I prayed a lot of novenae to the blessed Ivan Merz and some of my prayers were granted and some have not yet been granted but I am sure they will be soon. He helped my granny get well and has sent me the kindred soul I prayed for. When I forgot I had been praying for a kindred soul, he sent her to me and I was fascinated by this person and we are still happy, full of love and faith. I also prayed to the blessed Ivan for peace to her disturbed family and God granted that prayer as well. I am very happy and thank my fellow countryman and protector with all my heart.
Dugo selo, 2.1.2009. Antonio
In September 2007 my aunt was very ill, and it seemed she was not going to last much longer. My mother (her sister) was very sad that she had not wanted to receive sacraments, and especially the confession, for years. Then we started a novena. On the eighth day of the prayer I asked the sick lady’s daughter whether she wanted me to call a priest, which she agreed to immediately. When the priest arrived she was probably not conscious, but she did manage to get the extreme unction. She passed away the same evening. On the last days when she was still conscious she asked her daughter to give the bottle with blessed water which we had brought from Trsat, in which my mother and I recognized her wish to come closer to Jesus. I thank the Lord for the grace which we got by the intercession of the blessed Ivan Merz.
12 January 2009. Aldina B.
For years I have been trying to find a man I could live with. I have come across many crooks, men who did not have any serious plans and I suffered a lot in all this. I prayed a novena to the blessed Ivan Merz and asked him to help me find an ideal partner for marriage by his intercession. In a relatively short time the prayer was granted. My present fiancé came to the same firm, and this is where we met. Now I am engaged and we are soon to be married. I have also visited the tomb of the blessed man in the Sacred Heart Basilica and I was overcome by immeasurable grace, I felt his sanctity there. Thank you, Ivan!
Topusko, 13 January 2009. Vesna M.
At the beginning of March last year I started preparing for an exam, I studied a lot but with no result. I prayed to God, Jesus and Our Lady but my prayer was not granted. At the beginning of October last year I found a novena to the blessed Ivan on the Internet. As if someone was telling me to download it and pray. After I failed the exam for the third time I downloaded the Ivan Merz novena and started to pray. I prayed regularly for the next month; on the very first day I felt a relief and felt like studying. My exam was in July, and what is more, before an examination committee. In the morning before the exam I visited the tomb of Ivan Merz and had communion. I sat for the exam, confident of Ivan Merz’s help. And I passed! Now I know why God did not grant my wishes before because he wanted me to get to know Ivan Merz, to get a true and sincere friend who will help me through life! The life of Ivan Merz is my model now, I am reading his work ‘Misli’ (‘Thoughts’) and am trying to apply some of his thoughts in my life. I thank him for his help with all my heart!
Belec, 15 January 2009 Ana, student
My son Tomislav is a student. Since he had his last, most difficult exam, everybody at home was very nervous and jittery. We had unnecessary quarrels and raised our voices. He was crushed and doubted in his success. The professor was said to be very strict, always grumpy and failing students for no definite reason. One Sunday my husband brought the Blessed Ivan Merz novena after the mass. I immediately started praying the novena, especially after reading that he was the protector and help to students and pupils. After the novena my son successfully passed all the exams and graduated. While I was praying the novena I prayed the blessed Ivan to put the professor in a good mood and make him benign to students. And indeed, as my son said, that time the professor was very cheerful and in good mood, and very well inclined to students, as he had never been before. I am sure that the blessed Ivan Merz answered my prayers, and that the exam was passed thanks to his intercession and prayer.
Varaždin, 25 January 2009 Marijana V.
I would like to express my gratitude to the blessed Ivan Merz for the financial help I received after praying a novena, attending the mass and fasting. Indeed, he granted my prayer in a miraculous and surprising way. By praying for his help I got to like his spirituality and he became my spiritual model. While I was praying the novena I often felt his physical nearness. I prayed ardently full of faith, there were temptations which I dissolved with more prayer. The granting was fantastic and unexpected and I was truly shaken with the solution and with the granting. The blessed Ivan is continually helping my family, and he especially protects my parents’ health. Dear Ivan, thank you for interceding for me with the triune God.
Zagreb, 31 January 2009 Grateful Ana
I first heard of the blessed Ivan Merz reading the ‘Arena’ magazine where miracles were described dues to his intercession. I prayed the prayer written on the icon pasted on the front page as a gift to the readers. I prayed for nine days and a miracle happened – I got well. My findings are fantastic. I thank the blessed Ivan Merz for the great miracle!
