Nikica Dušević

Dušević, Nikica

Priest. (Ljubač, Croatia, 3 August 1934 – Ljubač, Croatia, 6 November 2007)

Father Nikica Dušević was a beloved Croatian Catholic priest who served the South Australian Croatian community for over two decades. Born in Ljubač to Marko and Ika Dušević, and the youngest of twelve children, he felt a calling to the priesthood from an early age. His seminary studies were interrupted by the political situation in Communist Yugoslavia, which had taken control of Croatia. In 1957, at age 23, he fled the regime in a small boat with his brother and sister-in-law, spending three years in an Italian refugee camp before migrating to Australia. Invited by Archbishop Beovich to resume his seminary studies in Adelaide, he was ordained on 29 June 1963. Initially serving a predominantly Italian parish, he continued supporting the Croatian community and was officially appointed Chaplain to the Croatian Catholic Community on 11 May 1970, a position he held with devotion until his retirement in 1996.

Fr Dušević was instrumental in expanding the Croatian Ethnic School (serving as headmaster for 25 years) and the Croatian-language radio program. He was a foundation member of the Croatian Club Adelaide. He frequently visited Croatian communities in regional South Australia, including Coober Pedy, and worked closely with the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Croatian nuns who arrived in 1973 to assist with pastoral and social care, including Croatian Care for the Aged. Under his leadership, the community acquired a parish house in Ridleyton and created a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Grand Croatian Baptismal Covenant. Known for his tireless commitment, quiet strength, and deep humility, he was a guiding figure for thousands of Croatian migrants during their formative years in Australia.

After retiring in 1996, he returned to his hometown of Ljubač on the Croatian coast in Dalmatia, where he resumed parish duties until his death following a short illness in 2007. His funeral in Ljubač was well attended, and a memorial Mass held at St Patrick's Church in Adelaide drew many former parishioners who gathered to honour his generous spirit, faithful service, and enduring legacy within the Croatian community of South Australia.