I V A N    M E R Z

VENERABLE SERVANT OF GOD IVAN MERZ

Banja Luka , 22 of June 2003  

Venerable servant of God Ivan Merz

            The future beatifies man Ivan Merz was born in Banja Luka on December 16, 1896 in liberal environment. He finished elementary school in Banja Luka and Prijedor, where his father had been transferred.  When he returned to his birthplace, he finished well-known Real high school and graduated in 1914. After graduation he started Army academy in Becko Novo Mjesto, but he had no will to do. Ivan started to study a law in Vienna in 1915. He was called to the First World War and survived all the horrors on battlefield in Italy and so matured in holiness (1916-1918). After the war he started third degree of the Literature in Vienna, continued in Paris in 1920 and finished the study in 1922. Teaching carrier as professor of French and literature he started on Archdiocesan High school in Zagreb. On Philosophy University just a year later he obtained his doctorate with work that was very unusual for a layperson - about the influence of the Liturgy on French writers. On this way he showed his liturgical aim. Participation in celebration of Holy Mass was his every day duty and foundation of his reach spiritual life. He dedicated himself to the formation of youth in catholic organization (Orlovstvo, Krizari). He was building up his spiritual life in prayer, meditation, sacrifice, and adoration to Blessed Sacrament and giving everything to his work in his vocation. One of pillars in his spirituality was his love for Church and Holy Father. In one of his letters he wrote to his mother: Catholic Faith is my life vocation. We can agree that this was motto of his short but very reach life. Ivan Merz died very young: he was only 32 years old. That was 10 of May 1928 in Zagreb.

            First he was buried on the cemetery of Mirogoj in Zagreb, but 16, December 1977 his body was transferred to Basilica of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Zagreb.

            Process for his beatification started in 1958 in Zagreb, as an order by Archbishop Dr. Franjo Seper. From 1985 the procedure was continued in Rome and happily done to the end. 5 of July 2002 in Vatican’s declared about heroic virtues of the Servant of God Ivan Merz. By degree about miraculous healing of Anica Ercegovic from Gradusa near Sunja in Croatia according to the intercession of Ivan Merz, he is recognized by Congregation for the cause of saints, and was publicly declared 19 of December 2002. By this all the conditions were fulfilled for his proclamation being blessed, and Holy Father order this to be done in Ivan’s birth city Banja Luka , 22 of June 2003.