Former Muslim refugee who fled war in Bosnia ordained a priest in Germany

Archbishop Heiner Koch ordained Senad Mrkaljevic a Catholic priest a few weeks ago at St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin. Mrkaljevic, 41, was born into a Muslim family in Brčko in the former Yugoslavia.

The outbreak of war in Bosnia in 1992 forced Mrkaljevic's family to seek refuge in Austria and later in Germany. Mrkaljevic, who has a congenital visual impairment, began his journey toward the Catholic faith at age 23 after reading the Bible and attending Sunday services. He stated that his experience with God has been one of receiving much more rather than losing anything through faith.