![]() ![]() Ongoing spiritual development, aided by his profession as a Third Order Franciscan in 1940, strengthened Blessed Franz in his commitment to resist the project of the Nazis. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein). 9, 1943 - exactly one year after the death of another Holocaust martyr, St. What ensued for him was a path of resistance, grounded in his Catholic faith, that ultimately ended at his death in a Nazi prison on Aug. The thoughtfulness with which Blessed Franz appropriated the Faith is what would go on to prove the strength of his character and virtue.Ī few years after his marriage to Franziska, Blessed Franz was disturbed by the fact that everyone in his village supported Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria. The fact that Franz had more than a superficial attachment to his faith - that he was a dedicated and conscientious Catholic - was appealing to the young Franziska, who also previously had considered religious life. He once commented to his wife, “I could have never imagined that being married could be so wonderful.” As Franziska would later comment: “We helped one another go forward in faith.” Blessed Franz and his wife were incredibly happy in marriage. The couple desired to help each other grow in the practice of their religion. Blessed Franz and Franziska married in 1936 and raised a family of three daughters together on the farm he inherited from his foster father. By the time he met his future wife, he already had given serious consideration to entrance at a monastery. The experience seems to have awakened Blessed Franz’s faith. A few years later, after Blessed Franz was married with children of his own, he offered to adopt the girl, although her mother declined the offer. He took responsibility, to the extent the girl’s mother allowed, maintaining a relationship with her and providing other means of support. Other than going to church when expected, no one in his circle of friends or family would have thought he was on the path to sainthood.Īlthough he was not to raise Hildegard, he did not abandon her. Beyond his promiscuity, Blessed Franz was not afraid to settle disagreements with a fistfight. It seems that many regarded Blessed Franz as something of a free spirit in his young adulthood. Yet Blessed Franz would go on to stand up as a witness to the Gospel in such a way that caused his death - recognized as a martyr in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. Born an illegitimate child in 1907, he also fathered an illegitimate daughter, Hildegard, in 1933. Blessed Franz Jägerstätter’s story illustrates that faith can take root and become one’s guiding principle despite the irregularity of one’s background. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |