Marica Stanković
[2] She studied Croatian language and history at the Higher Pedagogical Academy (today Faculty of Teacher Education) in Zagreb.
At the general gathering in Šibenik, the Association of Croatian Female Eagles was founded, and Marica joined the first committee as an educational officer.
[1] In 1926, she became the editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine Za vjeru i dom (hr) of the Congregation of Teachers in Zagreb, a position she held until 1945.
[1] At the pilgrimage of the Association of Croatian Female Eagles' members in Rome in 1926, she visited lay institute Opera Cardinal Ferrari where she got to know the principles and activities of the Catholic Action.
[1] That year, by the degree of the Alexander I, all gymnastics societies were abolished, except for the pro-regime Yugoslav Falcon (Sokol), and so were Croatian male (HOS) and female Eagles (SHO).
[1] In 1938, she participates with six female colleagues in the Crusaders' workshop and eight-day spiritual exercies in Banja Luka on the occasion the 10th anniversary of Merz's death.
[6] On 2 June 1945, new communist authorities convened a gathering of educators in the hall of the Chamber of Workers in Zagreb, led by Marko Belinić and with around 2500 participants.
[10] Along with teacher Marija Grgić, Stanković was the only one who stood up to defend archbishop Stepinac:[10] I protest on behalf of the Catholic public against such slander.
Such slander against the one who thundered from the pulpit against those who persecuted the Jews and the Orthodox, who converted his flower garden into a shelter for children whose parents were dragged to the camps, who admonishes the Catholics of the city of Zagreb to go to Jerome's Hall to collect the children of the persecuted and shelter them in their houses, that death may not overtake them.
[11] To the accusations of collaboration with the "enemy of the people", she replied:[12] I strongly deny that the Crusadership was any form of Ustasha activity.
After her address was interrupted, she concluded her defense with the following words:[12] When I can't say everything I want, I end with those slogans that I have served all my life: 'Long live Christ the King!
She wrote memories on her prison days in a book Godine teške i bolne ("Difficult and painful years"), published posthumously.
No one can stifle her growth..." While she was still in prison, on May 18, 1951, the Congregation of monks distributed their "let it be founded" to her at the hands of the ordinary sede impedíto Salis-Seewis.
[1] She devoted herself to harmonizing the organization's Rules with the guidelines of the Holy See's documents on the lay institutes Provida Mater Ecclesia and Primo Feliciter.
Ivan Kozelj said:[15] With Marica, a great, bright, above all unusually strong and rich character of a Christian girl and woman, such as one rarely meets in life, disappears among us...
Her life is built up, deeply woven and inextricably linked to the most beautiful and fruitful happened in Croatian Catholicism in the last half century...
She remained heroically faithful to Him even in suffering and carrying the cross!Even before the start of the official procedure, cardinal Franjo Kuharić proclaimed her publicly as a Servant of God.
[9] Since 2008, postulature publishes a magazine Poruka vedrine (hr) about Stanković's life and work and with news on her beatification procedure.
