Beloved Franciscan
He enriched the lives of many and showed them the way to God.
Brother Zvjezdan was born as Vjekoslav Linić on February 1, 1941, while his official date of birth is recorded as March 1. His parents, Marija, a seamstress, and Vjekoslav, who worked in wood processing, had a total of eight children. The family strongly lived their faith. They regularly visited the shrine of Mother of Mercy in Trsat
As a child, he did not miss the dawn in Trieste, even though he had to walk five kilometers to school in Rijeka every day. He already knew then that he wanted to be a priest and entered the Franciscan seminary. On August 24, 1958, he entered the Franciscan novitiate, and already the following year he took his first religious vows. In the Order of Lesser Brothers he got his distinctive name Zvjezdan. He was ordained a priest on the feast of St. Peter and Paul, June 29, 1967 in Zagreb.
Already next year, he is going to Innsbruck to study postgraduate theology. He received his doctorate in Paris in 1971. He returned to Rijeka, where he taught liturgical courses in Trsat. After that, he worked in Karlovac, and then in Novi Sad and Osijek.
At the beginning of the eighties, he held the first seminars for evangelization and spiritual renewal. He was transferred to the monastery on Kaptol in Zagreb, where he remained for almost fifteen years. He left an indelible mark in Zagreb. He continued to be the provincial assistant of the Franciscan Secular Order, and he also became a religion teacher for students. In the 1990s, more and more people discovered their faith. Friar Zvjezdan then dedicated himself to teaching religious studies and preparing catechumens for the sacraments of Christian initiation. He also led the local brotherhood of the Secular Franciscan Order in Kaptol, founded and led several prayer groups, and was the chaplain of the nuns. In 1994, the brothers elected him as the provincial definitor, and then he also became the national assistant of the Franciscan Secular Order.
The faithful recognized a support in Brother Zvjezdan. He knew how to listen to their problems, pray with them and look for solutions. He visited the sick, and his famous smile was a comfort to many in the most difficult moments. Halfway through the century, Fr. Zvjezdan created and ran the Tabor Meeting House next to the Franciscan monastery in Samobor, which became a place of spiritual meetings and healing. He promotes the prayer of the Book of Hours, leads joint Eucharistic adorations and writes works on Catholic themes.
Even during 2013, when he fell seriously ill, he followed the teachings of Christ and faithfully promoted the Catholic faith and led spiritual seminars. The beloved Zagreb priest died in the early morning of December 7, 2013. All his life, this Franciscan lived according to the words of St. Francis of Assisi: - We receive exactly when we give. - and that is why Croatian believers remember him with love.
