Bruder Konrad, Bronzeskulptur von Hubert Weber, St.-Konrad-Kirche Hof
Saint Conrad de Parzham
Frère capucin (+ 1894)
Confesseur.
Jusqu'à l'âge de trente
ans, il travailla avec ses parents dans leur ferme de Porzham en Basse-Bavière.
Puis il alla se présenter au couvent des Capucins qui desservaient le célèbre
sanctuaire marial de Notre-Dame d'Altötting. Ils le reçurent comme frère convers
ou laïc vivant au monastère. Ils firent de lui le portier du couvent pendant 44
ans, accueillant avec sourire et patience fournisseurs, visiteurs et pèlerins.
Beaucoup de religieux et de religieuses reconnurent qu'ils devaient leur
vocation grâce à quelques-unes des paroles tombées de ses lèvres quand ils
venaient en pèlerins ou en commerçants. Un bénédictin curieux a calculé qu'en
raison de quarante coups de sonnettes par jour, saint Conrad dut accomplir près
de 500.000 actes de vertu dans sa vie d'accueil.
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/1014/Saint-Conrad-de-Porzham.html
San Corrado Birndorfer da Parzham
Die
ehemalige Klosterkirche Mariä Himmelfahrt in Pielenhofen wird heute als
Pfarrkirche genutzt
Sources principales : alexandrina.balasar.free.fr ; wikipédia.org (« Rév. x gpm
»).
©Evangelizo.org 2001-2016
SOURCE : http://levangileauquotidien.org/main.php?language=FR&module=saintfeast&id=3506&fd=0
Châsse
de Saint Conrad de Parzham,
Bruder
Konrad-Kirche Altötting (Landkreis Altötting, Oberbayern)
CONRAD DE PARZHAM
Capucin, Saint
1818-1894
Né le 22 décembre 1818 à
Venushof de Parzham, près de Passau en Bavière, Jean Birndorfer, dernier d' une
fratrie de douze enfants, vécut une jeunesse simple, aimant la nature en aidant
ses parents, de pieux cultivateurs bavarois.
Orphelin à seize ans, il
tenta par la suite de poursuivre des études au monastère bénédictin de
Deggendorf à Metten, participant avec les moines aux travaux agricoles. Il
vivait dans un pays qui conservait ses traditions populaires, profondément
chrétiennes. Il était robuste et droit.
A 23 ans, il entra dans
le Tiers-Ordre franciscain. Il était spécialement dévoué à son rosaire et
assistait à la messe quotidienne. Il aurait pu continuer à vivre une vie
heureuse et paysanne ; mais à 31 ans refusant le mariage, cet homme distribua
sa part d'héritage à ses frères et à diverses institutions religieuses. Il
entra chez les Capucins de Sainte-Anne d'Altötting. Il fit son noviciat à
Laufen. Ensuite il devint jardinier du couvent et fit sa profession en 1852,
sous le nom de Conrad.
Devenu portier du Couvent
d' Altötting, toujours calme et patient, le Frère Conrad, heureux de vivre dans
ce sanctuaire marial, menait une vie humble et recueillie. Sa dévotion à Notre
Dame et ses conseils furent bientôt connus de la population locale qui se pressait
aux portes du couvent. Sa réputation dans toute la Basse-Bavière se développa à
une époque, où eut lieu un réveil du Catholicisme bavarois. Craignant de perdre
son autonomie, face aux puissances protestantes (la Prusse), la Bavière puisait
aux sources de la tradition catholique, dans un mouvement de charité et de
dévotions populaires. Cet élan de piété allait de pair avec une prospérité
grandissante. Notre époque, où les richesses matérielles détournent souvent de
la Foi, est bien différente de celle du royaume bavarois d' alors...
Mais il existait bien sûr
des souffrances matérielles et morales que le Frère Conrad tentait de soulager
avec patience et ténacité, sous le regard de la Vierge...Il avait mission de
distribuer aux pauvres les produits agricoles et le pain du couvent et bien sûr
de la bière, brassée au couvent, qu'il voulait légère. Il accueillait
d'incessants groupes de pèlerins. De nombreuses conversions eurent lieu aussi.
Il collabora aussi à
l'œuvre du "Liebeswerk" destinée à l'enfance abandonnée.
C'est ainsi que se
déroula une vie simple dédiée aux humbles travaux. Le 18 avril 1894, se sentant
fatigué, il se coucha pour se préparer dit-il à l'éternité... Il rendit
son âme le 21 avril.
Il fut béatifié par Pie
XI en 1930 et canonisé quatre ans plus tard.
SOURCE : http://nouvl.evangelisation.free.fr/conrad_de_parzham.htm
The
main church of St. Jodok am Brenner (Tyrol, Austria) - stained glass window
showing St.Konrad
Pfarrkirche
St. Jodok am Brenner
Also
known as
Conrad Birndorfer
Hansel Birndorfer
Johann Birndorfer
Johannes Birndorfer
John Birndorfer
Corrado Giovanni
Evangelista Birndorfer da Parzham
Konrad…
Profile
Youngest of nine children born
to a farming family
in a region recovering from the Napoleonic wars. His mother died when
he was 14. Devoted from an early age to solitary prayer and
peacemaking, he was a familiar site at all the churches and shrines in
his region, often waiting at the door at sunrise for first Mass.
Capuchin tertiary at
age 31; Capuchin novice at
age 33, taking the name Conrad. Assigned to the shrine of Our
Lady of Altotting. For more than 40 years Conrad was a porter,
admitting people to the friary, obtaining supplies, dispensing alms,
encouraging all to open themselves to God, and
generally assisting the thousands who came to the friary on pilgrimages.
Worked with local children, teaching them
the faith and
practices, and supported charities for
them. Noted for the gifts of prophesy and of reading people’s hearts.
Three days before
his death he
realized he could no longer perform his duties, and relinquished the position;
he then celebrated Mass, and
took to his sick bed
for the last time. Local children whom
he had taught the rosary recited
it outside his window until the end.
Born
22
December 1818 at
Parzham, Bavaria, Germany as Johann
Birndorfer
21 April 1894 in
Altötting, Bavaria, Germany of
natural causes
15 August 1928 by Pope Pius XI (decree
of heroic justice)
Capuchin-Franciscan
Province of Mid-America
Passau, Germany, diocese of
(since 1984)
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
The
Holiness of the Church in the 19th Century
Saint
Conrad of Parzham, God’s Doorkeeper, by Father Aloysius,
O.M.Cap.
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
Capuchin Province of Mid
America
images
video
webseiten
auf deutsch
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
fonti
in italiano
Dicastero delle Cause dei Santi
Provincia Serafica dell’ Umbria dei Frati Minori Cappuccini
nettsteder
i norsk
Readings
It was God’s will that I
should leave everything that was near and dear to me. I thank him for having
called me to religious life where I have found such peace and joy as I could
never have found in the world. My plan of life is chiefly this: to love and
suffer, always meditating upon, adoring and admiring God’s unspeakable love for
his lowliest creatures. – letter of Saint Conrad
I resolve in the first
place to remain continually in the presence of God and to ask myself frequently
if I would do this or that if my confessor or
superior were watching me and especially if God and my guardian angel were
present.
I resolve to ask myself,
whenever I have to encounter crosses of suffering, “Conrad, why have you come
here?”
I resolve to avoid
leaving the friary, as far as possible unless it be out of love for my
neighbor, obedience, reasons of health, a pious pilgrimage or some other good
cause.
I resolve to foster
fraternal charity in myself and in others. Therefore I resolve to take care
never to say an unkind word. I resolve to bear up patiently with the defects
and weaknesses of others, and as far as possible to hide them with the mantle
of charity unless I am in duty bound to manifest them to someone who is in a
position to correct them.
I resolve to observe
silence conscientiously. I resolve to speak briefly and so avoid many pitfalls
and be better able to converse with God.
When at table I resolve
to place myself in the presence of God as far as I can, to remain recollected
and to pass up my favorite dishes so as to practice a hidden form of
mortification. I resolve not to eat between meals unless ordered to do so under
obedience.
I resolve to answer the
first call of the bell unless
legitimately hindered.
I resolve to avoid, as
far as possible, conversing with the opposite sex unless obedience imposes
duties on me which make it necessary to speak with women. In that case I
resolve to be very reserved and maintain custody of the eyes.
I resolve to carry out
orders punctually and to the letter. I resolve especially to make every effort
to conquer my own will in all things.
I resolve to force myself
to pay close attention to minor details and as far as possible avoid every
imperfection. I resolve to observe the holy rule faithfully and not to depart
from it a hairsbreadth, come what may.
I resolve to cultivate a
deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and strive to imitate her virtues.
– resulutions of Saint Conrad
at the time of his novitiate
I have come to spend a
few moments with Thee, O Jesus, and in spirit I prostrate myself in the dust
before Thy Holy Tabernacle to adore Thee, my Lord and God, in deepest humiliy.
Once more a day has come to its close, dear Jesus, another day which brings me
nearer to the grave and my beloved heavenly home. Once more, O Jesus, my heart longs
for Thee, the true Bread of Life, which containes all sweetness and relish. O
my Jesus, mercifully grant me pardon for the faults and ingratitutde of this
day, and come to me to refresh my poor heart which longs for Thee. As the heart
pants for the waters, as the parched earth longs for the dew of heaven, even so
does my poor heart long for Thee, Thou Fount of Life. I love Thee, O Jesus, I
hope in Thee, I love Thee, and out of love for Thee I regret sincerely all my
sins. May Thy peace and Thy benediction be mine now and always and for all
eternity. Amen. – a spiritual communion by Saint Conrad
MLA
Citation
“Saint Conrad of
Parzham“. CatholicSaints.Info. 20 April 2024. Web. 21 April 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-conrad-of-parzham/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-conrad-of-parzham/
_rechter_Seitenaltar_1.jpg)
San Corrado Birndorfer da Parzham
Maria Heimsuchung (München) rechter Seitenaltar
_rechter_Seitenaltar_2.jpg)
San Corrado Birndorfer da Parzham
Maria Heimsuchung (München) rechter Seitenaltar
St Conrad of Parzham
Feast Day– April 22
St Conrad of Parzham,
whose baptismal name was John, was the son of the devout and honest couple
George Birndorfer and Gertrude Niedermayer. He was born on a farm near the town
of Parzham in Bavaria in the year 1818.
From his earliest years,
St Conrad of Parzham gave indications of his future sanctity by his modesty and
love of solitude. The fervor of his devotion was noticeable especially when he
prayed in church, the distant location of which was no hindrance to his
visiting it frequently even in inclement weather.
St Conrad of Parzham was
inflamed with great love for the Blessed Virgin, and each day fervently recited
the rosary. On feast days he frequently made a journey to some remote shrine of
the Mother of God. During such pilgrimages, always made on foot, he was
constantly engaged in prayer, and when he returned in the evening, he was
usually still fasting.
Having spent his youthful
years on the farm, closely united to God by means of interior union with Him,
St Conrad of Parzham decided at the age of 31 to bid farewell to the world.
After disposing of a very large inheritance, he received permission to be
admitted as a lay brother among the Capuchins.
Immediately after his
profession he was sent to the convent of St. Anne in the city of Altoetting.
This place is particularly renowned among all others in Germany for its shrine
of the Mother of Mercy, and hundreds, even thousands of the faithful come there
daily. Because of the great concourse of people in this city, the duty of the
porter at the friary is a very difficult one.
As soon as he arrived,
this charge was given to Conrad, who retained it until his death. Diligent at
his work, sparing in words, bountiful to the poor, eager and ready to receive
and help strangers, Brother Conrad calmly fulfilled the task of porter for more
than 40 years, during which time he greatly benefited the inhabitants of the
city as well as strangers in all their needs of body and soul.
Among the virtues he
practiced, he loved silence in a special way. His spare moments during the day
were spent in a nook near the door where it was possible for him to see and
adore the Blessed Eucharist. During the night he would deprive himself of
several hours of sleep, to devote the time to prayer either in the oratory of
the brothers or in the church. Indeed, it was quite generally believed that he
never took any rest, but continually occupied himself in work and exercises of
devotion.
On a certain feast day,
when he had ministered to a large number of pilgrims, he felt his strength
leaving him. He was obliged to manifest his weakness to his superior. Obedience
sent him to bed. Only three days later, little children, to whom the news of
Conrad's sickness had not been given lest they be overly saddened, gathered as
by instinct around the friary, reciting the rosary.
As Blessed Father Francis
had died to the music of the birds he loved, so his son died with the voices of
the children, these lovely creatures of God, ringing in his ears.
On April 21, 1894, the
Capuchin porter heard the sound of the Bell for which he had so patiently
waited. For the last time he ran to the Door. But this time the Door was
literally his Christ.
His heroic virtues and
the miracles he performed won for him the distinction to be ranked among the
Blessed by Pope Pius XI in the year 1930. Four years later, the same pope,
approving additional miracles which had been performed, solemnly inscribed his name
in the list of saints.
*from: The Franciscan
Book of Saints, ed. by Marion Habig, ofm.
SOURCE : http://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/st-conrad-of-parzham.html
Hauzenberg
( Niederbayern ). Pfarrkirche St. Vitus - Gotische Apsis ( 15.Jhdt. ): Buntglasfenster
( 1934 ) - Heiliger Konrad.
Hauzenberg
( Niederbayern ). Saint Vitus parish church - Gothic apse ( 15th century ):
Stained glass windows ( 1934 ) - Saint Konrad
Conrad of Parzham, OFM
Cap. (AC)
Born in Parzham (near
Passau), Bavaria, Germany, December 12, 1818; died April 21, 1894; beatified in
1930; canonized in 1934. John Birndorfer, as he was known in the world,
belonged to those reflective peasant souls who are led by their work with
nature almost automatically to preoccupation with the supernatural. For him to
be alone in the fields was to be alone with God.
When at the age of 31, he
realized that God was calling him to a monastic life, he left Parzham,
renounced his prosperous farm, and joined the Capuchins as a lay brother. After
taking his solemn vows he was sent to the monastery of Altötting, Germany.
Beside the monastery is a shrine of the Mother of God, annually visited by
several hundred thousands of pilgrims. In such a cloister, where the bell never
rests, the doorkeeper's job is unusually heavy.
For 41 years, Brother
Conrad attended to the cloister door and performed his duties with perfect tact
and care and with imperturbable patience, always humble, pious, helpful,
unassuming, and diligent. No one ever saw him irritable or churlish. No one
ever heard from his lips malicious gossip or frivolous judgment or even an idle
word, although he had dealings with innumerable people in the course of many
years. His occupation made such demands on him that he often did not find time
to eat with the brothers.
His self-sacrificing
charity towards pilgrims and the poor, children and itinerant journeymen won
him the hearts of the people, and the striking answers to his prayer caused
people to recommend themselves to his good offices in prayer.
Three days before his
death he recognized that he was no longer able to cope with the throngs at the
door and relinquished his office (Attwater, Attwater2, Benedictines,
Schamoni).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0421.shtml
San Corrado Birndorfer da Parzham
Austria, Tyrol
(state), Gries am Brenner. Statue in memory of the
Chaplain Othmar Fischer.
Saint of the Day – 21
April – St Conrad of Parzham OFM Cap (1818-1894)
Posted on April
21, 2018
Saint of the Day – 21
April – St Conrad of Parzham OFM Cap (1818-1894) – Franciscan Religious Lay
Friar, Blessed Sacrament and Marian devotee, Apostle of Charity, Miracle worker
with the charism of prophecy – born on 22 December 1818 at Parzham,
Bavaria, Germany as Johann Birndorfer and died on 21 April 1894
in Altötting, Bavaria, Germany of natural causes. He served for over 40
years in the post of porter of the Capuchin friary in Altötting, through which
work he gained a widespread reputation for his wisdom, holiness and
charity. Patronages – Capuchin-Franciscan Province of
Mid-America, Catholic Student Association, doorkeepers, Passau,
Germany, diocese of (since 1984).
St Conrad of Parzham was
born in Bavaria, Germany on 22 December 1818. He was the ninth son
of a poor farming family. From his early years he gave evident
signs of a deep interior life, preferring places of solitude where he could be
alone with God. Despite the great distance from the nearest Church,
Conrad walked frequently through rain and snow to attend the holy Mass.
He had a great devotion to Our Lady and prayed the Rosary daily.
Conrad remained on the
farm without much thought of the future. His mother died when he
was only 14. At age 31, with the passing of his father, Conrad
decided to follow his heart and become a Capuchin Franciscan. After
giving away his possessions he was admitted to the novitiate as a lay brother
and received the religious name Conrad (his Baptismal name was John).
Immediately after his profession he was sent to the friary of St
Ann, in the city of Altötting. The friary served the Shrine
of Our Lady of Altötting, the National Shrine of
Bavaria to the Blessed Mother.
Conrad was given the
position of porter at this shrine and retained it until his death.
Because it was a large and busy city, the duty of the friary porter was a very
difficult one. Conrad was known to be diligent at his work, sparing in words,
bountiful to the poor, eager and ready to receive and help strangers.
Brother Conrad fulfilled the task of porter for more than forty years,
assisting the inhabitants of the town in their needs of body and soul.
Conrad loved
silence! As mentioned, he sought places of solitude as a child in
order to raise his thoughts to God. During his spare moments as a
porter, he would duck into a nook near the door where it was possible to see
the Blessed Sacrament in the nearby chapel. During the night, he
often deprived himself of hours of sleep in order to be alone with Jesus in the
chapel. It was generally believed that he never took any rest but
continually occupied himself in work and exercises of devotion.
Conrad also continued his childhood devotion to Our Lady, deepening his
love for the Mother of God with every year of his religious life.
These were his great secrets to sanctity: Silence, the Blessed
Sacrament and Mary, Queen of the Friars Minor.
During his lifetime,
Brother Conrad was reputed to have been able to read the hearts of those he met
and was attributed the gift of prophecy. His heroic virtues
and the miracles he performed won for him the distinction to be ranked among
the Blessed by Pope Pius XI in 1930. Four years later,
the same pope, approving additional miracles which had been performed, solemnly
inscribed his name in the list of saints.
Author: AnaStpaul
Passionate Catholic.
Being a Catholic is a way of life - a love affair "Religion must be like
the air we breathe..."- St John Bosco Prayer is what the world needs
combined with the example of our lives which testify to the Light of Christ.
This site, which is now using the Traditional Calendar, will mainly concentrate
on Daily Prayers, Novenas and the Memorials and Feast Days of our friends in
Heaven, the Saints who went before us and the great blessings the Church
provides in our Catholic Monthly Devotions. This Site is placed under the
Patronage of my many favourite Saints and especially, St Paul. "For the
Saints are sent to us by God as so many sermons. We do not use them, it is they
who move us and lead us, to where we had not expected to go.” Charles Cardinal
Journet (1891-1975) This site adheres to the Catholic Church and all her
teachings. PLEASE ADVISE ME OF ANY GLARING TYPOS etc - In June 2021 I lost 95%
sight in my left eye and sometimes miss errors. Thank you and I pray all those
who visit here will be abundantly blessed. Pax et bonum! VIEW ALL POSTS
SOURCE : https://anastpaul.com/2018/04/21/saint-of-the-day-21-april-st-conrad-of-parzham-ofm-cap-1818-1894/
San Corrado Birndorfer da Parzham
Laberweinting, Hofkirchen 77, katholische Pfarrkirche St. Peter erbaut 1863/64. In einer Nische im Vorzeichen der Kirche, der sogenannten Grotte, steht die Halbfigur des Heiligen Bruder Konrad von Parzam.
Saint Konrad of Parzham
(Altötting)
Based on the original
German
of Rector Georg
Albrechtskirchinger
A New Gift from God
In the little known
village of Parzham, Germany, around the year 1800, there lived and worked a
farmer – Bartholomew Birndorfer. The tiny village lay in the valley of the Rott
(Rottal), a stream that flows into the torrential river Inn, whose waters flow,
in turn, into the river Danube. "Bartl" was a wealthy farmer. The old
saying fit him well: "In Rottal dwells the pride of the farmer – his
beautiful horses – his field – his timber." Bartl had twenty-two cows, ten
horses and one hundred twenty-five acres of fertile soil all around his
comfortable log cabin with its flat shingle roof. But hard times came when a
devastating and unruly Freemasonic revolution swept over the land. The
government siezed the monasteries and confiscated their goods. The so-called
"Freethinking Enlightenment" spread doubts against the Faith, mocked
piety and, in many families, lessened the bond of good morals and holy virtues.
The wars of the tyrant Napoleon raged in Europe; in 1809 Rottal, too, was laid
waste. Continual torrential rains in 1816 and 1817 caused a painful famine. Not
until 1818 was there a turn for the better – a real year of plenty. As often as
a full cartload of crops arrived at the barn, the farmer with his wife and
children would kneel down, pray three Our Father's and thank God for His gifts
with tears of joy.
The graces of this year
were not to come to an end until another child was born to the Birndorfer
family. It was the 22nd of December, shortly after midnight. Later that same
day the baby boy was taken by horse-drawn sleigh through deep snow to the
parish church and was baptized with the name Johannes Evangelist. Arriving
again at home, his mother clasped her "Hansel" in her arms and
thanked the Lord of life and death affectionately for this child of God, which
the Lord had given her. She was happy about the beautiful name. Would it have
some mysterious significance? At any rate, year after year and day after day,
through vivid stories of the Boy Jesus, she would make that Holy Life come
alive for her little boy, so that he would imitate the example held out to him
and taste the delights of divine love.
Pious Childhood
The blonde-haired,
blue-eyed Hansel was thriving visibly. After his cradling, he began making
expeditions across the floor. He soon found his way everywhere. In the kitchen
he would play with fir-cones and sticks. He waddled through every room. He got
acquainted with the chickens, the dog and cat, the cattle and horses. The
household brought up Hansel as it had brought up the other children. He enjoyed
the best visual instructions. Farm life and Christian example were both placed
before his senses. When poor people or hired hands came, tired and worn, to ask
a night's lodging, Hansel would fetch milk and bread for them. He took his
place with the house occupants for daily prayers and the Rosary. Often he was
found praying in a quiet nook. No one disturbed him there, neither the
farm-hands nor the maids. He had no patience for any indecency in the children
at the village square. All the adults were amazed how recollected Hansel was at
prayer and that his intense devotion was so obvious on his countenance. No wonder
everyone was so fond of him and called him a little angel!
At age six Hansel became
a student. He learned reading, writing and arithmetic, Bible History and the
"Canisi" – as this little catechism was called – in which St. Peter
Canisius had condensed the truths of the Catholic Religion into short and clear
lessons. Attentive and diligent, Hansel took in every subject with a laudable
persistence. Once he brought home an award for receiving a high grade on a
test. During this school year, Hansel also distinguished himself as quite a
special person. On the half-hour's journey to the school in Weng, he would
sometimes go apart from his noisy comrades and would silently and secretly pray
several Our Father's. Sometimes he would induce a fellow-student to offer Our
Heavenly Mother a Rosary. When a quarrel and fight broke out, Hansel would
intervene and make peace. When he did not succeed, he regarded it as better to
just be on his way. Children acting rowdy with each other or speaking in a
shameful manner would call out when they saw little Johannes, "Quiet!
Quiet! Hansel Birndorfer is coming!" Their bad words would stick in their
throats. Cursing gave pain to his soul. Should he hear any blasphemy, he would
fall to his knees, weep and beg the Lord God for mercy on the blasphemer.
Whoever saw this was deeply moved. Gradually such blasphemies were held back in
his presence. Throughout the parish and school, people would ask, "What
kind of boy is this?" And they would receive the answer, "He is an
angel among men."
After finishing school,
Hans advanced step-by-step in the hard work of farming. He worked in the
stable; he mowed the meadows; he drew the plow. Although still young in years,
he already viewed his life and his world as a bridge over the river of time to
God, the Eternal. So he never forgot throughout all his occupations, to
maintain his union with the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Good intention and the
worship of God ennobled his work. Under the hottest sunshine, Hans wore nothing
on his head. One day, his father feared he would suffer a heat-stroke. So, a
few days later, he admonished him to wear a hat. The boy answered,
"Father, shouldn't someone take his hat off when he is going to
pray?" His father replied, after a short consideration, "Yes, of course.
But tell me, do you pray the whole time you are working?" As Hansel
answered this question in the affirmative, his father was astonished, but said
nothing to dissuade him from this. He saw that work in union with God made his
son happy.
