Alfred Pichler

Alfred Pichler (18 December 1913 – 17 May 1992) was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Banja Luka, the first bishop of Banja Luka who was diocesan priest and the first who was born on the territory of the Diocese of Banja Luka.

Early life Alfred Pichler was born in Oštrelj near Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Anton and Matilda (née Helk) Pichler. He had finished elementary school in Šipovo and Prijedor where he also attended six years of gymnasium, then he went to the minor seminary in Travnik. He continued studying at the University of Catholic Theology in Sarajevo where he was ordained deacon by Ivan Šarić on 20 February 1937. in the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Sarajevo. He first served as a chaplain in Banja Luka, and then as a parish priest in Novi Martinac.

During the Second World War, he had to escape from Chetniks to Bosanski Aleksandrovac.

He established 9 new parishes: Ravska (1967), Dragalovci (1970), Mariastern (1973), Odžak-Čaić (1975), Raljaš (1977), Trn (1980), Budžak (1983) and Motike (1983). He participated in the Second Vatican Council as a member of the commission for the liturgy. Being the president of the Liturgical board of Yugoslavia he has greatly contributed the restoration of the Roman liturgy after the council. Because he had cordial relationships with local Orthodox Christians, pope John Paul II appointed him member of the International Catholic-Orthodox episcopal commission.

On 15 May 1989, he retired from the ministry and until his death remained bishop emeritus of Banja Luka. He died on 17 May 1992, and was buried two days later at the cathedral.