20 August: Blessed Georg Häfner (devotional use only)
August 20
BLESSED GEORG HÄFNER
Priest and Martyr
Memorial, Diocese of Würzburg
Blessed Georg Häfner was born in Würzburg on 19 October 1900, studied theology in his hometown, and was ordained a priest on 13 April 1924. Through his connection with the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Würzburg, he joined the Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OCDS), as it was then known, on 11 January 1920 under the name “Aloysius of the Blessed Sacrament.” In November 1934, he became the pastor in Oberschwarzach and soon clashed with the ruling Nazi regime. Arrested on 31 October 1941, he was taken to the Dachau concentration camp on 12 December 1941, where he died of starvation on 20 August 1942 after being mistreated and tortured. He was beatified on 15 May 2011 in the Cathedral of Würzburg. His inner strength in the face of inhuman cruelty is particularly expressed in his words: “We do not want to curse anyone, we do not want to bear a grudge against anyone; we want to be good to everyone.” Let us ask the Lord to give us the strength to live by this motto.
For reflection:
Dear Parents!
It is God’s will that I continue on the Way of the Cross. On Thursday, I will most likely be sent to Dachau. Please don’t worry too much about this. Nothing happens without God’s will.
I was very happy, dear Father, that you visited me today. You held up bravely, and your cross, your blessing, which you pressed on my forehead in the name of our dear mother, will not be in vain; I rely on that; for it is written in the Holy Scripture: “A father’s blessing builds a house for his children.” It upset me more that I could hardly utter a word.
In closing, I wanted to say: I hope that the time will come soon when I can once more call you father and mother. Forgive me for anything that has hurt you and caused you concern. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, a thousand times over, for allowing me to become a priest, even though you now have to bear the cross together with your priestly son. We bear it together patiently, and that gives me special strength and comfort. I bear it, and you help me with your prayers, your patience, your trust in God, and your submission to His will.
We do not want to curse anyone, we do not want to bear a grudge against anyone; we want to be good to everyone.
Blessed Georg Häfner
Letter dated December 9, 1941, from the prison in Würzburg
Prayer I
Almighty God,
in the life and work of the priest, Blessed Georg Häfner,
you have given the Church a witness to your mercy
and accepted his sacrifice of life in captivity
as his testimony of faith.
Through his example, may we recognize
the redeeming love of your Son, love you and others,
and especially forgive our enemies.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Prayer II
Almighty God,
you chose the priest and martyr, Blessed Georg Häfner,
to be a witness to your mercy
and accepted his sacrifice of life in captivity;
through his example, may we recognize the love of the Redeemer,
love you and others, and especially forgive our enemies.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Approbatum Imprimatur
Wurzburg, 1. March 2011
+ Friedhelm Hofmann
Bishop of Wurzburg
Nota bene: Working translation only; please consult the original texts
Blessed George Häfner’s booking photo taken by the Wurzburg Gestapo
Photo credit: Würzburg Diocese Translation from the German text is the blogger’s own work product.
Featured image: Blessed Georg Häfner frequently served Holy Mass at the Discalced Carmelite nuns’ Gate of Heaven Monastery in Würzburg. In this photo, he is seen with other altar servers outside the monastery doors. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites (By permission).
#Dachau #DiscalcedCarmeliteSecularOrder #GeorgHäfner #Liturgy #martyr #priest #Würzburg
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