Grief and pain soon
associate themselves with happiness. Hans was fourteen years old when death
took away from him his exemplary, quiet mother. Only two years later, his good
father also was carried away from the farm to the cemetery in Weng. His mother
dead! His father dead! What great, bitter sorrow! Hans wept pitiably.
The Young Man
An orphaned farm, an
estate being inherited, in Bavarian villages puts the whole community in
turmoil. Everyone asks, "What will happen to the farm now?"
The brothers and sisters
took over the inheritance together. For the time being, Hans, the youngest of
them, eagerly and willingly looked after the work of the two hired hands. No
one was more punctual, conscientious and dutiful. He worked from early morning
until late evening. He also brightened every workday through the thought that
all work must be a divine service and tend to God's greater glory. He strove
continually to give more time to interior recollection, contemplation and
prayer. Sometimes one might have seen him in a cart, the reins in his right
hand and an open prayer book in his left. Once, while he was absorbed in
spiritual reading, the reins lay limp. The horses went off the road and the
wagon tipped over, spilling the whole load. In complete tranquility he loaded
it up again. At home he spoke of his accident. His brothers and sisters were of
the opinion that "...prayer is certainly good; but it is not necessary to
pray all the time!" Hans only answered, "But it's not forbidden
either." They were astonished at his intense conviction and were silent;
they knew that, in fact, many a cart had tipped over when no one was praying.
When there was a break in
the farm work, Hans liked to withdraw back into the hay barn. On its door he
had hung pictures of the Savior and his patron Saints. Before them he used to
thank the Creator who provided the grass for fodder and cattle, and he would
say a little prayer of petition.
On the eve of Holydays he
would sit, now and then, on the bench in front of the house and just meditate
there. He would think about the numberless creatures of the earth and gigantic
forms in the heavens, about the sun, moon and stars, about the great Almighty
God. One evening an old maid-servant sat down nearby. She tried to coax him to
come and have a talk with her. Hans, distracted from his contemplation, nodded
his head, mumbled a little and let her talk. But as soon as she began to gossip
about people and slander them, he cut her off: "It's not good to gossip
about people. It is wiser to pray the Rosary. May God preserve you." He
got up and went to his room.
There stood his home
altar. It was simply arranged. On the table was a small case with a picture of
the Mother of God; above it was a crucifix; in front a flickering oil lamp; on
either side candlesticks with white candles, besides several paper flowers and
little fir boughs. Here he lay the offering of his bodily fatigue and his
self-discipline. Here he examined his conscience every evening. Here he gazed
at the picture of the Throne of God before him and held conversation with the
Lord God. Here he read, in the still of the night, the Holy Scriptures.
Sometimes a rooster would crow, the sun would rise up and break through the
clouds of night with its beams of light, and the man of prayer would go to his day's
work as fresh and strong as if he had slept the entire night. And his sister
Therese would find his bed still made.
Almost every morning,
Hans went to church. Whether it snowed or rained, whether a gale blew or the
stream through which he had to wade swelled and overflowed its banks – nothing
could hinder him from attending Mass in Weng or St. Wolfgang. Sometimes he stood
from 3:30 a.m. in the church courtyard, or, in really bad weather, in the
little vestibule in the front of the church and waited until the sacristan came
and unlocked it.
The first day of the
Christian week was for Hans fully and completely the day of the Lord and of the
victory of Christ. Just at the crack of dawn, he would make a holy hour at the
church in Griesbach. There he would go to confession and, at the quiet early
morning Mass, would receive the Body of the Lord. Then he would go to Weng for the
Parish High Mass, and then back home. In the afternoon he liked to go to the
Devotions at Birnbach, although it was an hour's journey from Parzham. He was
always the first to arrive at the church. He took his place in the front pew of
the Gospel side, next to the wall, and prayed with intense attention. After the
Devotions, when all the people were gone, he conversed with the Savior. He
knelt before the altar and remained up to two hours before the Blessed
Sacrament. And thus on Sundays, streams of divine grace would flow into his
heart and assist his work throughout the week.
Other young men sought
their Sunday relaxation in the public houses. Only once did Hans attend a
theater performance by the Birnbach Youth Union, of which he was a member. It
so happened that right in the middle of the play, he let out a hearty laugh.
The sound grated on the ears of the audience and seemed to echo, as the
embarassing event stuck in his memory.
The most beautiful
leisure time Hans experienced was when he went on pilgrimage, alone or with
like-minded persons, to the Mother of God at the beloved Shrine of Altötting or
to the Church of Maria Hilf, situated in the countryside high above the city of
Passau and the river Inn. Such pilgrimages were physically very fatiguing.
Between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m. they would get up and walk six hours, fasting and
praying all the way until the journey's end. When they were not actually
praying, they would speak of life's struggles on the side of God. Hans, usually
so quiet, found words to edify his companions with the Mysteries of Redemption.
After visiting the miraculous image, they would go to confession and receive
Holy Communion, and give thanks to God for temporal blessings and spiritual
graces. For a mid-day rest, they would sit on the bank of a stream near the
church and eat whatever they had brought with them. Afterwards, they would
visit the church again, pray until the departure time and then again walk six
hours back, with joyful hearts, until they had their home soil under their
feet.
On St. Leonhard's day,
Hans went every year to the Solemn Blessing of Horses at Aigen am Inn. At this
pilgrimage church there labored a Father Dullinger. Hans chose this priest to
be his spiritual director. Through him, he got to know better about the various
Religious Orders. One by one, he examined their particular obligations:
perpetual adoration, celebration of daily Mass, sacrifice for the conversion of
sinners, prayer to assist and console the faithful departed, assistance for
those struggling to preserve purity and virginity, intimate devotion to Mary,
as well as worship of the Most Holy Trinity. As a member of the Third Order
which St. Francis had founded for lay people, the Franciscan spirit grew in
him. For nine years Hans went every fourteen days over the hills to his
confessor, and back again. Each time it was a march of ten hours, and on the
whole it required a determined step to advance on the mysterious path to this
destination, which God had determined, but which Hans did not yet clearly see.
At the Crossroads
All at once the news
broke into his quiet, hardworking, interior life. Two sisters and a brother had
left and married. The others still cultivated the farm together. Nothing had
changed much. But a sadness set in, invisible yet palpable. The farm was still
a bachelor home. A bachelor home is unnatural for a farmer. An unmarried farmer
lives only for himself. A real farm is anchored in the family. Only through
marriage does the family live on, the farm prosper and farm life remain worth
enduring and happy.
One evening, this sadness
burst out around the farm house. His brothers and sisters demanded that Hans
get married and take over the farm. Hans laid his elbows on the table, closed
his eyes, clasped his hands in front of his face and thought over the
situation. He looked back on days gone by, when his father and mother were
keeping house at the farm and the children, quiet and happy, were unconcerned
about the future. When his parents were alive, they had often said, "Son,
we are leaving the farm to you. The future heir is soon liable to be unsettled.
You can change that by marriage. The Birndorder Family must continue to live on
this farm." The demand had surprised Hans. He knew that, having grown up
with animals, crops and soil, he had become a good farmer, that he had received
a great talent for farming and that he truly had enjoyed it. On the other hand,
he found in himself another talent: the beautiful life of union with God, with
Christ and with Mary. In worth and rank it was higher than the stars. And thus
Hans stood at the crossroads: the cloister or the farm. He made the most
important decision of his life. Slowly he let his arms sink to the table,
opened his eyes, raised his head high and spoke in a firm voice, "The family
can live on in another line. The house and farm will still stand. My life
should be to listen to God and Him alone. I am going into a cloister. Now you
know. The good God has not forgotten me. He has already prepared a place for
me." The die was cast. His brothers and sisters quietly surrendered to
their fate.
Shortly thereafter a
letter arrived. It announced that the Capuchins in Altötting were willing to
accept Hans Birndorfer into the Order. Hans was overjoyed. He recalled the
words of Christ: "If thou wouldst be perfect, go, sell all thou hast and
give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven. And come, follow
Me." According to this request, his family paid him for his portion of the
property. Thereafter he gave one portion of the money to the poor of the
neighborhood and the other he donated for the expansion of the cemetery in
Weng. Now he was stripped of all possessions, like St. Francis of Assisi. The
way to his new goal was free. He bid farewell to his home and his parents'
graves and began his journey to Altötting.
