BIOGRAPHY OF Blessed Anton Martin Slomsek

Blessed Anton Martin Slomsek

Also known as

• Anton Martin Slomshek

Memorial

• 24 September

Profile

Born to a peasant family in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Seminarian at Klagenfurt, Austria. Ordained on 8 September 1824. Parish priest for five years. Spiritual director of the Klagenfurt seminary. Taught the Slovenelanguage to seminarians; because the rulers of the empire spoke German, Slovenian was in danger of disappearing. Prince-bishop of Lavant, Austria(modern Maribor, Slovenia) on 30 May 1846, a diocese with a Slovenemajority.

Bishop Slomsek began a campaign of patriotic education. He built new schools, encouraged Slovenianlanguage and culture, wrote textbooks, and edited others. He founded a weekly newspaper, and published his sermons and episcopal statements. Founded the Saint Hermagoras Society publishing house to publish popular works in Slovenian. Today the region is nearly 100% literate, much of it due to Bishop Anton’s good work.

Born

• 26 November 1800 in Ponikva pri Žalcu, Savinjska, Slovenia

Died

• 24 September 1862 in Maribor, Podravska, Slovenia of natural causes

Venerated

• 31 May 1996 by Pope John Paul II

Beatified

• 19 September 1999 by Pope John Paul II at Maribor, Slovenia
• the first beatified Slovene

• Readings

When I was born, my mother laid me on a bed of straw, and I desire no better pallet when I die, asking only to be in the state of grace and worthy of salvation. – Blessed Anton

Teacher and educator, writer and poet, biographer and critic, lover of his mother tongue and fighter for national equality, patriot, speaker and preacher, ecumenical worker and theological teacher of the Slovenepeople, priest and bishop. Slomsek’s personality is like a mosaic, each stone has its own colour, its own function and size, but all together provide the image of a saint, that is a person who is open to the breath of the Holy Ghost, who prophetically understands the signs of the time and responds to them, who understands how to use all natural and supernatural means to realise the kingdom of God on earth. – Dr Franc Kramberger, Bishop of Maribor, Slovenia, 1999