About the parish
About the parish of Slovenska Bistrica
The parish of St. Bartholomew the Apostle in Slovenska Bistrica gathers the faithful in its parish church and four filial churches. In prayer, liturgy and active service we aspire to be a welcoming home for all who seek God.
Welcome to our parish home. Together we wish to live our faith, to stand by one another and to discover the beauty of God's closeness. You are invited to join us at Mass, in our groups and at events throughout the year.
Parish history
Through the centuries in Slovenska Bistrica
The roots of the church of St. Bartholomew reach back to the 13th century, when Slovenska Bistrica gradually grew out of the mother parish of Slivnica into an independent parish. Through the Minorite friars, the Josephine reforms and the arrival of the Franciscan Sisters, it has carried a living community of faith down to our own day.
More about the history
Parish orientation
Who we are and where we are going
Our parish of St. Bartholomew the Apostle lives its faith as a community — in regular worship, in the sacraments and in the quiet, everyday steps of active love for neighbour. We believe that faith is not a private matter alone; it beats in the gathered assembly, in the family, at school and at work.
In the spirit of the pastoral orientations of our archdiocese, we strive that every person — from the child at catechism to the sick at the end of life — may find their place in the Church. We give special care to families, young people and those who, in different ways, live on the margins.
Our path is simple: we listen to God's Word, celebrate it in the Eucharist, and seek to bear witness to it in daily life.
“The Eucharist is the highway to heaven.”
Three pillars
Three pillars of parish life
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Liturgy
Holy Mass, the sacraments and prayer — the springs from which the parish lives.
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Proclamation
Catechism, adult formation and preparation for the sacraments across generations.
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Service
Caritas, visits to the sick and care for all who need closeness.
Priest and co-workers
Those who care for our community
The pastoral and administrative life of the parish is cared for by the parish priest together with his co-workers. We are happy to be available to you for conversation, questions or help.
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Jani Družovec
Parish priest
- Phone
- 041 289 666
- jani.druzovec@gmail.com
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Helena Žnidarič
Pastoral assistant and catechist
- Phone
- 059 036 196
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Ksenija Mlekuž
Secretary of the Parish Pastoral Council
- Phone
- 041 215 659
Members of the following councils also assist with pastoral and economic matters:
Our churches
The churches of the parish
The parish comprises the parish church of St. Bartholomew the Apostle in Slovenska Bistrica together with four filial churches, each in its own way bearing witness to the deep faith of our forebears.
Parish church
Our shared home
Parish church of St. Bartholomew the Apostle
- Location
- Trg Alfonza Šarha 6, 2310 Slovenska Bistrica
- Patron
- St. Bartholomew the Apostle — feast on 24 August
The Church of St. Bartholomew is first documented in the first half of the 13th century, originally as a filial church of the great Slivnica parish. Its present Baroque form took shape under pastor Jožef Gašper Zamlika (1710–1750): the presbytery was raised by 1722 and the renewed church with seven altars consecrated in 1730. The bell tower received its Neo-Renaissance façade in 1904, designed by architect Hans Pascher. The interior is adorned with frescoes by Filip Karl Laubmann (1738) and Anton Jožef Lerchinger (1760), Jožef Holzinger's Neoclassical high altar (1787) with a monumental painting of St. Bartholomew by Kremser-Schmidt (1782), and a 1715 organ by Andreas Schwarz. It is regarded as one of the foremost monuments of Styrian Baroque.
Filial churches
Places of faith in our parish
Alongside the parish church, four filial churches gather us for prayer and the celebration of the Holy Mass — for the glory of God and our blessing.