Time of Probation
With his entrance into
the Capuchin family, Hans Birndorfer received a new name – Konrad. The coming
months would show whether he had really turned his back on the world and
whether he could endure being totally dependent on the charity and mercy of
other men.
For a good year and a
half, he was given to the Porter of St. Anne's Cloister as an assistant. He
overcame the difficulties that arose with patience and humility. In the
meantime, he wrote to his family: "When I first came it was somewhat
difficult to be among so many Brothers. It was a long time before I could call
them all by name. Now, thanks be to God, I can not only remember their names
but also where their cells are, in case I have to fetch them." Suddenly,
to his regret, he was transferred to Burghausen on the Salzach. Here he had to
care for a sick priest. Here also he encountered the elderly Tirolian, Gabriel
Engel. This Father had, in fifteen tireless years, re-established the Capuchin
Order in Bavaria, where it had withered up after the decade-long troubles of
the "Cloister Storm" of the "Enlightenment". This genuine
reformer became for Konrad at that time a tremendous example of manly virtue
and Religious observance.
The two year pre-school
was soon at an end. Konrad had been observed long enough for it to be known
that he was fit for the Religious Life. Now he would be sent to the little
Cloister at Laufen on the Salzach. At that time the Novitiate for lay brothers
was there. Konrad was solemnly clothed with the brown cowl and the long hood.
It was September 17, 1851. With the clothing began the decisive year of
probation for the new Religious – the Novitiate. There he would learn to know
exactly the obligations of the Order and how to fulfill them. And the community
would examine him – whether he was really suited for the Religious life in
general, and for the Capuchin Order in particular. Konrad wrote his former
home: "Pray very hard for me, that I may get through this year successfully;
that I may not just wear the habit, but rather obtain the spirit of a true
Capuchin brother."
He himself prayed and
worked untiringly for this goal. This meant: to learn to embrace the Holy Rule
with the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience; to make diligent progress in
Christian doctrine and in contemplative prayer; to root out weaknesses and
faults and to cultivate virtues, and in particular to obey without any interior
resistance. There was manual labor in addition. Konrad worked as an assistant to
the gardener. Much of his new way of life came easy to him. It was harder to
always deny his own will, even to the point of abandoning well-cultivated good
habits, if the Novice-Master demanded it. Often it cost him a struggle, which
brought humiliations and penances with it.
At the end of the year of
probation, Konrad wrote down together his experiences and reflections. He set
up a plan of life for himself with eleven headings:
1. I
will really accustom myself to live always in the presence of God and ask
myself often, would I do this or that if my confessor or superior saw me? How
much more so in the presence of God and my guardian angel.
2. I
will often ask myself when crosses and sorrows come: Konrad, why are you here?
3. I
will avoid leaving the cloister as much as I can, except when charity towards
neighbor demands it, or on account of obedience or health, or on pilgrimage or
some good purpose.
4. I
will truly strive to preserve fraternal charity in myself and others. I will
thus watch over myself, that I may utter no word that would be contrary to
charity. Their faults, failings and weaknesses I will patiently endure; and I will,
as far as is possible, cover them with the mantle of charity, when it is not
otherwise a duty to disclose them to my superior, in order to put an end to
them.
5. I
will observe silence exactly and perpetually as far as is possible. I well be
very sparse in speech, and this in order to avoid many faults and that I may be
able to converse with God so much the better.
6. At
meals I will always, as much as possible, remain in the presence of God, always
keep myself in check and deny myself those foods which I desire the most;
rather I will take that especially which I like the least in order to practice
mortification. And I will always avoid eating anything outside meal times.
7. I
will always go promptly to choir, as soon as I hear the bell, when I am not
otherwise hindered.
8. I
will avoid the opposite sex as much as possible, unless obedience imposes a
duty in which I must deal with women. I will be rather serious and keep custody
of my eyes.
9. I
will always fulfill obediences exactly and promptly and especially I will make
every possible effort to seek to deny my own will in all things.
10. I will
truly strive both to observe minor points of the Rule as well as to overcome as
much as possible every deliberate imperfection. I will never deviate from the
Holy Rule even so much as an inch, come what may!
11. I will
always strive to have a truly intense devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
will truly strive to imitate her virtues.
These resolutions,
composed with deliberation and full trust in the assistance of Jesus and Mary,
contained nothing too ponderous to fulfill. No heroism was promised. With
caution, in view of human weakness and external circumstances, sensible limits
were established – such as with the words: "I will make every possible
effort..."; "...as much as I can." Good intentions! Is not the
road to Hell paved with them? Resolutions must be firm. Let us see what Konrad
really accomplished and what virtues he developed – as much as he could!
The 4th of October, 1852,
the Feast of St. Francis, was Konrad's Profession Day. He knelt on the step of
the altar, placed his hands in those of his superior and spoke the solemn oath
of his irrevocable dedication to God: "I vow and promise Almighty God, the
Most Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis, all the Saints and you, Father, for the
rest of my life to observe the Rule of the Friars Minor, living in obedience,
without possessions, and in chastity." The Novitiate was completed.
The New Occupation
A few days later, the
Father Guardian from Laufen spoke after the morning Mass, "Konrad, God
calls you! You are to go at once to Altötting to the Cloister of St. Anne.
There you will take over the office of Porter." Konrad knelt down, begged
a blessing for the journey and set off across the countryside through Shusters
Rappen. When he arrived at the pilgrimage town, he was assailed by a great
fear. He had hoped to be permitted to live in silent solitude behind cloister
walls. So many people, of different rank and station, of different character
and intention, asked here for information and help. Would he not from one
fault, slip and fall into many others? In his distress, Konrad went first to
the church and begged Christ for His grace. Then he rang the bell and thus announced
the commencement of his service.
The beginning was hard.
The office of Porter at Altötting proved to be the most difficult and
troublesome in all Bavaria. And so it was the greatest responsibility that an
Order could give to a Brother. That a man with only one year's membership in
the Order was chosen for the office, was taken by some of the older Brothers as
a personal insult. Envy worked through their hearts. As soon as Konrad arrived,
they were really nasty towards him. They weren't going to tolerate him in the
cloister. For several days they would not even give him a cell. Truly he had
become the least and poorest of all. At first they considered his piety and
eagerness to serve as acts of hypocrisy. Their malevolent speech reached the
ears of the Father Guardian. He tested him before everyone, when he said
sharply, "Brother Konrad is about to find out that he is just a
charity-case for us." These words must have been a slap in the face to a
man of honor, who had left a beautiful farm to serve God alone. But, contrary
to expectations, Konrad did not stomp out. He accepted the humiliation with a
bow of the head. He didn't even bat an eye. A more cheerful glimmer shone on
his countenance. This noble self-control convinced his superiors and reconciled
him with his brethren. He had left on all a lasting good impression.
A great deal of work was
packed into the course of a day for the Porter, which for him consisted of
twelve to sixteen working hours. Konrad received the mail and carried it to
Father Guardian. He administered the donations for the House and recorded the
Mass stipends with the requested intention.
Merchants brought to him
their wares and bills. Pilgrims left with him their religious items – such as
candles, Rosaries and Happy Death Crucifixes – to be blessed, and beseeched him
to fetch a priest for confession. Visitors would ask him to bring one of the
Capuchins – a relative or friend – to the parlor to speak with them. He would
offer hospitality to benefactors and clerics.
The poor of the village,
children and vagrants who came begging were given bread and soup or beer. And
all these tasks Konrad performed without resentment or complaint, without
agitation or anger. He worked ever with an unalterable patience, with a joyful
countenance, with a friendly tone of voice. There were days when the bell
summoned the porter to the cloister door two hundred times! And how Konrad
obeyed it! When it rang, he would break off from praying or speaking, or even
set the mouthful of food back on to his plate, just as he was bringing it to his
mouth. Yes, it was the same when he had to go and fetch one of the Fathers – he
would hasten instantly back to the porter's station, even two or three times,
as often as the bell was rung. The sound of the bell was for him the voice of
God.
It was astonishing, with
what love Konrad cared for the poor. To the Brothers who baked the bread, he
often made the request, "I beseech you, put something together wherewith
the poor can really have something good." As soon as the cloister family
had finished a meal, Konrad would go to the kitchen and take whatever he could
find that was still edible to the porter's station, to give to the hungry. If
someone would reproach him on this account, he would answer with an intimate
and full trust in God, "What a man gives to the poor is all returned to
him." Sometimes the cook had nothing more to give, or he kept back some
available sausage, fearing that some of the Brothers would not have enough at
the next meal. When this happened, Konrad would say, "Then I'll eat
nothing," take his portion and give it away. No one knows how many baskets
of bread, pitchers of beer and bowls of soup Konrad carried away and
distributed in the course of his religious life. But the people gave him
forever the characteristic name – Father of the Poor.
All the poor children of
Altötting knew Brother Konrad very well. Day after day they would run to the
monastery portal, and impetuously ring the bell. As soon as they saw Brother
Konrad standing in the cloister entrance, they would hush their chatter, fold
their hands and pray with him the Hail Mary devoutly. He became stern if any of
them rushed through it. He would warn them with the saying, "Above all
else, we Capuchins must pray!" After the prayer the little ones would
call out cheerfully, "Please, Brother Konrad!" Then he would give
each child a loaf of bread. One or the other would receive some good counsel
along with it. Then they would run off with a happy, "God bless you!"
Everyone in the pilgrimage town acknowledged him to be the Children's Friend.
And the little boys and girls continued to love him long after their childhood
years.
Immersed in God
As porter, Konrad
demonstrated a heroic devotion and loyalty. At all times and until his last
days, he was at the service of everyone who claimed his attention, with a
constantly steady willingness and love. This virtue sprang from his religious
spirit, from his intense union with God.
Where did his heart
dwell? Nearby the porter station, under a stairway, is the tiny, dark Alexius
Cell, barely large enough for a kneeler. A narrow crack in the wall afforded a
view of the tabernacle in the monastery chapel. In this stairway cell, Konrad
knelt before his Beloved and adored the Son of God, hidden and ignored in the
Blessed Sacrament. There one would find him in the free minutes between the
business of the day. There he would make his first holy hour, every day at 3:30
in the morning. And when everyone else had gone to their evening's rest, he
would speak yet longer with God by the dim light of a candle. Nevertheless he
would go punctually at midnight to the communal chanting of Matins in Choir,
the daily morning offering of the Capuchins.
The same love he had
toward the Blessed Sacrament, we find in Konrad also toward our Crucified
Redeemer. Out of his deep devotion to the Passion and Death of Christ, Brother
Konrad drew strength and salvation. Compelled by this love for the Cross, he
daily made at midday the holy Way of the Cross. In his cell hung a crucifix
with a painful countenance. Before this image he was accustomed, especially in
the evening, to contemplate and meditate in silence. He often took it down from
the wall and held it in his hands, whispering fervent prayers to his beloved
Savior, and perceiving what He would answer. In a letter to his sister, Resl,
Konrad wrote, "The Cross is my book. One glance at the Cross teaches me
how I ought to act in every circumstance. There I learn patience and humility
and meekness and to carry every cross; yes, to me the cross is sweet and light."
The disciple of Christ
and friend of the Cross at the cloister door in Altötting was also a Marian
Knight – a tender devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary. How often and with what
recollection he recited daily the beautiful Ave Maria! The Little Rosary of the
Immaculate Conception was always hanging from the middle finger of his left
hand. As a rule he prayed daily the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
What a grace-filled experience it was for him to daily serve Mass at 4:30 a.m.
in the Chapel of Grace (Gnadenkapelle). And at midday he would go regularly to
the Gnadenkapelle, kneel motionless and pray before the miraculous image
(Gnadenbild) of Our Lady of Altötting in deep recollection of soul. What a
beautiful scene before God and man! Many people saw Konrad's prayers to the
Mother of God like fiery spheres issuing out of his mouth.
A sense of piety and of
continual worship of God shown forth on Konrad's countenance. It indicated a
constant, steady expression of cheerfulness; it gave continuous testimony of
the peace and joy of his soul, which he found in God.
To His Dying Breath
Certainly, the course of
years takes its toll on the body. The innumerable privations and overburdenings
that he had demanded from his body had left scars. Furrows had burrowed across
his face; his hair had turned white; he was tormented by aches and pains; his
back was hunched over. Konrad was becoming weak. Everything he did was painful.
He was always cold. His limbs grew stiff. His knees shook. 75 winters lay
behind him.
On April 18, 1894,
Brother Konrad tapped along, supported by a strong cane, on his way to the
Gnadenkapelle. It was the last time he would ever serve Mass beneath the statue
of Our Lady of Altötting. On returning to the monastery, he managed to drag
himself around for a few more hours. But in the afternoon he had to tell his
superior, "Father Guardian, it's the end!" The doctor came and said
to Konrad, "That's just too hard a job for you at your age, down there in
that cold hallway. You're completely worn out." Without a complaint the
dying man endured his pain and weakness. On the third day, Saturday, April 21,
he received Extreme Unction. In the evening the infirmarian gave him another
spoonful of medicine and said, "Now I have to go and check on our sick Brother
Benjamin." Konrad replied, "Of course, you may go. I won't be needing
you any more." At 7:00 p.m. the cloister family assembled together for
Night Prayers. Someone knocked at the main door. Shortly thereafter the
porter's bell rang. Konrad thought the assistant porter had not been able to
hear the metallic voice. In obedience to the bell, the dutiful old man lifted
himself with his last ounce of strength. He took the candlestick with the
burning candle in his trembling hand, staggered and tottered to the door of his
cell and altogether collapsed. A novice coming that way and finding him, called
immediately for help. Capuchins came hurrying to the spot. They carried the
dying man to his cot. A Father recited the prayers for the dying. The Ave bell
rang peacefully from the bell-tower of Altötting. Konrad smiled, looked
heavenward with joyful eyes and departed this life. It was between 7:00 and
8:00 in the evening, the time when he had always prayed to Our Lady as the
"Help and Consolation of the Dying".
"Take thy rest now,
thou tireless hero of charity, of fortitude and of faith! True, thou hast never
crossed the Alps, nor sailed across the sea. Rather, thou wert for more than
forty years a continuous watchman out of obedience; but with this obedience,
thou didst elevate the lowest of offices to serve as a knight of Christ, and it
was on this account the equal of the noblest of undertakings!" (Pope Pius
XII)
The Dead Lives!
In the Imitation of
Christ, we read: "He is truly great, who has great love." He is
great, who always fulfills his duties perfectly out of love for God. This was
fully and completely valid in the case of the Capuchin Brother Konrad of
Parzham. The Church therefore, on Pentecost Sunday, 1934, after due
deliberation and much prayer, proclaimed and declared that he is a Saint.
"Brother Konrad's
tomb, truly a tomb of the living! It teaches and admonishes, consoles and
heals, and leaves a life that had withered in full bloom again! This tomb is
adorned with an altar full of glory; hymns of praise and thanksgiving are sung
before it; all around it shine burning lights, and a jubilant festive joy fills
the Christian people who find in Brother Konrad a new, powerful patron Saint –
Konrad is the shining ornament of Bavaria and all the German people, as well as
for the universal Church of Christ!" (Pope Pius XII)
Holiness consists in
forming our day out of the love for Christ. Holiness is our life's work, our
contribution to society, the necessary step we take towards achieving eternal
salvation. The saintly life is for us an example and a mirror, light and help.
Saint Konrad of Parzham,
pray for us!
