Bishop Svalina was born into a Roman Catholic family of Mirko and Lucija (née Poljičak) in Đakovo, but he grew up and finished his primary school education in neighbouring Satnica Đakovačka.

[1] After graduation from the high school in his native town, he made the maturity exam and consequently joined the Major Theological Seminary in Đakovo and the Theological Faculty of the University of Osijek, where he graduated in 1997,[1] and was ordained as priest on 29 June 1977 for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek in the Cathedral basilica of St. Peter,[2] after completed his philosophical and theological studies.

In the same time, from 2010 until 2017 he served as Deputy Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Croatia, and from 2017 until 2021 was a director of the Croatian Catholic Network.

[1] On 7 October 2021, he was appointed by Pope Francis as a Coadjutor Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Srijem in the neighbouring Serbia.

On 21 November 2021, he was consecrated as bishop by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher and other prelates of the Roman Catholic Church in the athedral Basilica of St. Demetrius in Sremska Mitrovica[2] and become a member of the International Bishops' Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius.