Marko Krizin
Encyclopedia
Marko Krizin or Marko Križevčanin (1589, Križevci – September 7, 1619, Košice
) is the third canonized Croatia
n saint
of the Roman Catholic Church
, priest
, martyr
of Košice
, professor
of theology
, missionary
.
He was born as Marko Stjepan Krizin in Križevci, within the diocese
of Zagreb
. He started his studies in the Jesuit college in Graz
, where he joined the congregation of Saint Mary. As a candidate of Zagreb diocese he attended the famous Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum
in Rome
. He personally noted his nationality as Croatian
in a document which is available in the college archive
. As a student
he was smart and considerate. He stayed there from 1611 to 1615.
Becoming a priest
, he returned to his diocese where he stayed only a short period of time. Cardinal
Péter Pázmány
called him from Hungary
and made him the head of the seminary
in Trnava
and Ostrogonic canon. Later he gave him also the task of leading the Benedictine
abbey of Széplak, near Košice, which was the property of the Ostrogonic chapter.
At the time, Košice was a stronghold of Hungarian Calvinism
. To strengthen the position of the Catholic minority, the city major Andrija Dóczi, appointed by king
Matthias
, called two Jesuits to Košice: Stjepan Pongrácz and Melhior Grodziecki. They helped the Catholics, which caused unrest among the Calvinist majority of Košice.
The Calvinists then incited a rebellion, falsely accusing the Catholic
minority of arsony on July 13, 1619. At that time, Marko was in the company of the other two Jesuits, as they all struggled to help the Catholic minority. When the commander of the Calvinist army George I Rákóczi
came to Košice with his guards on September 3, 1619, they arrested the three priests at once. They went without food and water for three days. The commander promised Marko Krizin a church estate if he renounced the Catholic Church and converted to Calvinism. Marko refused. All three were tortured and then executed.
The news about their martyrdom stormed across Hungary
. Despite many pleas, Duke Bethlen
buried them outside the sacred ground. He allowed it only 6 months later, when asked by the Palatine's wife Katalina Pálffy. The remains of the Košice martyrs now rest in the Ursulinic
church in Trnava.
They were beatified on January 15, 1905, by Pope
Pius X. The canonization
of the three Košice martyrs was performed by Pope John Paul II on July 2, 1995 in Košice.
The feast day of Saint Marko Križevčanin is September 7. It is regularly celebrated with a week of festivities in Križevci.
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
) is the third canonized Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
of Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
.
He was born as Marko Stjepan Krizin in Križevci, within the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. He started his studies in the Jesuit college in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, where he joined the congregation of Saint Mary. As a candidate of Zagreb diocese he attended the famous Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum
Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum
The Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum or simply Collegium Germanicum is a German-speaking seminary for Roman Catholic priests in Rome, founded in 1552. Since 1580 its full name has been Pontificium Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum de Urbe....
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He personally noted his nationality as Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
in a document which is available in the college archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
. As a student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
he was smart and considerate. He stayed there from 1611 to 1615.
Becoming a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, he returned to his diocese where he stayed only a short period of time. Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Péter Pázmány
Péter Pázmány
Péter Pázmány de Panasz was a Hungarian philosopher, theologian, catholic cardinal, pulpit orator and statesman. He was an important figure in the Counter-Reformation in Royal Hungary. He worked to convert Protestants back to Catholicism in Hungary.His most important legacy was his creation of the...
called him from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and made him the head of the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Trnava
Trnava
Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
and Ostrogonic canon. Later he gave him also the task of leading the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbey of Széplak, near Košice, which was the property of the Ostrogonic chapter.
At the time, Košice was a stronghold of Hungarian Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
. To strengthen the position of the Catholic minority, the city major Andrija Dóczi, appointed by king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
Matthias
Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor
Matthias of Austria was Holy Roman Emperor from 1612, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1608 and King of Bohemia from 1611...
, called two Jesuits to Košice: Stjepan Pongrácz and Melhior Grodziecki. They helped the Catholics, which caused unrest among the Calvinist majority of Košice.
The Calvinists then incited a rebellion, falsely accusing the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
minority of arsony on July 13, 1619. At that time, Marko was in the company of the other two Jesuits, as they all struggled to help the Catholic minority. When the commander of the Calvinist army George I Rákóczi
George I Rákóczi
György Rákóczi I was elected Hungarian prince of Transylvania from 1630 until his death. During his influence Transylvania grew politically and economically stronger.-Biography:...
came to Košice with his guards on September 3, 1619, they arrested the three priests at once. They went without food and water for three days. The commander promised Marko Krizin a church estate if he renounced the Catholic Church and converted to Calvinism. Marko refused. All three were tortured and then executed.
The news about their martyrdom stormed across Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Despite many pleas, Duke Bethlen
Gabriel Bethlen
Gabriel Bethlen was a prince of Transylvania , duke of Opole and leader of an anti-Habsburg insurrection in the Habsburg Royal Hungary. His last armed intervention in 1626 was part of the Thirty Years' War...
buried them outside the sacred ground. He allowed it only 6 months later, when asked by the Palatine's wife Katalina Pálffy. The remains of the Košice martyrs now rest in the Ursulinic
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
church in Trnava.
They were beatified on January 15, 1905, by Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Pius X. The canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
of the three Košice martyrs was performed by Pope John Paul II on July 2, 1995 in Košice.
The feast day of Saint Marko Križevčanin is September 7. It is regularly celebrated with a week of festivities in Križevci.