SOURCE : http://www.salvemariaregina.info/Martyrologies/Konrad.html
San Corrado Birndorfer da Parzham
Franziskanerkirche,
Wiestorstraße in Überlingen
San Corrado (Giovanni
Evangelista) Birndorfer da Parzham Cappuccino
Venushof, Parzham, 22
dicembre 1818 - Altötting (Bassa Baviera), 21 aprile 1894
Nacque a Venushof in
Parzham il 22 dicembre 1818 da una famiglia di ricchi contadini dalla spiccata
devozione. Penultimo di dodici fratelli, rimase orfano a 16 anni. Da subito si
dedicò alla vita spirituale secondo la tradizione cattolica bavarese
frequentando assiduamente la celebrazione eucaristica quotidiana. Ma coltivò
nella sua vita anche tutte le forme della più autentica pietà popolare della
sua regione, la Baviera. Conosciamo poco dell'infanzia ma sappiamo per certo
che a 19 anni tentò, senza esito, di studiare nel ginnasio dei benedettini di
Metten a Deggendorf. Era il 1841, invece, quando professò la regola del
Terz'Ordine francescano e nel 1849 entrò tra i cappuccini di Altötting come
terziario. Durante il noviziato a Laufen fu incaricato di aiutare l'ortolano e
il giardiniere del convento. Il 4 ottobre 1852 emetteva la professione solenne
e fu rimandato ad Altötting con l'ufficio di portinaio del convento di
Sant'Anna, che ora è dedicato allo stesso san Corrado, dove rimase fino alla morte,
avvenuta il 21 aprile 1894. (Avvenire)
Etimologia: Corrado =
consigliere audace, dal tedesco
Martirologio Romano: Ad
Altötting nella Baviera in Germania, san Corrado (Giovanni) Birndorfer da
Parzham, religioso dell’Ordine dei Frati Minori Cappuccini, che svolse per
oltre quarant’anni l’umile servizio di portinaio e, sempre generoso verso i
poveri, non congedò mai nessun bisognoso senza prima offrirgli benigne parole
di cristiano conforto.
Nella numerosissima schiera di santi, beati e venerabili della grande Famiglia Francescana, spiccano singolari figure di frati, pieni di santa umiltà e semplicità, i quali raggiunsero questa meta, adempiendo con scrupolo e carisma personale, all’umile compito di portinaio del convento in cui vissero per lungo tempo o addirittura tutta la loro vita religiosa.
E come s. Serafino da Montegranaro (12 ottobre), s. Pasquale Baylon (17 maggio), il beato Mariano da Roccacasale (31 maggio), tutti francescani e il beato Andrea Bassette canadese della “Congregazione della Santa Croce” (6 gennaio), anche san Corrado da Parzham, trascorse tutta la sua vita di cappuccino, facendo il portinaio del suo convento di Altötting in Germania.
Era nato il 22 dicembre 1818 nella fattoria di Venushof in Parzham presso Passau (Baviera), penultimo dei 12 figli dei coniugi Birndorfer, al battesimo ebbe il nome di Giovanni Evangelista.
A 16 anni era già orfano di entrambi i genitori; dalle scarne testimonianze venne descritto come un ragazzo mite, allegro, dolcissimo, amante della natura, sano e forte per i lavori dei campi a cui si dedicò.
Amava il lavoro e mentre dissodava il terreno, recitava il rosario che teneva sempre legato al polso; pur essendo figlio del padrone, lavorava volentieri con e fra i dipendenti, diffondendo serenità, armonia e gioia.
Appena poteva, si raccoglieva in preghiera, devota, solitaria e prolungata, nelle varie chiese e santuari del circondario e spessissimo si accostava alla santa Eucaristia; a 19 anni tentò di frequentare il ginnasio dei Benedettini di Metten a Deggendorf, ma senza esito; nel 1841 a 23 anni, professò la Regola del Terz’Ordine Francescano.
Avrebbe dovuto amministrare l’azienda ereditata dai genitori, ma sentendosi chiamato alla vita religiosa, vi rinunziò; divise la sua parte ereditata tra i poveri e alcune Istituzioni ecclesiastiche e a 31 anni nel 1849, Giovanni Evangelista Birndorfer bussò alla porta del convento cappuccino di S. Anna ad Altötting.
Fece il noviziato a Laufen e qui ebbe l’incarico di aiutare l’ortolano e il giardiniere del convento; nei primi tre anni fu impegnato nella formazione alla vita cappuccina, perfezionando le virtù e lo spirito di preghiera.
Il 4 ottobre 1852, si consacrò per sempre al Signore, facendo la professione religiosa e prendendo il nome di Corrado; poi fu rimandato al convento-santuario di Altötting nella sua Baviera destinato all’ufficio di portinaio.
In quest’umile ma delicata funzione, visse per ben 41 anni fino alla morte, contento di vivere in quel luogo, sede dell’antico Santuario della Madonna, centro e riferimento della religiosità e pietà bavarese.
Fra Corrado da Parzham svolse il suo compito, in apparenza monotono e senza importanza, con tatto e zelo, con fedeltà e poche parole, sempre calmo e paziente, mai annoiato, nervoso o triste, sempre pronto all’obbedienza e disponibile; edificava i confratelli ed i pellegrini del Santuario mediante l’esercizio della carità e di una inalterabile pazienza.
Ben presto in tutta la Bassa Baviera, si diffuse la fama di quel “santo portinaio” e alla porta del convento di S. Anna, ora dedicato a San Corrado, cominciarono a suonare la tipica campanella, molte persone per chiedere proprio all’umile frate aiuto e conforto; ormai tutti sapevano che il suo cuore era sempre aperto ad accogliere i fedeli.
Devoto della Vergine e dell’Eucaristia, dotato di doni straordinari, come la profezia, operò un risveglio di fede nelle province circostanti, un padre Pio da Pietrelcina dell’epoca.
Al portinaio del convento cappuccino, era affidato anche il compito di distribuire il cibo ai poveri, e lui, sempre con la corona in mano, lo faceva con soddisfazione, illuminandosi nel volto, riflettendo l’esempio del Poverello d’Assisi.
Era la sua ‘felicità terrena’, distribuiva minestra, pane e carne ai poveri, agli accattoni, ai garzoni operai, ai ragazzi, andando in cucina a scegliere i pezzi migliori; sordo alle esortazioni a moderare la sua generosità.
“Tutto ciò che si dà ai poveri, ritorna nuovamente dentro con abbondanza”, era la sua risposta ai confratelli; cooperò anche all’opera benefica ‘Liebeswerk’, in favore dell’infanzia abbandonata e in pericolo; la sua generosità si allargava ai numerosi pellegrini del santuario, ai quali distribuiva birra e pane, raccomandando però al confratello fra Deodato, addetto alla birreria del convento, di farne “molta e leggera”.
Lavorò fedelmente fino alla fine; il 18 aprile 1894 al termine di una giornata stressante, si mise a letto “per prepararsi all’eternità”. Morì all’alba del 21 aprile 1894 a 76 anni.
Dopo l’approvazione dei miracoli attribuiti alla sua intercessione, papa Pio XI lo dichiarò Beato il 15 giugno 1930 e cosa insolita per i processi di canonizzazione, dopo solo quattro anni, il 20 maggio 1934 lo stesso pontefice lo proclamò Santo.
La festa liturgica è il 21 aprile, giorno del suo trapasso.
Autore: Antonio Borrelli
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/32000
San Corrado Birndorfer da Parzham
Mammendorf,
Kirche St. Nikolaus und Sylvester. Medaillon mit Halbrelief des Hl. Konrad
Corrado da Parzham
(1818-1894)
BEATIFICAZIONE:
- 30 giugno 1930
- Papa Pio XI
CANONIZZAZIONE:
- 20 maggio 1934
- Papa Pio XI
- Basilica Vaticana
RICORRENZA:
- 21 aprile
Religioso dell’Ordine dei
Frati Minori Cappuccini, che svolse per oltre quarant’anni l’umile servizio di
portinaio e, sempre generoso verso i poveri, non congedò mai nessun bisognoso
senza prima offrirgli benigne parole di cristiano conforto. Conosciuto come
"il Santo portinaio"
"Tutto ciò che si dà ai poveri, ritorna nuovamente dentro con abbondanza”
Johann Birndorfer nacque a
Venushof in Parzham il 22 dicembre 1818 da una famiglia di ricchi contadini
dalla spiccata devozione. Penultimo di dodici fratelli, rimase orfano a 16
anni.
Da subito si dedicò alla
vita spirituale secondo la tradizione cattolica bavarese frequentando
assiduamente la celebrazione eucaristica quotidiana. Ma coltivò nella sua vita
anche tutte le forme della più autentica pietà popolare della sua regione, la
Baviera.
A 19 anni tentò, senza
esito, di studiare nel ginnasio dei benedettini di Metten a Deggendorf. Era il
1841, invece, quando professò la regola del Terz'Ordine francescano e nel 1849
entrò tra i cappuccini di Altötting come terziario.
Nel convento di Sant’Anna
ad Altöttin: per 42 anni è portinaio, da quando professa i voti solenni
dell’Ordine dei Frati Minori Cappuccini, nel 1852, fino alla morte, avvenuta il
21 aprile 1894.
