The heart of the emerging Schoenstatt Family in Croatia

Monsignor Iván Seso, Director of the Croatian Schoenstatt Family, has suddenly passed away

Ermita en el lugar del futuro Santuario Wayside shrine at the place of the future shrine Bildstock am Ort des zukünftigen Heiligtums
Fue el corazón de Schoenstatt en Croacia He was the Heart of Schoenstatt in Croatia Er war das Herz Schönstatts in Kroatien
Encuentro con Juan Pablo II Encounter with John Paul II Begegnung mit Papst Johannes Paul II
En una Misa en Slavonski Brod During a Holy Mass in Slavonski Brod Bei einer heiligen Messe in Slavonski Brod Fotos © Sr. Ramona Schneider

CROATIA, Hedwig Weinzierl. The Croatian Schoenstatt family is preparing physically and spiritually in order to build their first Shrine. Like a shooting star in the night sky, and almost as quickly, the news of the sudden death of their director, Monsignor Ivá Seso, spread in Croatia and beyond its borders; on Saturaday January 19^th, he died of a heart attack at the age of 68. The next Sunday afternoon, he was planning to celebrate the Covenant Mass in the Holy Family Church in Slavonski Brod, where the altar of the Shrine is kept. The local Schoenstatt Family offered the Mass for him. The wake was held on January 21^st and the funeral was on January 22^nd. Both events were attended by a large number of people.

How can we describe this priest, who is known and loved by the people and the clergy throughout Croatia, and who had given himself totally for Schoenstatt? He was very intelligent, and at the same time he was very modest. He spiritually accompanied many people from all walks of life. A short while ago, someone asked him how many confessions he had heard in his life. People came daily for confession. He was a member and adviser for many communities. He was called almost daily to visit the sick, the desperate, and the confused. All the bishops and all the beggars knew him, and he knew the people, all of whom he carried in his heart. During his daily Holy Mass, he frequently mentioned the people he wanted to pray for in a special way. He was a good shepherd.

The Covenant of Love: Yes, of course

Monsignor Iván Seso was born on November 17, 1939 in Osijek. He had ten siblings. He studied theology in Dakovo. After his priestly ordination, he was the assistant pastor in various parishes and then the pastor in Ivankovo for seven years. He studied the movements of the church in Rome. After his return, he became the spiritual director at the seminary of Dakovo for twenty years. He was a genuine parent for the students, and he continued to direct many of them after they finished their studies. He was director of the retreat house, "House of Mary" in Slavonski Brod for ten years; this is where he died suddenly on January 19^th.

He was in Schoenstatt for the first time in 1989. After a conference presented by Father Grill about the Covenant of Love, he was the first one to register, and later sealed his Covenant of Love before the Blessed Mother on July 20, 1989 in the Shrine of House Mariengart. He was the heart of the newly formed Croatian Schoenstatt Family. Because of his exceptional knowledge of languages, he had the ability to translate several conferences and spiritual exercises. One of his traits was his smile, which never left his face. Of course, we do not know his personal Ideal. But it could have truly been the same as Joseph Engling’s: "I want to become all things to all men, and Mary’s very own".

The road leading to the first Croatian Shrine

His great dream was to establish a Shrine in Croatia. This desire transformed him into a living cornerstone. The Schoenstatt family is dismayed with his loss, especially now when they are preparing for the construction of the Shrine. But many recognize that even though he is no longer with the people in this world, he can help them even more from heaven: now he has time for each one of us…

Beloved Monsignor Iván! The Croatian Schoenstatt Family appreciates your untiring commitment, and we pray for you and for everyone who is mourning your sudden departure. We promise you that we will work with even more unity and determination towards achieving our great goal.

The first Croatian Shrine will be built in Mala Subotica, close to Cakovec, in the Diocese of Varazdin, in the northeast region of Croatia. The cornerstone will be placed on June 14, 2008. The inauguration will be on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary on August 22, 2009. Several people have resumed their work of preparation. The groups and individual people take responsibility for the symbols, the pictures, the statues, the liturgical essentials and everything the Shrine needs, so that it is physically and spiritually built.

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA/Melissa Schmid, USA