Venerable Anton Martin Slomšek

Blessed Anton Martin Slomšek (26 November 1800 – 24 September 1862) was a Slovene Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Lavant from 1846 until his death. He served also as an author and poet as well as a staunch advocate of the nation's culture. He served in various parishes as a simple priest prior to his becoming a bishop in which his patriotic activism increased to a higher degree since he advocated writing and the need for education. He penned textbooks for schools including those that he himself opened and he was a vocal supporter of ecumenism and led efforts to achieve greater dialogue with other faiths with an emphasis on the Eastern Orthodox Church. His beatification had its origins in the 1930s, when petitions were lodged for a formal cause to commence; this all culminated on 19 September 1999, when Pope John Paul II presided over the late bishop's beatification in Maribor. Anton Martin Slomšek was born as the eighth child to the peasants Marko Slomšek and Marija née Zorko on 26 November 1800 in Styria in Slovenia. The priest Blaž Slomšek (1708–1740) was his paternal uncle and Janez Slomšek (1831–1909) was his paternal cousin Gregorius' son. He underwent his theological and philosophical studies since 1821 (a classmate was the poet France Prešeren) in order to enter the priesthood and he was later ordained as such on 8 September 1824 in Klagenfurt. He celebrated his first Mass on 26 September at Olimje. He first served as a parish chaplain at Bizeljsko and then at Nova Cerkev. From 1829 until 1838 he served as the spiritual director of seminarians at Klagenfurt. In 1838 he became the parish priest at Vuzenica. In 1844 he relocated to Sankt Andrä and headed the school in Lavant while also serving as the cathedral canon there. He became the parish priest in Celje in March 1846 just prior to his episcopal appointment.