U radu se na osnovi arhivske građe, periodike i relevantne literature nastoji dati odgovor na istraživačko pitanje jesu li župnici poticali modernizaciju u Hrvatskoj u drugoj polovici 19. stoljeća. Na tom se tragu razmatra djelatnost župnika Ivana Nepomuka Jagića. Radi se župniku Župe sv. Šimuna i Jude Tadeja u Markuševcu, koji je ostavio značajan trag posebice na području obrazovanja i gospodarstva, ali i kao saborski zastupnik. On the basis of archival material, periodicals and relevant literature, the paper tries to answer the research question whether parish priests encouraged modernization in Croatia in the second half of the 19th century. Along these lines, the activities of parish priest Ivan Nepomuk Jagić are being considered. We are talking about the parish priest of the Parish of St. Simon and Jude Thaddeus at Markuševac, who left a significant mark especially in the field of education and economy, but also as a member of parliament.