Croatia

October 25, 1939

The Pallottine presence in the territory of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 25 October 1939, when members of the Society initiated a missionary endeavor extending from their base in Friedberg (Germany) to Belgrade, then the capital of Yugoslavia. In August 1940, a small seminary was opened on the third floor of a building at 21 Miloš Poćorec Street in Belgrade. However, the escalating conditions of the Second World War forced the closure of this initiative by 1943.

Despite its brief duration, the early mission produced lasting effects. During a study visit from Belgrade to Bački Gračac, a Pallottine priest encountered two boys who expressed a desire to pursue the priesthood. Both later entered the Society, and one of them, Fr. Martin Juritsch, SAC, eventually served as Rector General of the Pallottines.

The Pallottines resumed their activity in the region in 1968, establishing pastoral work in the villages of Ivankovo and Gundinci. This reestablished presence matured in 1974, when the first locally formed Pallottine was ordained. During the Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995), the community collaborated extensively with Caritas, distributing approximately 15 tons of food daily to around 800 families, a humanitarian effort that continued throughout the conflict.

In the post-war period, the need for renewed ecclesial structures led to a permanent Pallottine foundation. In 1995, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, Archbishop of Zagreb, formally entrusted the Society with the newly established Parish of the Queen of the Apostles in Zaprešić, near Zagreb. Construction of the parish church continued over the following decade, and it was solemnly consecrated on 7 May 2005.