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01 · Filial church
Church of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows
- Location
- By the southern town gate near the city wall tower, Slovenska Bistrica
- Patron
- Our Lady of Seven Sorrows — feast on 15 September
The town's Marian church is first mentioned in 1379 as a chapel by the city wall. The core of the Gothic church dates from the 15th century and was first rebuilt in the 16th. In 1629 it was taken over by the Minorite friars, who built a monastery alongside it; in the second half of the 17th century they thoroughly reconstructed the church with support from their Graz branch. Surviving elements include part of the rib-vaulted presbytery, a stone pointed-arch portal and a bell tower with a tracery-divided window. The interior is bright and spacious, with a wooden choir loft from the late 17th century. A fresco on the triumphal arch shows the Glorification of St. Francis of Assisi; the Neoclassical altar of Mary was originally in the parish church of St. Bartholomew and adapted to its present place in 1947. Twelve statues from around 1700 are attributed to the Maribor workshop of Franc Krištof Reiss.
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02 · Filial church
Church of St. Joseph
- Location
- Jožefov hrib (Joseph's Hill) above Slovenska Bistrica
- Patron
- St. Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary — feast on 19 March
The Church of St. Joseph stands on Jožefov hrib (Joseph's Hill) above Slovenska Bistrica. The land was purchased in 1744 by chaplain Maks Lederer, and construction was led by the prominent Maribor master builder Jožef Hoffer (c. 1700–1762). The church was largely completed by 1757, with both bell towers added in 1812; pilgrims contributed to the building during construction. Much of the Baroque furnishing has survived in its original form. The high altar (c. 1756) came from the workshop of Joseph Straub and was completed by Filip Jakob Straub; the altar painting of the Death of St. Joseph is attributed to Valentin Metzinger (1699–1759). Four side altars (1769–1774) issued from the workshop of sculptor Jan Georg Mersij, and the presbytery frescoes (1892) by church painter Franc Gornik depict scenes from St. Joseph's life. The church is protected as a cultural monument of local significance.
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03 · Filial church
Church of St. Margaret
- Location
- Ritoznoj, above the vineyards near Slovenska Bistrica
- Patron
- St. Margaret of Antioch, virgin and martyr, patroness of mothers in childbirth and farmers — feast on 20 July
The Church of St. Margaret in Ritoznoj is first mentioned in 1542; its Gothic origins remain visible in the octagonal bell tower. In the Baroque period the building was raised and its interior vaulted, in 1742 painted with frescoes, and in 1930 the nave walls received a marbled finish while earlier frescoes were partly overpainted. The imposing church with its simple exterior conceals a high, light-filled nave, a Baroque choir loft with undulating railings, and a Rococo-decorated organ built in 1766 by Maribor organ-maker Simon Otoničer (1730–1784). The rich painted programme is closely tied to farming and viticulture: the Conversion of St. Paul, the martyrdom of St. John of Nepomuk, a large altarpiece of St. Margaret with an idealised view of the church, the Coronation of the Virgin, and side altars showing St. Anthony the Hermit and St. George together with Sts. Martin, Urban, Notburga and Ursula. Particularly precious is the oil painting of the Mother of God of Good Counsel by Baroque painter Anton Jožef Lerchinger (c. 1720 – after 1787).
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04 · Filial church
Church of St. Roch
- Location
- Kovača vas, filial church of the Slovenska Bistrica parish
- Patron
- St. Roch, protector against plague and intercessor for those suffering from leg ailments — feast on 16 August
The Church of St. Roch in Kovača vas was built in 1922 as a private chapel by local resident Franc Juhart in thanksgiving to St. Roch for the healing of his legs. In 1935, when the estate was sold, it was purchased by parish priest Ivan Šolinc, and in 1957 it was raised to the status of a filial church; the Municipality of Slovenska Bistrica has designated it a cultural monument of local significance. The plans were prepared by Maribor architect Max Czeikey (1879–1945), of Czech-German heritage, who, within modest dimensions, brought together various historical styles into a fine piece of architecture that stands prominently on its hillside. The single wooden winged altar is the work of the prolific Maribor sculptor Ivan Sojč (1879–1951): the central relief depicts St. Roch, flanked by St. Francis Borgia and St. Catherine of Alexandria — the patron saints of the spouses Franc and Katarina Juhart.