Longin Krčo


Longin Krčo is a bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church who has served as the head of the Eparchy of New Gračanica and Midwestern America since October 1999. He is notable for being one of the longest serving Serbian Orthodox bishops and for being the war-time Bishop of Dalmatia.

Life

Early life

He was born on 29 September 1955 to father Stanoje and mother Anđa. He completed his elementary school in Olovske Luke and he then completed the Three Holy Hierarchs theological school at the Krka monastery. He was ordained a monk in 1975 by the then-Bishop of Dalmatia Stefan after receiving the Little Schema as a student of the fifth grade.

Bishop

Bishop Longin was the Bishop of Dalmatia during the war in Croatia from 1992 until 1999. He was unable to take his seat in Šibenik and used the Krka monastery as diocesan headquarters instead. On 2 May 1995, he arose controversy by blessing soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina in Benkovac during Operation Flash.
During Operation Storm, he was located in Australia but he quickly returned. After Operation Storm, he stayed at Divčibare near Valjevo until 1999. He returned to Šibenik for the first time in 1998 for a meeting with Croatian bishop Ante Ivas.