Bistrinci-Belišće, 15 February 2009. Ana J.
I want to express public thanks to the blessed Ivan Merz because thanks to his intercession my father went for confession and communion fir the first time after 30 years, in spite of our endeavours. I would also like to thank him for other graces obtained as a result of his intercession.
22 February 2009 Ljiljana M.
Today, after praying a novena for several days only, the blessed Ivan Merz has helped me very much in connection with a business. Now I am much happier and more at peace, thank God.
Zagreb, 16 March 2009 Seneseina
I thank the blessed Ivan Merz for granting my prayers so I got the mark I needed in a rather important test!
18 March 2009 Filip
I thank the blessed Ivan Merz for passing the exam and solving the accommodation problem.
Čapljina, 6 April 2009 Gordana Karlović
I and my wife were working, with a medium income. Our two children were studying at the university, and I took a loan to repair our ruined house, but my wife was soon made redundant. To make matters worse, the person for whom I was a guarantee was not paying off the loan. There was a danger of distress for a considerable amount. The children’s studies were not going well either. I regularly attended the holy mass of Sundays, and there I got information about our blessed man. I decided to pray to him. After daily prayers the following happened: my children graduated. One of them is already employed. The loan was eventually paid by the debtor, so there was no danger on that side. My prayers have borne fruit and this is why I am grateful to the blessed Ivan.
Vinkovci, 8 April 2009 N.N.
Thank you, blessed Ivan Merz for the graces received
Metković, 15 April 2009 Grateful and true admirer
After graduation I was not able to get a job for many months. At the end of February 2009 I went to a pilgrimage in Rome. At the Croatian pilgrims’ home named after the blessed Ivan Merz where we were lodged, I learned about the life and work of the blessed Ivan Merz. On my return to Zagreb I prayed a novena to the blessed Ivan and I got the job I had dreamt about. With this I want to thank and witness on the direct help of our blessed man. Blessed Ivan Merz, thank you very much for you have changed my life.
Zagreb, 17 April 2009 Martina Tirić
I got acquainted with the person and the work of the blessed Ivan Merz some ten years ago, at a Sunday mass in the Holy Family parish in Zagreb. But I first invoked his help in October 2008. Namely, in June 2008 I broke up a long relationship with my boyfriend I have been in love with since I was a child. Since I was not able to admit it was over, I prayed to the blessed Ivan Merz to help in the hard times with his intercession. After I finished the novena and prayed at his tomb, my love came back, stronger and more sincere than before the break-up.
After that my mother had to go for an operation to the Sisters of Mercy hospital in Zagreb, because a growth on her leg indicated a malignant tumour of the skin. Full of confidence and without fear I prayed the blessed Ivan to help me with his intercession. I prayed for the operation to pass without negative consequences for my mother, for the findings to be negative, and for my mother to love long after that. My prayer has been granted and the least I can do it to promote the person and the work of our holy man, and to sincerely and loudly witness the graces he has provided. Thank you.
Zagreb, 20 April 2009 Suzana Kovačić
I thank the blessed Ivan Merz for all the graces received. I will pray to him as long as I live. I paid for the mass to thank the blessed Ivan Merz, which was said last week. Since I am old and cannot go out, my grandchildren attended that mass. The blessed Ivan is indeed a holy man, and he has helped me very much so far. A hundred thanks to him for everything.
Sibinj, 22 April 2009 Grateful grandmother Anica Jandrilović
On this occasion I would like to share my heart’s joy with you. I am a student, and I was praying at the tomb of the blessed Ivan Merz to grant my wish and help me pass the exam in civil law. I was afraid, there was a lot to learn, but with God’s help and the help of the blessed Ivan Merz I passed the exam yesterday. Thank him from all my heart.
Zagreb, 23 April 2009 Ružica G.
I would like to thank the blessed Ivan for granting my prayers and helping me pass the exam in Latin, improve my biology mark and get a good mark in history. Once more, thank you very much and I trust in you!
4 June 2009 Filip
I am a father of four adult children. The health problems of my youngest son (aged 17) started in February 2008 when, following sudden and intensive pains, he was diagnosed with a nephrolith in one kidney, in the emergency service in Zagreb. The treatment started in several hospitals in Zagreb. The fear which overcame me after my son became ill and the uncertainty accompanying his treatment were the reason of worry and concern I could not cope with, and neither could the rest of my family.
