Ivan Merz

Ivan Merz (16 December 1896 − 10 May 1928) was a Catholic layman from Bosnia and important supporter of the Catholic Church in Croatia. Merz promoted the Liturgical Movement in Croatia and together with Ivo Protulipac, he established a movement for the young people, Hrvatski orlovski savez ("The Croatian Union of the Eagles", hr), inspired by the Eucharistic Crusade, which he had encountered in France. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003.

Blessed

Ivan Merz
Blessed Ivan Merz
Born(1896-12-16)16 December 1896
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary
Died10 May 1928(1928-05-10) (aged 31)
Zagreb, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Venerated inRoman Catholic Church
Beatified22 June 2003, Banja Luka, [Bosnia and Herzegovina by Pope John Paul II
Feast10 May
InfluencesLjubomir Maraković
InfluencedMarica Stanković,[1] Uskrs fest[2]
Major worksDnevnik (Diary)
Zlatna knjiga (Golden Book)

Life

Merz entered military service for Austro-Hungarian Army as a young adult, completed it after three months and began studying in Vienna in 1915. During the First World War he was drafted into the army and fought on the Italian front. After the World War, Merz devoted himself entirely to serving in the Roman Catholic Church and took a vow of chastity. He wrote numerous articles, essays and reflections for various magazines.

In October 1920, Merz went to Paris and studied at the Sorbonne and the Institut Catholique de Paris. In 1923 he received his doctorate from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Zagreb with a dissertation on the influence of liturgical language in the work of French writers, especially the Renouveau catholique.

He died in 1928 at the age of 31. Merz was beatified on June 23, 2003, by Pope John Paul II during a visit to Banja Luka.

Canonisation process

The Director of the Confraternity, Dave Ceasar Dela Cruz was elected as the vice postulator of the cause for the canonization of Blessed Ivan Merz [3] on 19 March 2008 by the Vatican through the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Patronages
  • Bl. Ivan Merz Parish in Slatina (established by Antun Škvorčević on 22 July 2003)[4]
  • Bl. Ivan Merz Parish in Špansko-Oranice, Zagreb (est. 2011)[5]
  • Catholic School Centre "Bl. Ivan Merz" in Banja Luka[6]
  • Dr. Ivan Merz Elementary School in Zagreb (est. in 1901, named after Merz in 1 January 1995)[7]
  • Domus Croatia Dr. Ivan Merz, an organization of Croatian pilgrims in Rome[8][9]
  • Humanitarian association Ivan Merz in Split (est. on 1 September 2006)[10]

Memorials
  • Bronze relief in the Dr. Ivan Merz Elementary School in Zagreb, work by Ivan Starčević, uncovered on 1 January 1995.[7]
  • Sculpture by Slaven Miličević in the Alley of Croatian Saints of the Holy Trinity Catholic Parish of Prečko (Zagreb), uncovered on 3 June 2007[11]
  • Bl. Ivan Merz Street (Ulica bl. Ivana Merza) in Split[12]
  • Documentary "Ivan Merz - život za ideale" by Jakov Sedlar, premiered on 8 May 2013 in Banja Luka.[13]

Literature
  • Ceraj, Saša (2016). "Povijesni razvoj i važnost djelovanja hrvatskoga Orlovstva" [The Historical Development and Importance of the Activities of Croatian Eagles]. Obnovljeni Život (in Croatian). 71 (1): 39–53. ISSN 0351-3947.
  • Tuškan, Slavica (1997). "Ivan Merz, Marica Stanković i zajednica Suradnica Krista Kralja" [Ivan Merz, Marica Stankovič and the group The Associates of Christ the King]. Obnovljeni Život (in Croatian). 52 (3/4): 315–324. ISSN 0351-3947.

References
  1. Tuškan 1997, p. 316.
  2. "Uskrsfest". ivanmerz.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  3. The Official Website of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines News Service (Accessed on March 19, 2009)[usurped]
  4. "Povijest župe" [History of the parish] (in Croatian). Blessed Ivan Merz Parish Slatina. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  5. "O župi" [About parish] (in Croatian). Bl. Ivan Merz Parish Špansko. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  6. "Trostruko duhovno-kulturno slavlje u Foči". ktabkbih.net (in Croatian). Catholic Press Agency of the Bishops' Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  7. "Povijest" [History] (in Croatian). "Dr. Ivan Merz" Elementary School, Zagreb. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  8. "Hrvatska manjina u Talijanskoj Republici" (in Croatian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  9. "Kratka povijest Doma" [Domus' short history]. domuscroatia.com (in Croatian). Croatian Pilgrims' Home "Blessed Ivan Merz" Rome. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  10. "Pomozimo potrebne i marljive!". udrugaivanmerz.hr (in Croatian). Humanitarna udruga Ivan Merz. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  11. "Blagoslov kipa bl. Ivana Merza u Prečkom". ika.hkm.hr (in Croatian). Informative Catholic Agency. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  12. "Ulica bl. Ivana Merza, Split na karti Splita". karta-hrvatske.com.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  13. "Predstavljena sabrana djela Ivana Merza i premijerno prikazan film o Ivanu Merzu". ktabkbih.net (in Croatian). Catholic Press Agency of the Bishops' Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
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