| Then he returned to the Franciscan
community and continued his education. In 1978 he took perpetual vows and in 1980 was
ordained to the priesthood. In the same year, he completed studies in Philosophy and
Theology. For one year, he was the assistant parish priest in Gracani - near Zagreb. In
1981, the Province sent him to Rome to study Franciscan Spirituality. He studied at the Antonianum and
completed his "licentiatum" in 1983. Upon getting his Masters, he enrolled in a
Ph.D. program in Franciscan spirituality. Meanwhile, the Croatian TOR Province decided to
send him to Washington, D.C. to form and lead the Catholic Mission for the Croats in the
metropolitan area. He spent more than ten years as a pastor in charge of the Croatian
immigrants in Washington, Maryland and Northern Virginia.
During pastoral activities in Washington, he also
worked at the Voice of America for six years as an announcer and the editor in chief for
Croatian language programs. During the same time, he enrolled in the graduate program of
Psychology at the Catholic University of America.
In 1991, he earned Masters of Science degree in
Psychology. In 1993, he completed his Ph.D. in Psychology (specialization - developmental
psychology). After obtaining his Ph.D. degree, he worked for Georgetown University where
he spent almost three years as an adjunct professor and researcher in the Department of
Neuroscience.
In 1994, he became an Assistant professor of the
Institute for Neuroscience - Department of Medicine-Georgetown University. In 1994 he
returned to Croatia and was appointed deputy General Secretary of the Croatian Bishops'
Conference. He was in charge of communication with European and worldwide Bishops'
Conferences as well as the communications with the various strata of the Croatian society.
He held that position for 5 years. During this 5 years he was also the head of the Press
Office (Sala Stampa) of the Croatian Bishops' Conference. In the same period, the Bishops'
Conference assigned him as Director of the Croatian News Agency.
He was in that position from 1995 until 1999. In the
same year, the Bishops' Conference appointed him as General Director of the Croatian
National Catholic Radio.
Since 1994 until now he is a professor of Psychology
(General and Developmental Psychology) at Zagreb's University- Department of Theology.
Since 1998, he is also teaching at Department of Croatian Studies - Zagreb University. For
a six years he was a member of the two Councils of the Croatian Bishops' Conference:
Justice and Peace and the Council for Media. For five years, he represented the Croatian
TOR Province for the Franciscan Commission for Justice and Peace.
Since 1996- 2001 he was a counselor (Definitor) of
Croatian TOR Province and was in charge of permanent education in the Province of St.
Jerome.
At the Provincial Chapter of St. Jerome Province, in
April 2001, he was appointed Superior of the monastery of St. Francis in OdraZagreb.
In the Croatian society, he obtained the following
duties:
1 Since 1998, he became a member of the Commission
for approval of clinical testing of the new drugs and new therapies in the Clinic Center
in Zagreb.
2 Since November of 2000, he has been a member of
the Commission of the Croatian society of medical doctors for medical ethics and ontology.
3 Since April 2001, he has been a member of the
Croatian national team for transplantation of the human tissue and cells.
4 Since May of 2000, he has been a member of the
City commission (city of Zagreb) for prevention of use of drugs and alcohol.
5 Since February 1999, he is the President of Trust
Board of the Croatian Institute for Migration and Nationalities.
6 Since 1998, he is a member of the Society for
Research in Child Development.
7 Since October 2001, he is a member of the Croatian
National commission for bio-ethical and medical research.
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