He was diagnosed with hypercalcemia accompanied wih hypercalciuria with lowered values of PTH. The ultrasound examination found concrements in both kidneys. In June 2008 he had a relapse, nephrocholics, so he was recommended additional nephrological treatment. In the meantime he felt relatively well and bad at times, due to frequent attacks of pain. Since he successively developed kidney stones and painful attacks, he had treatments at the emergency department practically every two weeks. There were many control checks and additional immunological examinations. But the doctors had no answer about the reason of the metabolic disturbance which was manifested in the form of hypercalcemia. He was recommended the leading experts in Zagreb hospitals, all of them university professors. In their talk they suspected a hereditary disease ‘that cannot be treated and that he will have to cope with’, some of them tried to find a scientific answer and advice from colleagues in England and Sweden, but after all these efforts there was no answer or concrete help. We continued living in fear, uncertainty and worries. We were recommended a check-up for calcium in the blood every two weeks. The results were still bad.
And now the blessed Ivan Merz steps in. At the beginning of January, a priest, my former RI teacher who knew very much about the life of the blessed Ivan Merz, contacted me to fulfil and old promise to meet my family. He came on the very same day and stayed for a short time. After I told him about my son’s health, he recommended praying to the blessed Ivan Merz. We all accepted this and started praying a novena, each member in turn. I started the novena, and was followed by my wife, the two elder sons, then our daughter, and finally the youngest son. After the novenae my son continued with laboratory check-ups at a clinic in Zagreb. And the finding after the novenae was good. Everybody was pleased and thought about the new fact, but we did not comment it. Two weeks later we had another examination, and the finding was good again. And after the third check-up some twenty days later, the result was good. It is even more important that my son has had no trouble with kidney stones for three months. Peace and health came to our home with the intercession of the blessed man. Thank you, blessed Ivan Merz!
Zagreb, 6 June 2009 I.K.
I want to witness on various graces I have received from God by the intercession of the blessed Ivan Merz. I had terrible problems in every respect. He has helped me with various problems – marriage, financial, business. I sank below the bottom, but whatever I prayed for, he helped me. I even came from Switzerland to his tomb in Zagreb. Ivan, thank you from all my heart and help me and my family in the future.
Imotski, 3 July 2009. Helena Miličević-Galić
My novena to the blessed Ivan Merz has been granted! On the ninth day of the novena my son got a job! Blessed Ivan, thank you!
Koprivnički Ivanec, 4 July 2009 M.H.
I thank the blessed Ivan Merz for his help. I want to witness on the grace obtained by his intercession. We were very busy in the family, with a lot of commitments and a baby, and in order to keep his new job my husband had to prepare for an extensive and hard exam in a short time. This seemed practically impossible and incredible, but we prayed to the blessed Ivan Merz and – a miracle happened, the exam was passed! The blessed Ivan Merz is our powerful advocate with the Lord and a true heavenly friend!
5 July 2009 Grateful I.L.
I would like to thank the blessed Ivan for helping me pass an examination in Croatian and chemistry and finish the year without a makeup exam. Thank him very much. A month ago they detected high blood pressure, which would not be surprising if I was older and not only 17. I think this is probable due to the stress caused in school, but I still went for examinations and prayed to the blessed Ivan for good findings. He granted my prayers and I am grateful to him with all my heart. Blessed Ivan, thank you with all my heart!
Zagreb, 7 July 2009 N.N.
Blessed Ivan Merz, generous advocate with God! We thank your goodness for the numerous gifts we received, and please do not desert us ever, but guide and protect us on our way to our heavenly home.
Čapljina, 26.8.2009 V.N.
Dear blessed Ivan Merz, I would like to thank you for my son. G.V. was born sick, he had a lot of operations and with our faith in God and prayers to you we endured the many hours, days and nights; our faith has helped us to endure everything that has taken place so far. He will have to undergo many more operations, but with your help and protection we will be able to endure the things to come. Thank you for the strength on behalf of the whole family.
Bissingen, Germany, 30.8.2009
Mother Jolanda and grandmother Marija S.
In the year before the beatification of Ivan Merz I prayed ardently to him to help my daughter Irena recover from obesity. Immediately after Ivan Merz was beatified, 22 June 2003, my Irena became pregnant and, without medical help, recovered from the obesity, which had been troubling her for seven years. My granddaughter was born in March 2004. I thank for the graces received from the blessed Ivan Merz and the Pope John Paul the Second who will also be beatified soon.
B.Luka 2.9.2009 Vesna Z.
