Abstract: Dr. Nikolaj (Velimirović)'s tenure as Bishop of the Diocese of Ohrid and Bitola, established in 1931, showcased his multifaceted personality and diverse pursuits. Embracing mysticism, a life of prayer and extensive writing, his activities could not be limited only to narrowly defined church matters. Within a diocese marked by poverty but also a rich cultural legacy, he engaged in social and missionary activities. His charismatic presence, eloquence, and intellectual rigor attracted public attention but also brought him into conflict with church authorities, particularly in 1937 and 1938.

Keywords: Bishop Dr. Nikolaj (Velimirović), Diocese of Ohrid and Bitola, Serbian Orthodox Church, missionary work, charitable activities, national engagement, conflicts with the church authorities

Summary

Being at the head of the newly founded Eparchy of Ohrid and Bitola in the period 1931–1936. and until 1938, as its administrator, Bishop Dr. Nikolaj (Velimirović) continued all the basic lines of activity that he had started when he arrived in Ohrid, a decade earlier. He worked to improve the discipline of the clergy and liturgical life, won believers for the monastic life, followed and helped the work of the Bitola Theological Seminary and developed a wide missionary activity through missionary letters, church press and other works on topics from Orthodox piety. An important aspect of his work was charitable involvement, which was reflected, among other things, in the establishment of a poor kitchen and an orphanage. As in the twenties, he attracted numerous visitors, domestic and foreign, to Macedonia and was active in the field of Serbian-Bulgarian church and national rapprochement after the conflict in the First World War. He tried to preserve and affirm Serbian church and national traditions, especially those related to the struggle for liberation and unification. From time to time, he criticized the regional and even the highest state and church authorities. He entered into an open conflict with the government authorities in 1937, as an irreconcilable opponent of concluding a concordat with the Vatican, while he entered into a conflict with the top of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1938, due to opposition to the compromise reached with the state regarding the same issue. It was during that conflict that he was deprived of the administration of the Eparchy of Ohrid and Bitola.