners in a state of shock, as in just three years he left a deep mark on the parish and among the people.
He brought to Virovitica the experience of many years of service, particularly from Vukovar, where he spent 18 years working with his brothers to preserve the memory of the victims of the Homeland War. In Virovitica, the cornerstone of his work was the Parish of St. Rocco, which brought together the faith community, choirs, and numerous devotional groups.
"Receiving this recognition is truly a great honor and joy, not only for me but also for the community in which I lived these beautiful three years together with our parishioners. I must admit that I did not expect it, as I was here for a relatively short time, only three years, but in that period we managed to gather a wonderful faith community, open our doors to many other smaller communities and initiatives, of which there were truly many. None of this would have been possible had the people themselves not wanted it, sought it, and shown good will, and we, the Franciscan brothers, were there to open the doors and provide spiritual assistance," Fr. Ivica emphasized for icv.hr.
In addition to his spiritual work, Fr. Ivica particularly nurtured cultural activities. The Franciscan Museum was open to pilgrims and tourists from day one, and the Hall of St. Francis was renovated, along with a new atrium and exterior facade.
"The second category we sought to cultivate was cultural activity. This includes the Franciscan Museum, which was open to many pilgrims and tourists from the very beginning. We will also remember the renovation of the Hall of St. Francis, as well as the arrangement of the new atrium and the exterior facade. Of course, there are also the publications we managed to produce in this short period, from the Lexicon of Virovitica Franciscans, to the proceedings on Franciscan monastic holdings in Virovitica, the beautiful monograph Baroque Heritage of the Virovitica Franciscans, and the chronicle Historia domus Viroviticensis," he said.
As Provincial Minister, Fr. Ivica now oversees about two hundred brothers from the entire Croatian Franciscan Province of St. Cyril and Methodius, from Ilok to Dubrovnik, including houses in Austria, Australia, and Argentina.
"The new role is completely different. I am in an administrative body where I have been entrusted with the brothers from the entire Croatian Franciscan Province of St. Cyril and Methodius. From Ilok to Dubrovnik, and there are also some houses abroad, such as Austria, Australia, and Argentina. It is necessary to take care of all of them, so I have been entrusted with many brothers, about two hundred of them," recounted the former guardian.
Although he served in Virovitica for only three years, many parishioners will remember him for his thorough work, commendable initiatives, and kindness. "I will remember Virovitica for the beautiful encounters, wonderful holy masses, events, and everything that connected us during these three beautiful years," concluded Fr. Ivica.