Jesus, thank you for granting my prayer through the blessed Ivan Merz. I had been trying to pass my final exam for over six months, but it did not work. I remembered the novena to the blessed Ivan Merz and started praying. And indeed, my prayer was granted and I have just passed the final exam. Thank you, dear Ivan Merz with all my heart!
V. Gorica 9.9.2009 Martina Ć.
Dear Jesus, thank you for granting my prayer and enabling me to enrol in university after a novena to the blessed Ivan Merz. Blessed Ivan, thank you.
Zagreb 14.9.2009 Jelena
Some time ago a priest brought a statue of the blessed Ivan Merz to the church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I often prayed in front of the statue because I was supposed to go to hospital for an operation of a big wart. One day while I was praying in the church, the wart fell off by itself. And so the operation was not necessary! Please include this testimony for the grace obtained by the intercession of the blessed Ivan Merz, and I thank him publicly.
Opatija 15.9.2009 Marija D.
I thank the blessed Ivan Merz on whose tomb I prayed, for the numerous graces and help he has provided in the difficult family problems I had during last years. I especially thank him for the conversion of my father-in-law for whom I had prayed ardently. A miracle happened, the day before his death a priest visited him in the hospital, he had a confession and thus, reconciled with God, he departed to the other world. God is constantly granting my prayers by the intercession of the blessed Ivan Merz because I keep praying, and he gives me strength in the greatest of trials.
Kloštar Ivanić 1.10.2009 N.Lj.
I would like to inform the blessed Ivan Merz Postulature and his admirers on the miraculous granting by the intercession of the blessed man. My name is Tom. I have a girlfriend. However, she is seriously ill and has been in hospital for over a year; she has a rare but serious disease. As time passed, her condition got worse. Until about a year ago I was not too religious, but since she went to hospital I found consolation in prayer and in God, and if I had not done that I would have ended up in a psychiatric department. And then one morning I got a phone call, saying my girlfriend had fallen into a coma. ..My world collapsed, I had no consolation, I lost a lot of weight in a month…I experienced hell on earth, my life had no sense!!
So one evening I was looking for prayers on the Internet…And just by chance I happened to find testimonies of people who had prayed a novena to the blessed Ivan Merz, so I decided to find it too. When I found it on the blessed Ivan’s web site I decided to pray because I had no more consolation, I was psychically exhausted, at the brink of despair. All this time my girlfriend was in a coma for over two months, and the doctors were not promising anything, all they said was: we have to wait!!!
I prayed the novena to the blessed Ivan Merz and a miracle happened. I finished the novena on a Thursday. And on the Friday, the day after I finished the novena, about 9 in the evening, there was a shock: I got a phone call saying my girlfriend had woken up from the coma! There was no end to my happiness, there was no end to my thanks to the blessed Ivan….for a miracle had really happened!!!
I keep praying novenae to the blessed Ivan because I believe in his intercession and in his grantings, because my girlfriend and I still need them in our struggle.
All glory and thanks to you blessed Ivan because you have helped us with your intercession! I had an urge to witness to that. When my girlfriend completely recovers I will take her to your church to pray together and to thank you.
Osijek, 26.10.2009 Tom
The problem which had been bothering me a lot for two years was impossible love. I was not able to find peace and get detached, although I knew in my heart it was not good for me. I was overcome by great sadness and melancholy. One day I happened to find a novena to the blessed Ivan Merz and after some time I started to pray for his intercession. In the very first days I felt great relief and warmth, as if someone was close by me, supporting me. I felt great pleasure. After several days my great grief about love seemed to have disappeared, as if it had never existed. I tried to look at the world from the bright side and I feel much better. The blessed Ivan is a real saint. He simply knew my greatest problem was the sadness that had been destroying me for two years and helped me to get detached. I feel healed, as if woken from a bad dream. Blessed Ivan, thank you! I recommend myself to your intercession in the future.
Rijeka 7.11.2009 Ana
Luca B. thanks the blessed Ivan Merz to whom she had prayed for her grandson S. and her prayers have been granted.
Zagreb, 11.11. 2009
Thanks to the blessed Ivan Merz I have passed the state exam. Thank you with all my heart, dear Ivan!
Zabok, 12.11.2009 Nikolina
Thank you blessed Ivan fro granting my prayer for my husband. He failed an exam five times. I found a novena of the blessed Ivan and prayed for help. And my husband passed the important exam. Thank you, blessed Ivan, I will continue praying to you because you are God’s favourite in heaven. Thank Jesus and Mary!
