Vendelin Vošnjak

Upon returning from his studies, Father Vendelin taught philosophy in Zagreb and Varaždin. In 1898, following the apostolic constitution Felicitate quadam of Leo XIII, he was appointed special commissioner to reform the monasteries of Zagreb and Pécs. On June 3, 1900, he founded the Croatian Franciscan Province of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Zagreb, of which he became the first provincial for four terms. He also distinguished himself as guardian of the Marian shrine of Trsat, which he restored and had erected as a minor basilica by Pius XI in 1930. He served in numerous roles as general visitor in Europe and spent six years in Rome as definitor general of the Order.

Despite fragile health, Father Vendelin led a life of intense prayer and fidelity to the Rule of Saint Francis. He passed away in the odor of sanctity on March 18, 1933, at the Franciscan monastery of Kaptol in Zagreb, where his remains rest. His reputation for holiness led to the opening of his diocesan beatification process in Zagreb in 1963. This process concluded in 1980, and the file was officially transmitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome in 1982.

On December 18, 2000, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints promulgated the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Father Vendelin Vošnjak, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable. The official recognition of a miracle obtained through his intercession remains required for his future beatification.

The spirituality of the Venerable Vendelin rests on the love of the Eucharist, contemplation, and evangelical poverty. For him, holiness resided in daily fidelity to the duties of his state. His legacy remains alive within the Croatian Franciscan Province of Saints Cyril and Methodius, which he shaped. He remains a model of spiritual renewal and ecclesial devotion for the Slovenian and Croatian faithful.