Anton Martin Slomšek and the Parish of Mozirje

Bishop Slomšek’s contacts with Mozirje according to material from the Archdiocesan Archives in Maribor

Abstract

Drawing on archival material from the Maribor Archdiocesan Archives, the article discusses the dealings that Anton Martin Slomšek, Bishop of Lavant, had with the parish of Mozirje. Slomšek made his first visit to Mozirje in 1833, long before he became Prince-Bishop of Lavant in 1846. During his tenure as bishop, he made three canonical visitations to the parish (in the years 1848, 1854, and 1861); during the last one, he consecrated the filial Church of St. Nicholas at Ljubija. He also maintained many contacts with the parish of Mozirje that may be traced through the official correspondence between the parish and the diocesan ordinariate. The official correspondence concerns the financial and personal matters of the parish, as well as education, pastoral life, and care for sacral buildings. Similar issues were also addressed by other parishes. Somewhat more prominent were the endeavours of Mozirje’s inhabitants to re-establish the benefice, which had been transferred to Šmihel nad Mozirjem as part of the Josephinian church reforms, and a report on a manslaughter committed in 1855.