The Parish of Vinica was established some time in the early 14th century. The head of the parish was at Holy Cross church, built just after 1200AD by the Counts of Višnja Gora residing at Metlika. At that time, the parish likely included the following towns:
Vinica, Podklanec, Zilje, Balkovci, Preloka, Žuniči, Damelj, Vukovci, Učakovci, Perudina, Hrast, Stara Lipa and Nova Lipa, and many other smaller hamlets in between.
By 1334, Vinica was one of seven parishes in Bela Krajina. Between 1526 and 1754, the parish included the following villages:
Vinica, Podklanec, Zilje, Balkovci, Preloka, Žuniči, Damelj, Vukovci, Učakovci, Perudina, Hrast, Stara Lipa and Nova Lipa, and now also Belčji Vrh, Sela pri Dragatušu, Gornji Suhor and Dolnji Suhor, Pusti Gradec, Zapudje, Obrh and Dragatuš.
In the first half of the 18th century, the church was remodeled giving it the Baroque look it has today. From this time until the late 18th century, the new parishes of Preloka and Nerajec were excised from Vinica. Dragatuš also formed a new parish in the mid 1800s. The parish then remained geographically as is does today, encompassing:
Damelj and Kot, Dolnji Suhor and Gornji Suhor, Drenovec, Drežnik, Golek, Hrast, Kovačji Grad, Nova Lipa and Stara Lipa, Ogulin, Otok, Perudina, Podklanec, Sečje Selo, Učakovci, Vinica and Vukovci.
The earliest priest documented in records we have seen was Michael Lomuth in 1679.
Others are listed here by date first documented:
Jurij Jarkovič, 1680
Ivan Jurij Sallaker, pastor 1682
Ivan Plut, 1682
Peter Perko 1685
Andrej Pašič 1758
Ivan Fabič 1758
Ivan Krstnik Jaketič 1758
Jurij Ignac Jankovič, pastor 1758,pastor jubilatum 1760
Jurij Lovrin 1759
Ivan Rogovič, pastor 1760
Marko Tašič, pastor 1765
Štefan Šutej 1767
Jurij Kočevar 1771
Nikolaj Flajnik 1772
Michael Stefanič 1774
Ivan Perko, Micheal Krotec 1776
Marko Balkovec 1778
Ivan Malešič, pastor 1782
Nikolaj Tomec 1783
Michael Ostronič 1785
Jacob Hlapper, pastor 1817
Jurij Jeglič, pastor 1824
Štefan Ogulin, pastor 1829
Jacob Škrl 1833
Jacob Indihar 1848
Simon Sadnik 1852
Daniel Teršek, pastor 1859
Caspar Majhenič, pastor 1863
Matija Šutej, pastor 1868
Jurij Konig, pastor 1881
Anton Hribar 1891
Michael Horvat 1892
Anton Šmid 1893
Ivan Telč 1895
G. Mlejnik 1897
Pavlin Bitnar, pastor 1920
Ciril Lekšan, pastor 1923
Lovro Kos, pastor 1926
Janez Habjan before 1927
Andrej Kušlan 1927
Franc Markež, pastor 1933
Anton Miklavčič, pastor 1933
Martin Stare 1933
Ivan Salmič 1941
Metod Krajnc, pastor 1946
Pavel Verderber, pastor 1948
Franc Kastelic, pastor 1957
Tone Furar, pastor 1993