Saint Joseph's Church, Sarajevo

The Saint Joseph's Church (Bosnian: Crkva svetog Josipa) is a Roman Catholic church in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was proclaimed a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2008.[1]

Saint Joseph's Church
Crkva svetog Josipa
Location	Sarajevo
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Joseph
Consecrated	31 March 1940[1]
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Karel Pařík
Style	Neo-romanticism
Groundbreaking	16 August 1936[1]
Completed	1939[1]
Specifications
Length	49m
Width	22m
Number of spires	1
Bells	3
Administration
Parish	Parish of Saint Joseph – Marijin Dvor
Deanery	Deanery of Sarajevo
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Fojnica
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Vrhbosna
Clergy
Archbishop	Vinko Puljić
Dean	Msgr. Ante Meštrović
Priest(s)	Rev. Luka Brković[2]
Assistant priest(s)	Rev. Mario Bernardić

The initial design of St. Joseph's church by Karel Pařík was based on the design for a neo-Romanesque church given to Archbishop Ivan Šarić by Pope Pius XI. Work began on the construction of church in 1936, and the building was consecrated on 31 March 1940. In plan the church is a triple-aisled basilica with transept. Below the sanctuary is a crypt containing the tomb of Archbishop Ivan Šarić. There are a further fifteen tombs in the south, west and east walls of the church. The church was painted by Josip Podolski in 1939, and the original stained glass windows were designed by Ivan Marinkocić. The stained glass at the west end and in the apse was destroyed by an explosion in 1945, but later restored. The high altar of St. Joseph and the terracotta Stations of the Cross were a gift from Pope Pius XII. The sculptor Franjo Rebhan carved the side altars and the tombs in the crypts. The church was damaged during the 1992–1995 war, after which it underwent structural repairs, with conservation and restoration work being carried out on the murals and stained glass.