Stjepan Kožul was born on 15 December 1947 in the village of Dautan, Nevinac parish near Bjelovar. He is the son of Grgo and Ivka, nee Vukoja. He attended primary school in Dautan (1954-1958), and Nevinac (1958-1962). As a recruit of the Archdiocesan Boys’ Minor School in Zagreb on Šalata, he attended classical high school at the Inter-diocesan secondary school in preparation for the priesthood (1962-1966). He enrolled at the Archdiocesan Major Seminary in Zagreb (1966-1972), studying Philosophy and Theology at the Catholic Theological Faculty in Zagreb (1966-1972). At the same time he attended and in 1968 completed a course in archiving and palaeography at the Croatian Archives, today the Croatian State Archive. He was ordained by Archbishop Franjo Kuharić at the Zagreb cathedral on 27 June 1971.

            As a young priest, during his sixth pastoral year of study, he assisted in several parishes throughout the Zagreb archdiocese: Čazma (14-26 July 1971); Nevinac (August 1971); Davor and Slavonski Kobaš (August 1971); Stara Ploščica, Belec (October 1971); Samarica (October 1971); Velika Trnovitica (November 1971); again in Samarica (November 1971); Kutina (December 1971); and Zagreb-Retkovec (December 1971 – April 1972).

            While he was still a young priest when Archbishop Kuharić appointed him in the central administration of the Zagreb Archdiocese. For several years he conducted notary and secretarial duties for various bodies. He was the notary for the Metropolitan Chancerery Office (1972-1998) and the Archdiocesan Marital Court in Zagreb (1972-1999) and a notary and secretary of the Archdiocesan See (1972-1998). He was also a notary at the Diocesan cause for proceedings to proclaim Ivan Merz blessed (1973 – 1986). He conducted the duties of the notary and secretary of the Archdiocesan Office for a full twenty-six years. Most recently he was a notary in the Inter-diocesan Marriage Tribunal Court in Zagreb (2000-2005) and is now a judge of the same court.

            In addition to his regular duties, Stjepan Kožul completed his Master’s degree at the Catholic Theological Faculty with his thesis entitled, “The History of the Nevinac Parish”, and passing a Master’s tests on 22 June 1973. Later he attained his doctorate at the same faculty with a thesis, “Monuments of Sacral Art in the Bjelovar Region” which he successfully defended on 19 April 1977 and was promoted on 27 June 1977.

            For twenty-five years, Dr. Stjepan Kožul preached at the cathedral (1977-2002). During those 25 years, the cathedral was always completely full during the 11.30 Sunday Mass and on Feast days that he celebrated and preached at. He was often invited to preach in many parishes throughout the Zagreb Archdiocese. During a nine-year celebration of Croatia’s jubilee (1976-1984) he held 1.837 homilies, speeches or spiritual revivals throughout the Archdiocese.

            For fifteen years he was in charge of the cultural good of the Zagreb Archdiocese (1984-1999). At first he was a keeper (1984-1987), later a cu­sto­dian of the Diocesan Museum (1987 – 1999), as well as being the Head of the Office for the Cultural Goods of the Zagreb Archdiocese (1998-1999), and a commissioner in various bodies relating to the archdiocesan cultural goods.

            During his career as a notary, secretary and most recently as a Cannon, Dr. Kožul has been active in various committees, councils and commissions. In most of these he is a member and in some he is the secretary. The committees involved with are: Committee to celebrate the Holy Year 1974/75 (1974-1975); Zagreb Archdiocese Archives Committee (1977-1998); Central Committee for the Eucharistic Congress in the Zagreb Archdiocese (1981-1984); Committee to celebrate the promotion to cardinal of Archbishop Franjo Kuharić (1983); Committee to celebrate the Year of the Young in Zagreb (August – October 1985); the Diocesan Committee to celebrate the Marian Year (1987); working group to prepare a youth encounter at the Marija Bistrica shrine (March – May 1990); Committee to prepare the 900th Anniversary of the Zagreb Archdiocese (1991-); Committee to prepare the “Sacral Art of the Zagreb Archdiocese” exhibition (1994); the Zagreb Archdiocese Clerical Council (1995-2000, 2004); and the Business Committee of that Council (1995-2000, 2004); Committee for the retirement of and coming of the new Zagreb’s archbishops (1997); the Zagreb Archdiocesan Committee to prepare Pope John Paul II’s Pastoral Visit to Croatia (May – October 1998); the Croatian Conference of Bishops Council for Culture (1998-1999); Diocesan Commission to receive and verify the validity of documents of probable miraculous healing by the advocacy of God’s servant Ivan Merz (2000); the Committee organising the burial of Archbishop and Cardinal Franjo Kuharić (2002). In addition, he was the spiritual director for the singers of the “Collegium pro musica sacra” (1 October 1978 – 1 October 1982); the finance administrator of the Archbishop’s Palace (1981-1998); evaluator of documents in proceedings for beatification of God’s servant Alojzije Stepinac (May – November 1992); delegate for the Sacrament of Confirmation (1995-); and the executor of Cardinal Franjo Kuharić’s testament (2002).

