VENERABILE
JANEZ FRANČIŠEK GNIDOVEC
(1873-1939)
Janez Gnidovec was born in Veliki Lipovec on 29 September 1873, the third of nine siblings. After the death of his mother, he always was distinguished by progress, commitment, reserve, loyalty to duty, humility, and piety. On 11 February 1892, his father died. That same year, on 5 July, he received his high school diploma and, on 22 August, he entered the seminary in Ljubljana to begin his theological studies. On 23 July 1896, at only 22 years and eight months of age, Janez Gnidovec received priestly consecration from Bishop Jakob Missia in the Cathedral of Ljubljana.
He was almost immediately collaborator vicar in the parish of Saints Barbara and Agathius in Idrja. In 1897, he was transferred to Vipara. During the two years of his stay in this parish, forgetful of himself, he never missed an opportunity to give himself completely to everyone and never, never took his eyes off the human and spiritual needs of his neighbor. Even when the Bishop of Ljubljana, Msgr. Anton Bonaventura Jelic, sent him to the State University of Vienna in 1899, while he was diligently engaged in his studies, he never stopped doing his best for the people.
After receiving his Doctorate in Philosophy, he was appointed professor and principal of the Saint Stanislaus Episcopal High School of Sentvid in Ljubljana. He ran Saint Stanislaus for 14 years with energetic will, thoughtfulness, and tact. When the Great War raged, Saint Stanislaus – a gigantic building – was crammed from cellars to attics with wounded for whom Gnidovec took on the task of a voluntary military chaplain.
During his long and fervent journey, Gnidovec matured the desire and the decision to enter the Vincentians whom, during the missions in Ljubljana, he got to know closely. His Ordinary, Bishop Jeglic, introduced him to them, saying that he had brought him to them so that they might make a saint of him. It was 8 December 1919.
Janez Gnidovec’s life continued full of missionary service, prayer, penance, and tireless activity in preaching and confessions. At the end of his novitiate year, he was appointed Rector of the Seminary (of which he was already the spiritual guide) until 1924 when, on 30 November in Ljubljana in Sacred Heart Church (run by the Vincentian Fathers), the Nuncio, Ermenegildo Pellegrinetti, consecrated him Bishop of the Diocese of Skopje-Prizren: a vast territory that included Macedonia, Kosovo, and small portions of Serbia and Montenegro.
Having established his episcopal residence in Prizren, he was greeted festively by the people, especially Albanians and Croats among whom Hungarian Catholics, Czechs, and other immigrants began to settle. During his travels he distributed everything he had and, being completely without money, exhausted by fatigue, he slept in the open.
His health became serious; his headaches, from which he had suffered for some time, continued and got worse. Nevertheless, he undertook his last trip alone to Ljubljana and spoke at length with the local bishop. Exhausted, he was admitted to the Leonisce Hospital, where he received Communion every day, never ceasing to think and pray. He died a holy death on 3 February 1939, the first Friday of the month. Three days later, the solemn funeral in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Ljubljana was followed by burial among the deceased Vincentian confreres in the cemetery of Saint Kriz [Holy Cross]. The local newspaper Slovenec announced the death of the Holy Bishop.
On 27 March 2010, the Holy Father authorized the promulgation of the Decree on the heroic virtues of Janez Frančišek Gnidovec (Slovenia), henceforth called Venerable. In view of the Beatification, we will soon have the examination of the miracle that occurred through his intercession in El Alto, Bolivia.
Prayer to obtain graces through the intercession of Venerable Janez Frančišek Gnidovec:
Lord God, your servant, Janez Frančišek Gnidovec, out of love for you gave himself completely to the service of the poor. Glorify your servant, and grant me through his intercession the favor I particularly need … We pray that the Church may raise him to the honors of the altar so that we too may be enlightened by his example. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
