Bishop Jezerinac was born into a Croatian Roman Catholic family of Mijo and Barica (née Bradica) near Krašić in the Central Croatia.

Jezerinac from 1967 to 1969 served as chaplain in Nova Gradiška, and from 1969 to 1971 he was the parish priest in Završje [hr].

He then went to Canada where he performed the following services: from 1980 to 1985 he was chaplain of the Croatian parish of Our Lady the Queen of Croats in Toronto; from 1985 to 1986 parish administrator in Oakville, and from 1986 to 1988 chaplain in Hamilton.

[1] On 11 April 1991, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Zagreb.

On 8 June 1991, he was consecrated as bishop by Cardinal Franjo Kuharić and other prelates of the Roman Catholic Church in the Cathedral of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Stephen of Hungary in Zagreb.