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U svojoj dugoj i burnoj povijesti, Stolac se prepoznaje po tvrdavi na brdu Križevcu i bistroj rijeci Bregavi koju su istim Žarom voljeli razliciti ljudi koji ovdje živješe, sve tamo, od nekoliko stoljeca prije Krista, ilirskog plemena Daorsa - vještih graditelja grada na Ošanjicima , pa sve do onih koji se ovdje doseliše i danas rodiše. Za mnoge istraživace to je municipij Dilluntum, a drugi govore da je Stolac sjedište biskupije Sarsenterum utemeljene 533. Stolac se nade u zemlji Humskoj sa duhovnim sjedištima u Stonu i Dubrovniku. Temelji crkvice na mjestu rimskog hrama Vidoštak, sacuvaše reljefni prikaz tužne Gospe iz XI st., - amblem trebinjske biskupije, stare preko 1000 g.-, kojoj pripada župa Stolac kao dekanatsko mjesto. Upravitelj trebinjske biskupije, dubrovacki biskup Vinko Cubranic dekretom od 1. 6. 1863. osniva župu Stolac, sa sjedištem u Stocu “drugom gradu u Hercegovini”, tada sjedište samostalnog pašaluka na celu s Agom Rizvanbegovicem, gdje “vlah” ne smije na konju projahati “caršijom” i stavi je pod zaštitu sv. Ilije Proroka, kojega štuju ne samo katolici, nego pravoslavni, muslimani i židovi. Župa nastaje od dijela Župa Prenj i D. Hrasno. Župnu kucu u Stocu sagradiše dubrovacki i domaci majstori darovima Lyonskog društva iz Francuske 1865. Biskup dubrovacki šalje novac župniku Lazarevicu da se kupi zemljište i zgrada u kojoj je osnovana katolicka škola 15. prosinca 1872., a trajala je do 18. rujna 1885.g.

Crkveni temelji sv. Ilije proroka blagoslovljeni su 4. svibnja 1902., a prvu sv. misu služio je župnik don Vide Putica 30. studenoga 1902., kada je zabilježeno:”Neka je na slavu Božju i na obranu hrvatskoga naroda u ovoj trpecoj trebinjskoj biskupiji. Deus providebit!” Portal i zvonik izradeni su 1912. g. a tri zvona sv. Ilije, sv. Marije i sv. Josipa postavljeni su 1937. Glavni oltar sv. Ilije izradio je klesar Marin Šain od korculanskog kamena. Orgulje - sibol i znak Hrvata katolika ovoga kraja, kao pripadnika zapadnoj civilizaciji podignute su uz pomoc tadašnjeg župnika don Andelka Babica 18. lipnja 1965. a uništene od cetnickog granatiranja crkve 18. listopada 1992. Liturgijsko pjevanje odvija se na visokoj razini, kako uz pomoc mješovitoga zbora sv. Cecilije tako i djecijega zbora “Modra rijeka”. Uz pomoc darovatelja obnovljena je crkva u potpunosti.

U župu Stolac dolaze redovnice sv. Vinka Paulsokoga 11.XI 1936. raditi kao bolnicarke do bijega pred cetnicima 10. veljace 1943., a od 1967. se ponovno nastanjuju i djeluju na župi do danas. Župa ima duhovnih zvanja: 9 svecenika i 12. casnih sestara.
U II svjtskom ratu stradalo je oko 355 osoba, a u ovom 5 osoba. 10 travnja 1992. srpska vojska je potjerala sve stolacke Hrvate u progonstvo koji su se povratili tek kada su se, hrvtskim snagama , oslobodili ovi krajevi u lipnju 1992. Mnogi katolici morali su iznova organizirati svoj život na ostacima od oko 150 izgorjelih obiteljskih kuca. Prognani Hrvati iz srednje Bosne, u velikom broju stigoše u ljeto 1993. god. nakon hrvatsko-muslimansnkog rata. Našli su u stolackoj župi svoje nove domove, srdacno primljeni u ovu zajednicu pod zaštitom sv. Ilije zaštitnika Bosne. U crkvi se nedjeljom slave tri sv. mise kako bi bilo moguce svima sudjelovati , a svaki Ilindan - patron župe svecano se slavi i kao Dan opcine. Danas u župi ima oko 4000 vjernika od èega 2000 starosjedilaca i 2000 prognanika iz srednje Bosne i iz okupiranih dijelova opæine Stolac. Dolaskom izbijeglica u ovoj se župi vjerski život pojaèao pa je npr. krizmanika bilo 1997. za dva razreda 100 , a prvoprièesnika 50.

Buduæi da je župa terenski raštrkana u nekoliko veæih mjesta: Ljubinje, Žegulja, Bitunja, Komanje Brdo, Ošaniæi, Barane, Poprati, Borojeviæi, Pješivac, Poplat, Krušvo, Bjelojeviæi, Burmazi, te grad Stolac u župi redovito djeluju dva sveæenika: sada don Mato Puljiæ župnik, kapelan don Gordan Božiæ, è. s. Sofija Šimunoviæ i katehistica s. Tomislava Šaravanja.

The Parish of St. Elijah Stolac

In its long and tempestuous history, Stolac is known for its fortress on mount Križevac, and the clear Bregava river which is loved equally by the different people who live here, from a few centuries before Christ , the Illyrian tribe Daorsi - the ancient builders of the city on Ošaniæi, to all those who came here and those who are today being born. Many researchers say that Stolac was the municipality of Dilluntum, while others say that Stolac was the seat of the Sarsenterum diocese founded in 533. Stolac is found in the Hum province with its spiritual seats in Ston and Dubrovnik. The foundations of a small church at the site of a Roman temple Vidoštak protected the relief of Our Lady Grieving, from the XI century - the emblem of the Trebinje Diocese which is over 1,000 years old and to which the Stolac parish belongs as a deaconry. The administrator of the Trebinje Diocese, Bishop of Dubrovnik Vinko Æubraniæ, founds the Stolac parish by decree on June 1, 1863 in Stolac - “Herzegovina’s second city”, which was then the seat of the independent pašaluk with Aga Rizvanbegoviæ as its head, where the Christian could not ride his horse through the center of town, and places it under the protection of St. Elijah the Prophet, who is not only respected by Catholics, but by Muslims, Orthodox Christians, and Jews alike. The parish was created from portions of the Prenj and Donji Hrasno parishes. The rectory in Stolac was built by master carpenters from here and Dubrovnik, with funds from the Lyon Society in France in 1865. The Bishop of Dubrovnik sends money to Fr. Lazareviæ to purchase land and a building in which the catholic school was founded on December 15, 1872, and existed until September 18, 1885.

The foundations of St. Elijah the Prophet’s Church were blessed on May 4, 1902, and pastor Fr. Vido Putica held the first mass on November 30, 1902, when was recorded “Let it be on God’s praise and for the defense of the Croatian people in this suffering Trebinje Diocese. Deus providebit!” The portal and bell tower were built in 1912, and the three bells of St. Elijah, St. Mary, and St. Joseph were installed in 1937. The main altar for St. Elijah was carved by Martin Šain of stone from Korèula. The organ - the symbol of the Croats of this region, as members of western civilization were installed with the help of the then pastor Fr. Anðelko Babiæ on June 18, 1965, and were damaged by Èetniks shelling the church on October 18, 1992. Liturgical singing takes place at a high level, with the help of the mixed choir St. Cecilia as well with the children’s choir, “Blue River.” With the help of donators, the church has been almost entirely renovated.
The Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul arrived in the parish on November 11, 1936, and worked as nurses up until their flight before the Èetniks on February 10, 1943, and in 1967 they returned again and continue to work in the parish today. The parish has a spiritual calling: 9 priests and 13 sisters come from this parish.

In the Second World War 355 people were killed, and in this war 5. On April 10, 1992, the Serbian army had expelled all of the Croats from Stolac, who returned when Croatian forces liberated this region in June 1992. Many Catholics had to organize their lives again on the remains of about 150 burned out family homes. Croats from Central Bosnia, arrived in 1993 in large numbers during the Croat-Muslim fighting. They found themselves new homes in the Stolac parish and have been heartily accepted in this community under the protection of St. Elijah the Protector of Bosnia. On Sundays, three masses are held so that it is possible for all to participate, and on every feast day of St. Elijah, the patron saint of the parish, municipality day is also celebrated. In the parish today, there are 4,000 believers of which, 2,000 are indigenous and 2,000 are from Central Bosnia, and from the occupied areas of the Stolac municipality. The arrival of refugees in this parish has strengthened spiritual life, with for example, 50 recipients of First Communion, and 100 recipients of Confirmation in 1997.

With regards that the parish encompasses a number of larger places: Ljubinje, Žegulja, Bitunja, Komanje Brdo, Ošaniæi, Barane, Poprati, Borojeviæi, Pješivac, Poplat, Kruševo, Bjelojeviæi, Burmazi, as well as the city of Stolac, 2 priests work in this parish: Fr. Mato Puljiæ, pastor, Fr. Gordan Božiæ, assistant, and Sisters Sofija Šimunoviæ, and Tomislava Šaravanja.