Bishop Nikanor (baptismal name Veljko Bogunovic) was born at Medvedja, Dalmatia, on 20 August 1952.
He finished the Theological school of the Holy Three Hierarchs in the Krka Monastery in 1975 and was tonsured on 27 August 1975. He was ordained as hierodeacon on the feast-day of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God on 28 August 1975. He graduated at the Moscow Theological Academy in Zagorsk (Sergiev Posad), Russia, in 1979. Having been ordained a hieromonk on 1 January 1978, he undertook his postgraduate theological studies in Germany (1981).
At a meeting of the Holy Assembly of Bishops in 1985, he was elected Bishop of Hvosno and Vicar Bishop of Metropolitan Danilo of Montenegro and the Littoral. The holy sacrament of consecration was performed by the then Serbian Patriarch German, with participation of several hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, on 11 August 1985. He remained in that position until his election as bishop of the Diocese of Gornji Karlovac in 1991, the throne of which was vacant after the repose of Bishop Simeon (Zlokovic).
It was in 1999 that the Holy Assembly of Bishops elected him Bishop of the vacant Diocese of Australia and New Zealand of the Metropolitanate of New Grace and Administrator of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. He administered these dioceses until 2003 when he was elected Bishop of Banat.
Bishop Nikanor has been spiritually heading the Banat Diocese for 17 years, officiating daily worships in churches and monasteries of the Diocese.
Marking the anniversary of 35 years of his Episcopal consecration and 45 years of his monastic life, Nikanor celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Diocesan Cathedral in Vrsac, Banat, Serbia, with concelebration of Bishops Stefan, Vicar Bishop of Remesianna, and Filaret, Bishop emeritus. The solemn event took place on Bishop’s name-day, Holy deacon Nikanor, celebrated on the 10th of August.
Source: Serbian Orthodox Church