20.11.2009 Marina
With the crisis our family became very worried because our business was facing greater problems every day. This was not just a problem for our family, a greater problem was because many people and their families depend on our business. One day a new priest preached a sermon in our church. The sermon was on the life of the blessed Ivan Merz. After the sermon we were able to touch his relic. During this, our thoughts were focussed on the welfare of the family and getting out of crisis. After some time our business improved every day, and an even greater miracle was that we had results that we had never had in better times, and all our claims that we had nearly written off had been paid as if ordered by someone. And our family increased, which made us very happy. Our prayers were granted even more than we had dared to ask. We visited the church with the tomb of the blessed Ivan Merz, had confession and thanked for everything. This experience was an incentive to do good deeds and help those in need.
23.11.2009 Velimir
My fiancée and I were preparing for our wedding but some unbridgeable obstacles appeared. I started praying a novena to the blessed Ivan Merz to intercede with God to remove the obstacles. I prayed full of confidence and hope for the blessed Merz’s intercession to overcome the obstacles, fears and doubts that both of us had in ourselves. On the ninth day of the novena my fiancée informed me that the obstacle had been removed and that we would be able to have the wedding as planned. All the obstacles (where we were going to live, how we would cope after leaving the safety of our parental homes) had suddenly disappeared; all that due to the powerful intercession of the blessed Ivan whose tomb we visited during the novena. This was the first time in my life that I needed concrete help from the heaven, and I received it amply. I am happy because after the wedding my wife and I continue praying novenae to the blessed Ivan Merz every evening because there are still enough needs. Thank you, blessed Ivan!
Zagreb, 4.12.2009. Jozo B.
Thanks to the intercession of the blessed Ivan Merz, on the sixth day of the novena I got a job in the firm where I had done many jobs and where I applied for the first time after graduation, and I started working on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (8 September 2009). Although this was not a job in my profession, by praying novenae I soon got a job in my profession (at the end of November), which I was offered by the Divine Providence just in the same firm. My prayers were granted in other needs and I definitely feel the help of the blessed Ivan and many graces in small and greater problems and strains. During each novena I try to visit his tome in the Sacred Heart Basilica at least once, go to confession and communion, and propagate his prayers whenever possible, and I recommend this to all imploring his intercession. God is great and he gives us many graces through his faithful servants, our worthy advocates in heaven, like the blessed Ivan Merz.
Zagreb, 16.12.2009 Ivana D.
I am glad to inform you that my prayers (novenae) to the blessed Ivan Merz have been granted. With my life savings I bought premises of 10 square metres hoping that renting them would assist my little pension. I was very unhappy I was not able to rent it, and also had to pay for the maintenance. Several weeks ago there was a priest at Stubičke Toplice who spoke about the blessed Ivan Merz. I bought the ‘Ivan Merz novena’ and started praying. On the seventh day of the novena a man answered my ad and wanted to rent the premises. He came to have a look at the premises with his wife and as soon as he saw them he said: “This is just what we have been looking for – small area – small rent”. I couldn’t believe my ears when he called me to sign the leasing contract. This happened two days after I had finished the novena. I am sure that our tenant had been found by the blessed Ivan Merz; it was him and no one else. A miracle had happened.
As long as I am alive I will pray to him and thank him. I will pray for his speedy beatification. I would like this letter to be a proof that the blessed Ivan works miracles and that this should be a contribution to his beatification.
Stubičke Toplice, 19.12.2009. H. Zrinski
I thank the blessed Ivan Merz for his intercession and the Divine grace for finding a new job. I consider this a great success at this time of crisis in our country and this part of the world. Thank you, Christ’s Eagle!
Zaprešić, 20.12.2009 N.
The blessed Ivan Merz has granted my prayers and always helps me, so I am eternally grateful and will pray to him as long as I live. Thank you blessed Ivan for all the graces I have received!
Jastrebarsko, 21.12.2009. Desdemona Č.
I am immensely grateful to the blessed Ivan Merz for helping me pass a very important test and for all the good things I have had this year thanks to his intercession. Blessed Ivan, thanks again for always being with me!
Zagreb, 30 December 2009 Filip
Thank you Christ’s Eagle for taking me toward the Sun. You are my witness, my ideal, protector and companion.
31.12.2009 N.K.
Blessed Ivan, thank you very much for everything. Continue providing your help in the future.
31.12.2009 M.V.
Blessed Ivan, thank you for the serenity you give me in life troubles, for your support and intercession! Thank you for healing my heart. I recommend myself to your support in the future.
Ana