a tireless and modest cleric. The bishop oversaw the construction of new schools and he himself issued textbooks for students and edited others while also publishing his own sermons and episcopal statements. He also wrote songs and some of which (like the toast "En hribček bom kupil") achieved great social standing and some are still sung at present. Together with Andrej Einspieler and Anton Janežič he was the co-founder of the Hermagoras Association which is the oldest Slovene publishing house. He founded movements for greater ecumenism efforts. Pope Pius IX entrusted him with the mission to renew the religious life in Benedictine monasteries and so he made a series of apostolic visits to see these places. He also invited the Vincentians to settle in his diocese and in 1846 began the publication Drobtinice for his diocese. He also founded the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius in 1851 for greater ecumenism with the Eastern Orthodox Church. Slomšek also supported those in the missions and prompted the Spiritual Exercises. Slomšek died on 24 September 1862 after having suffered a series of stomach ailments for some time. His remains are interred in the Maribor Cathedral. Beatification The beatification process opened in Maribor in an informative process that investigated his life and his virtues which later received validation on 2 December 1994 from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints; the postulation sent the Positio in 1995 to the C.C.S. for assessment. Historians first approved the cause on 9 January 1996 as did theologians on 2 April 1996 and the C.C.S. on 7 May 1996. His life of heroic virtue was confirmed on 13 May 1996 and this allowed for Pope John Paul II to title him as Venerable. The miracle for his beatification was investigated and received C.C.S. validation on 20 June 1996 prior to a medical panel approving it on 4 February 1997; theologians did so also on 20 June 1997 as did the C.C.S. on 1 July 1998. John Paul II approved this miracle on 3 July 1998 and beatified Slomšek in Maribor while in Slovenia on 19 September 1999. References Sources Šavli, Jožko, Slovenski svetniki Bilje: Studio Ro, Založništvo Humar 1999 Rebič, Adalbert, Splošni religijski leksikon Modrijan 2007 External links Hagiography Circle Saints SQPN Catholic Hierarchy New Advent Catholic News Agency 1800 births 1862 deaths 19th-century venerated Christians 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Austria-Hungary 19th-century Slovenian people Beatifications by