Garković was born on 12 September 1882 in Veli Rat on the island of Dugi Otok in Dalmatia, then Austria-Hungary. Ordained as a Roman Catholic priest on 28 July 1907, he was firstly pedagogue in the Zmajević minor seminary in Zadar where he stayed until 1914. In 1914, he was appointed parish priest of Preko and dean of the Ugljan Deanery. When the Italians occupied Dalmatia, Garković was arrested and imprisoned for six months in Sestrunj. Then returned to Preko where he remained until 1925. Next 20 years, he has worked as a professor of pastoral theology and Hebrew in Split.[2][3]
Garković was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Zadar on 22 February 1952. He was consecrated as bishop by Miho Pušić, archbishop of Hvar on 30 March 1952. Garković was appointed the archbishop of Zadar on 24 December 1960.[1]
