Review article
Worshipping St Marko Križevčanin in Križevci between 1905 and 1969
Željko Vegh
orcid.org/0000-0001-6700-7790
; Knjižnice grada Zagreba, Gradska knjižnica Starčevićev trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb
Abstract
The worship of St Marko of Križevci is de-scribed through four events:
1- ceremony of beatification of Marko Križevčanin in 1905;
2- twentieth anniversary of his beatification in 1925;
3- worship of Marko Križevčanin in the communist Yugoslavia during Dr Stjepan Kranjčić (parish priest 1952-1968);
4- 350th anniversary of St Marko Križevčanin’s martyr’s death, in 1969;
Daily paper ‘Hrvatstvo’ gave a thorough ac-count of the feast organized upon the beatification process in 1905. The paper was published in Zagreb by the Catholic Publishing Society from 1904 to 1910. In 1905 its editor was Fran Plevnjak. The feast started in the city streets, where, in spite of great cold, a huge crowd gathered including all city craft-guilds and school youth, who formed a procession from St Ana’s Church to the Holy Cross Church. A solemn mass was held in the later and a sermon was given by the priest Dr Juraj Cenkić.
In 1925 Križevci celebrated the twentieth anniversary of Marko’s beatification and for that occasion an oratorio inspired by the life of Marko
was performed. The authors of the work were two teachers of the Križevci high school: lyrics by Marko Soljačić, music by Vjekoslav Hranilović. Marko Soljačić was a known Catholic poet who wrote librettos for a few operas and later became theatre manager in the Croatian National Theatre of Zagreb (1943-1945).
In communist period the Reverend Dr Stje¬pan Kranjčić was parish priest for sixteen years (1952-1968). In those rough times for the Catholic Church the Reverend Kranjčić encouraged the faithful to worship Marko Križevčanin in their prayers.
After the 1966 Protocol had been signed be¬tween the Holy See and Yugoslavia, the Catholic Church in Croatia gained more freedom, which was brought to climax in 1968 when the Arch-bishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Franjo Šeper was appointed chairman of the Congregation for Reli¬gious Doctrine. The year 1969 witnessed two great church events in September: in Trški vrh near Krapina the tercentenary of a renowned Mary-dedicated shrine was celebrated and Križevci saw the 350th anniversary of martyr’s death of Marko Križevčanin. Cardinal Šeper, a great promotor of massive religious manifestations in Croatia, led both of these ceremonies in the open. 8000 believers participated in the worship organized in Križevci.
From the stated examples the author con¬cludes that Križevci inhabitants have continually worshipped St Marko Križevčanin since 1905 and recognized in the saint the basic values of chastity: humbleness, modesty and perseverance in Catholic faith.
Keywords
St Marko Križevčanin; worship of St Marko Križevčanin; Križevci; Croatian saints
Hrčak ID:
67953
URI
Publication date:
1.2.2011.
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