ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN OCTOBER
Saints celebrated on the 4th of October
WELCOME!
JOSEF ENGLING, SEMINARIAN
On January 5, 1898, Josef Engling was born as one of seven children of August Engling, tailor, in the Catholic parish of Prossitten, Rößel district in Warmia/East Prussia.
His desire to become a missionary in Cameroon must have arisen in 1912. The Pallottines run the Catholic mission in the then German colony of Cameroon since 1890, founded the "Mission House" in Limburg in 1892 and set up schools to educate boys in Ehrenbreitstein in 1893 and in Vallendar in 1901. Via subscription, Joseph's parents regularly received the "Star of Africa" (Stern von Afrika) and the "Rosary" (Rosenkranz) publications. Josef's connection to the Pallottines was established through their missionary magazines.
Towards the end of his eight years of schooling, he took Latin lessons from his priest. He then turned to the provincial superior in Limburg. In his application for membership, Joseph stated that he wanted to become a priest and take part in spreading the faith. The application to the Pallottines was successful. They had just built the new study centre in Vallendar-Schoenstatt and thus significantly expanded their capacity for training mission students. Josef was scheduled to attend the opening of the study centre on September 29, 1912. The father accompanied his son on the long train journey from East Prussia to the Rhineland, and thus the now fourteen-year-old came to the Pallottine study centre in Vallendar near Koblenz to attend high school and prepare for the priesthood. There, as Sodale and Prefect of the Marian Congregation, under the guidance of the spiritual Father Josef Kentenich, he experienced a deeper bond with the Blessed Mother Mary, whom he called his “dear little mother”.
In 1916, at the age of 18, he was called up for military service in the First World War and had to interrupt his studies.
During his time as a soldier, he kept a spiritual diary that reflected his religious and character development. Josef Engling tried to give concrete form to his faith even in the harsh reality of fighting at the front by surrendering his life entirely to God and the Blessed Mother Mary.
On June 3, 1918, he formally offered his life to the Mother of God “for the tasks that you have set for our congregation.” Because of his striving for holiness, which is seen as heroic in the community, and his struggle for self-education and apostolate, Josef Engeling is viewed as a “role model and patron” in the Schoenstatt movement.
Josef went to his eternal reward on October 5, 1918 when he was killed in the 4th Company/Res.-Inf.-Rgt. No. 25 on the battlefield near Cambrai. He is probably buried in the German military cemetery on the outskirts of Cambrai.
Josef Engeling's importance for the reconciliation of former war opponents are particularly emphasized in France. Efforts for beatification are underway.
Sources:
https://www.schoenstatt.org/en/tag/joseph-engling/
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Engling
https://www.pallottiner.org/publikationen/josef_engling/8/
Comments
Post a Comment