Bishop of Gurk
Josef Marketz was born on July 30, 1955, in St. Philippen ob Sonnegg, in the Diocese of Gurk. He pursued his philosophical and theological studies in Salzburg and Ljubljana. On June 29, 1982, he was ordained a priest and incardinated into the clergy of Gurk. Subsequently, he served first as a parochial vicar and then as a youth chaplain, while simultaneously acting as the parish administrator of St. Jakob, Rosental. In 1992, he obtained a doctorate in theology from the University of Vienna. From 1992 to 2007, he served as Director of the Pastoral Office (Slovene section) while also serving as the parish priest of Radsberg. From 2007 to 2008, he undertook a period of study in Jerusalem and Rome. In 2009, he became Director of the Pastoral Office, and since 2014, he has served as Director of the diocesan Caritas and as an episcopal vicar.