Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the diocese of Subotica (Serbia) start today. This Cathedral is located in the autonomous Province of Vojvodina, where most of Catholics in this Balkan country live. The programme includes a conference dedicated to the history of the Catholic diocese in the auditorium of the municipality of Subotica; tomorrow, at 11:00 a.m., there will be the solemn Eucharist at the “Saint Teresa of Avila” cathedral, presided over by the bishop, Msgr. Ivan Penzes. 23 bishops from all over the Balkans and thousands of believers are expected. Big screens are located in the square in front of the basilica to let the people not being able to enter the church see the event. “Five decades is a very important anniversary, taking into account historical circumstances and society changes”, said Secretary General of the Saints Cyril and Methodius International Conference Father Mirko Stefkovic to SIR. He said: “During the Conference, the origin of the Church in Subotica will be illustrated. It dates back to the archdiocese of Backa, 1090, whose heir is the apostolic administration of Backa”. At present, the diocese of Subotica includes 116 parishes with about 300 thousand believers.