Blessed Franz Jägerstätter

Today we celebrate the feast day of Bl. Franz who rejected fighting for his country as a Nazi solider, because of how bad the Nazis were. Due to the fact that he refused to fight he was killed. Bl. Franz was a husband and a father of three daughters Rosalie, Marie and Aloisia.

Bl. Franz was born on May 20, 1907 in St. Radegund which was located in Upper Austria. During WW1, Bl. Franz lost his father and he was later adopted after Heinrich Jägerstätter married Rosalia Huber.

When Bl. Franz was young, he loved to ride his motorcycle and he was also the natural leader of a gang whose members were arrested during the year 1934 for brawling. Bl. Franz also worked for three years in the mines in another city and then returned later to St. Radegund, where he was able to become a farmer, and marry Franziska. Bl. Franz also started to live his faith with quiet but intense conviction.

During the year 1938, Bl. Franz had chose to publicly opposed the German Anschluss--annexation--of Austria. Later on, he was eventually drafted into the Austrian army, and he decided to train for around seven months and then he had received a deferment.

During the year 1940, Bl. Franz was later called up again however, he was allowed to return home at the request of the town’s mayor. Bl. Franz was extremely active between October during the year 1940 and April during the year 1941, however, he was later again deferred. His pastor, some other priests, and the bishop of Linz told him not to refuse to serve if he was drafted.

During the month of February during the year 1943, Bl. Franz was called up again and he was reported to army officials in Enns, Austria. However, when he was told to take an oath of loyalty to Hitler he decided to refuse to take the oath, and he was imprisoned in Linz. Later on Bl. Franz decided to volunteer to serve in the medical corps but he was not assigned there.

During Holy Week Bl. Franz wrote a very beautiful letter to his wife: “Easter is coming and, if it should be God’s will that we can never again in this world celebrate Easter together in our intimate family circle, we can still look ahead in the happy confidence that, when the eternal Easter morning dawns, no one in our family circle shall be missing—so we can then be permitted to rejoice together forever.” Bl. Franz was later transferred in May to a prison in Berlin.

Eventually Bl. Franz started to become challenged by his attorney and his attorney kept telling him that other Catholics were serving in the army, however, Franz responded, “I can only act on my own conscience. I do not judge anyone. I can only judge myself.” He continued, “I have considered my family. I have prayed and put myself and my family in God’s hands. I know that, if I do what I think God wants me to do, he will take care of my family.”

Later on August 8, 1943, Bl. Franz wrote another powerful letter to Fransizka: “Dear wife and mother, I thank you once more from my heart for everything that you have done for me in my lifetime, for all the sacrifices that you have borne for me. I beg you to forgive me if I have hurt or offended you, just as I have forgiven everything…My heartfelt greetings for my dear children. I will surely beg the dear God, if I am permitted to enter heaven soon, that he will set aside a little place in heaven for all of you.”

Bl. Franz was beheaded on August 9, 1943 and he was later cremated.

During the year 1946, his ashes were reburied in St. Radegund near a very nice memorial that was marked with his name and the names of over 60 village men who had died during their military service.

Bl. Franz was later beatified in Linz on October 26, 2007. His “spiritual testament” is now in Rome’s St. Bartholomew Church as part of a shrine to 20th-century martyrs for their faith.

Bl. Franz feast day is celebrated on June 7.

Prayer to Bl. Franz

Bl. Franz intercede that we may be able to focus our attention and devotion on The Lord alone and not what other Catholics are doing around us. Help us to only seek to please The Lord and help us to strive to be like him. In difficult moments help us to have trust in The Lord and help us to trust in The Lord during moments of doubt or pain.

Amen

St. Franz pray for us

St. Joseph pray for us

May we continue to strengthen our journey to sainthood and keep others in our prayers.

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Works Cited

Information (read from, not taken):

Franciscan Media. "Blessed Franz Jägerstätter. ”Blessed Franz Jägerstätter | Franciscan Media. Accessed 7, June 2021.

Images:

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter. June 7, 2021. Blessed Franz Jägerstätter - Google Search.