            He was a professor at the Institute of Catechism at the Catholic Theolo­gi­cal Faculty, University of Zagreb (1993-1998); and an occasional lecturer at the Institute of Theological Culture of the Laity at the Catholic Theological Faculty, University of Zagreb (1995-1998). At its session on 27 November 1994, the Catholic Theological Faculty Council recognised him as a titular or private senior professor at the Faculty with the chair of church history.

            He has been a member of the “Brotherhood of the Croatian Dragon” association since its revival (1990-). In the association he is a master chaplain (1993-2001) and also a member of the Corp of Masters with the Brotherhood (25 April 1993 – 28 April 2001). In 2001 he was elected as a member of the Dragon areopaga and has three votes at the General Assembly of the Brotherhood.

            Dr. Stjepan Kožul has been the president of the Management Board of the “Tkalčič” Zagreb Archdiocese Historical Society since its founding (23 May 1996), to this day, i.e. the first two five-year mandates as well as president of the Society as such since 23 April 1998 to date. He is also a member of the editorial board of the “Tkalčić” annual (16 December 2003-).

            After 25 years of duty as the Archdiocesan secretary, Dr. Stjepan Kožul was appointed a Cannon of the Zagreb Archdiocese (1997-). He was appointed by Archbishop Franjo Kuharić just prior to his handing over his archbishop’s chair to his successor. Since 1998, he has lived in the Cannon house located at Kaptol 6. His Cannon duties are as liturgy (1999) and he is also the archdeacon of the Bjelovar-Kalnik Archdeaconate. As archdeacon he is in charge of 40 parishes distributed amongst five deaneries: Bjelovar, Križevci, Vrbovec, Cirkvena and Zelina. In November 2002, January, March, April and May 2003 he visited all the parishes in his archdeaconate.

            In the past decade he has actively co-operated with Croatian Television, recording several short footages of his books, “Memoirs to the Victims of Love for the Zagreb Archdiocese” and “Terra combusta”, as well as several documentary programmes in which he took part.

            Dr. Kožul has written several books published in 1989, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2005. He has been involved with several books written by other authors (1991, 1995-1999, 2003, 2004). Nevertheless, his written works can mostly be found in various Zagreb periodicals. He writes for the following periodicals: “Službeni vjesnik Nadbiskupije zagrebačke” (Zagreb Archdiocesan Bulletin, 1973-1997); i.e. “Službeni vjesnik Zagrebačke nadbiskupije” (2002, 2005); “Sveta Godina. Obnova i pomirenje” (Jubilee Year. Renewal and reconciliation, 1974); “Croatica Christiana periodica” (1978-1988, 1998.); “Bogoslovska smotra” (Theological Review, 1981, 1984); “Ja sam s vama” (I am with you, 1981.-1983); “MI - list mladih” (Youth magazine, 1987, 1990, 1997, 2001); “Glas Koncila” (Voice of the Council, 1990, 2004); “Sluga Božji Alojzije Stepinac. Glasnik Postulature” (Servant of God Alojzije Stepinac - Bulletin, 1996-1997); “Tkalčić. Godišnjak Društva za povjesnicu Zagrebačke nadbiskupije” (Tkalčić. Almanac of the Historical Society of the Zagreb Archdiocese, 1997-2006); “Most” (Bridge, 1997); “Hrvatski domobran” (Croatian militia-man, 1999); “Marulić” (2000-2006); Bjelovar weekly “Novi Bjelovarac” (1999, 2004); “Službeni vjesnik Varaždinske biskupije” (The Varaždin Diocese Bulletin, 2004); “Hrvatsko slovo” (Croatian letter, 2004); “Milosti puna” (Full of grace, 2005); “Crkva na kamenu” (Church on the rock, 2005); “Službeni vjesnik Požeške biskupije” (The Požega Diocese Bulletin, 2005); and “Naša katedrala” (Our cathedral, 2006).

            In two editions of the book there is a list of all his works and speeches published between 1973 and 2006 of which 956 are listed here; as well as all the articles and books where there is any reference to him. Translated by s. Anđelita Šokić.

(Objavljeno u knjizi „Dr. Stjepan Kožul, kanonik Prvostolnoga kaptola zagrebačkog i prvi predsjednik Društva za povjesnicu Zagrebačke nadbiskupije “Tkalči攓, 2006.)