Venerable Josip Lang

Josip Lang (25 January 1857 – 1 November 1924) was a Croatian Catholic prelate, titular bishop of Alabanda, and auxiliary bishop of Zagreb (both since 1915). He is widely known for his charitable work, which earned him the title "friend of the poor". By a decree of Pope Francis issued on 25 November 2024, he is considered as Venerable. Lang was born in 1857 in Lepšić near Ivanić-Grad in a devout Catholic family of father Dragutin Cof, miller and mother Maria Cof, baker. Josip was devout from an early age. He actively participated in his parish life, often withdrawing to pray in silence. With the death of his father at the age of 38, the family experienced financial difficulties. His mother asked Cardinal Josip Mihalović to accept him into the archdiocesan orphanage, where his prayer intensified and his priestly vocation matured. From 1875 to 1877, he attended the seminary, where he distinguished himself with his ascetic life. The cardinal decided to send him to Rome to continue his theological studies. He stayed at the Germanicum, and studied philosophy and theology between 1877 and 1883 at the Gregoriana, earning doctorate in philosophy in 1880. Upon his return to Zagreb, he was ordained a priest on 16 September 1883. He served as a chaplain in Zlatar (1883–84), spiritual leader (Croatian: duhovnik) and confessor at the Sisters of Charity Hospital (1884), schoolteacher of pedagogy and Italian at the Women's Teachers' School of the Sisters of Charity (1885–1900), spiritual leader (1900–08) and rector (1908–12) of the theological seminary in Zagreb and parson of the cathedral parish of St. Mary's at Dolac (1912–14). In 1898, he fell ill with pneumonia and pleurisy. He was the president-rapporteur of the Zagreb Curia, and also worked in the marriage court.