Antonín Cyril Stojan

Antonín Cyril Stojan led a triple pastoral, social, and political effort simultaneously. Elected as a deputy to the Imperial Council in Vienna in 1897, he became a member of the National Assembly in Prague in 1918, and then a senator in 1920. Appointed Archbishop of Olomouc in 1921 by Pope Benedict XV, he was consecrated by Mgr Clemente Micara. In 1922, he founded the Charity Union of Olomouc, laying the foundations for Czech Catholic Charity. He also invested himself in the restoration of the sanctuaries of Svatý Hostýn and Velehrad, where he initiated the Unionist Congresses starting in 1907 to promote ecumenism between Catholics and Orthodox.

Affectionately nicknamed "Tatíček Stojan" (Papa Stojan), he distinguished himself by a concrete charity and a total detachment from material goods, distributing everything to the poor. Exhausted by his duties, he was struck by a stroke on May 11, 1923, which paralyzed his right side. He died on September 29, 1923, in his residence in Olomouc and was buried in the Basilica of Velehrad.

The reputation of holiness of Msgr. Stojan endured after his death. In 1948, Msgr. Josef Matocha began the proceedings for his cause of beatification. The diocesan process, opened in 1965, concluded in 1985. On June 14, 2016, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

The spirituality of Antonín Cyril Stojan rests on a deep Marian devotion and on the heritage of Saints Cyril and Methodius. His life motto was: "Mám, co jsem dal druhým" (I have what I have given to others). His pastoral style, characterized by simplicity and active charity, is called "Stojanism." After his death, his project for a female religious congregation was realized by Sister Marie Růžena Nesvadbová, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius.