Katolička Crkva u Bosni i Hercegovini imala je i u vrijeme Kraljevine Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca/ Kraljevine Jugoslavije i u vrijeme Nezavisne Države Hrvatske svoje privatne škole s pravom javnosti, koje su u potpunosti bile izjednačene s državnim školama. To su bile
gimnazije u Visokom, Širokom Brijegu i Travniku te franjevačka visoka škola u Sarajevu, franjevačka viša škola u Mostaru i isusovačka viša škola u Sarajevu. U njima se školovalo 400 – 500 učenika godišnje, a samo su se rijetki školovali izvan BiH. Postojala su i dva franjevačka novicijata, i to u Kraljevoj Sutjesci i Humcu. Nakon što je svršetkom Drugog svjetskog rata vlast u zemlji preuzela Komunistička partija, s obzirom na njen program, tj. ideologiju, uslijedile su promjene i u svezi sa statusom i opstankom vjerskih škola. Tako su od navedenih nastavile raditi samo gimnazija sa sjemeništem u Visokom i franjevačka visoka škola u Sarajevu.In order to weaken influence and reputation of the Catholic Church communist regime undertook various methods, including reduction of pupils in religious schools which could lead to insufficiency of clergy. Therefore, in Bosnia and Herzegovina a number of laws and
ordinances prevented work of the majority of religious schools. As result of such legalization, only one elementary and one secondary school remained, which put Church in rather difficult position regarding human resources, especially since many clerics died during and immediately after the World War Two. Moreover, because of the communist repression many clerics left the country. Thus, Catholic Church had to organize efficient priestly education in order to maintain need for pastoral care among the congregation of believers.
Consequently, demographic increase resulted with a greater number of believers who asked for more priests and clerics, and this fact forced Church to educate more clerics. On the other hand, communist authorities openly fought against religion and tried to prevent work of religious schools. In order to weaken financial situation of the Church, communist authorities confiscated Church landed property, including some buildings in which schools were placed. Moreover, communist authorities tried to prevent religious education of seminarians abroad by offering them stipends on the state universities. Similarly, communist authorities tried to impose their teachers in the religious schools in order to eliminate »hostile elements« and to introduce so called »positive clerics«. Still, in spite of all these measures, communist regime did not manage to prevent work of religious schools and number of seminarians grew each year so the Catholic Church managed to fulfill its duty and task within the community of believers in Bosnia and Herzegovina