In molti si rivolgono al
“santo portinaio” per una parola di conforto, un consiglio o un tozzo di
pane.
SOURCE : https://www.causesanti.va/it/santi-e-beati/corrado-da-parzham.html
San Corrado Birndorfer da Parzham
Haslach
im Kinzigtal, katholische Pfarrkirche St. Arbogast, Bruder-Konrad-Altar (1936)
21 APRILE: SAN
CORRADO DA PARZHAM
Giovanni Evangelista
Bindorfer nacque a Venushof in Parzham in Germania, il 22 dicembre
1818, penultimo di dodici fratelli, da una famiglia di ricchi e devoti
contadini.
A 16 anni rimase orfano
di entrambi i genitori. Dalle scarne testimonianze sulla sua infanzia sappiamo
che era un ragazzo mite, amante della natura e del lavoro nei campi e che,
appena poteva, si raccoglieva in preghiera nelle varie chiese e santuari del
circondario e spessissimo si accostava alla santa Eucaristia.
A 19 anni tentò, con poco
profitto, di studiare nel ginnasio dei Benedettini di Metten a
Deggendorf. Nel 1841 professò la regola del Terz'Ordine francescano e, a
trentuno anni, nel 1849, entrò tra i Cappuccini di Altötting come
terziario. Nel 1851 iniziò il noviziato a Laufen, come fratello laico, con
l'incarico di aiutare l'ortolano e il giardiniere del convento. Il 4
ottobre 1852 emette la professione solenne prendendo il nome di fra Corrado. Fu
poi rimandato al convento di Altötting, nella sua Baviera, posto accanto al
celebre Santuario della Madonna Nera.
Qui fra Corrado, per 41
anni, svolse l'umile servizio di portinaio, sempre disponibile verso tutti
quelli che suonavano la campanella alla porta del Convento di Sant'Anna. Ben
presto, in tutta la Baviera, si diffuse la fama del "santo
portinaio" al quale cominciarono a rivolgersi in molti chiedendogli aiuto
materiale e conforto spirituale. Sorridente e con la corona del rosario sempre
in mano, distribuiva da mangiare a pellegrini, poveri, operai, garzoni,
bambini. Il suo tesoro era la preghiera e il suo segreto era la devozione al
Santissimo Sacramento e a Maria, la Madre del Signore. Al termine di una
giornata stressante, il 18 aprile 1894, si mise a letto "per prepararsi
all'eternità".
Morì così all'alba del 21 aprile 1894 a 76 anni.
Dopo l'approvazione dei
miracoli attribuiti alla sua intercessione, papa Pio XI lo dichiarò "Beato" il
15 giugno 1930 e, dopo solo quattro anni, il 20 maggio 1934, lo
stesso pontefice lo proclamò "Santo". Così Altötting, uno dei
cinque Santuari mariani più visitati in Europa, insieme a Lourdes, Fatima,
Czestochowa e Loreto, oggi ha un'altra meta di pellegrinaggio: la tomba di San
Corrado, posta nella Chiesa dei Cappuccini del Convento di Sant'Anna, accanto
alla Cappella della Madonna. [Foto]
San Corrado da Parzham è
compatrono della Provincia cappuccina di Baviera e dell'Ungheria. La sua festa
si celebra il 21 aprile.
«Sono sempre felice e
contento in Dio. Prendo tutto con gratitudine dal caro padre celeste, siano
pene o gioie. Egli sa bene ciò che è il meglio per noi, e così sono sempre
felice in Dio. Mi sforzo di amarlo assai. Ah! Questo è tanto spesso il mio
unico affanno, che lo ami così poco. Sì, vorrei proprio essere un serafino
d'amore, vorrei invitare tutte le creature ad aiutarmi ad amare il mio Dio.»
San Corrado da Parzham
Altarpiece
painting of St. Conrad in the Church of the Assumption, Bad Endorf,
Bavaria
Nahansicht
des Philipp- und Jakob-Altars der Pfarr- und Wallfahrtskirche Antwort, einem
Ortsteil von Bad Endorf. Der Altar wurde 1715 erschaffen, vermutlich von Joseph
Wolf, Bildhauer in Rosenheim. Das Altarblatt stellt den Heiligen Bruder Konrad
dar, 1949 erstellt durch den Halfinger Maler Martin Anzinger (1905–1987). Die
Seitenfiguren, die Apostel Petrus und Paul darstellend, wurden ebenfalls um
1715 durch Joseph Wolf erstellt. Die Statue des Heiligen Antonius von Padua auf
dem Altar ist eine Arbeit aus der zweiten Hälfte des 17. Jahrhunderts. (Siehe
Peter von Bomhard, Die Kunstdenkmäler der Stadt und des Landkreises
Rosenheim, II. Teil, S. 209–210.)
Konrad von Parzham
auch: Bruder Konrad
bürgerlich: Johann Evangelist Birndorfer
Gedenktag katholisch: 21. April
nicht gebotener Gedenktag im deutschen Sprachgebiet
Fest im Bistum Passau
gebotener Gedenktag im Kapuzinerorden
nicht gebotener Gedenktag im Orden der Franziskaner-Observanten
Diözesankalender Salzburg
in Deutschland: Gedenktag
III. Klasse
Name bedeutet: der
tapfere Berater (althochdt.)
Laienbruder
* 22. Dezember 1818 in Parzham bei Griesbach in Bayern
† 21. April 1894 in Altötting in
Bayern
Johann wurde als elftes von zwölf Kindern der
Bauern Bartholomäus und Gertrud Birndorfer auf dem Venus-Hof im
Weiler Parzham geboren. Er war von klein auf ein ausgesprochen frommer Mensch.
Im Alter von 14 Jahren verlor er seine Mutter, zwei Jahre später seinen Vater.
Er wollte in ein Kloster eintreten; allerdings war es nicht leicht für ihn,
Aufnahme zu finden: immer wieder wurde er abgelehnt und so musste er den Wunsch
aufgeben, Priester zu werden und arbeitete als Knecht auf dem elterlichen Hof.
Erst im Alter von 31
Jahren fand Johann 1850 Aufnahme im Kapuzinerkloster
St. Anna - dem heute nach ihm benannten Kloster
St. Konrad - in Altötting mit dem Ordensnamen Konrad und ab 1852
seinen Platz fürs Leben an der Klosterpforte.
41 Jahre lang wirkte
Bruder Konrad an der Pforte, wo er mit Tausenden von Wallfahrern zu
tun hatte, die mit vielerlei Anliegen und Bitten zu ihm kamen. Aber auch
Handwerksburschen und Kinder aus armen Altöttinger Familien
kamen bettelnd an die Pforte, keines von ihnen ging leer aus.
Konrads Name und Ruf
drang weit über die Grenzen Bayerns hinaus. Trotz seines 18-Stunden-Tages an
der Pforte blieb aber das Gebet der Mittelpunkt seines Lebens: stundenlang und
nächtelang, jede freie Minute nutzend, betete er.
Zugleich hatte Konrad ein
außerordentliches Verlangen nach dem Empfang der Eucharistie.
Im Kloster war es üblich, zwei- bis dreimal wöchentlich die Kommunion zu
empfangen, doch Konrads Verlangen war so übermächtig, dass ihm die tägliche
Kommunion erlaubt wurde, die er frühmorgens empfing, um bei den anderen kein
Aufhebens zu machen. Auch die Verehrung des Heilgsten
Herzen Jesu und der Maria waren
ihm ein Anliegen.
Im Alter von mehr als 75
Jahren konnte er seinen Dienst wegen der Beschwerden des Alters nicht mehr
verrichten, aber noch in der Stunde seines Todes raffte er sich von seinem
Lager auf und wollte zur Tür gehen, da er glaubte, dass der stellvertretende
Pförtner die Glocke überhört habe. Dabei brach er zusammen; bis zu seinem Tod
einige Tage später sprach er kein einziges Wort mehr.
In der Kirche des Klosters in
Altötting fand Konrad seine letzte Ruhestätte, sie wurde 1953 in
Bruder-Konrad-Kirche umbenannt. In Konrads Elternhaus in Parzham kann
man sein Geburtszimmer und ein Museum in einem Nebengebäude besichtigen.
Im früher bayerischen
Utweiler -, einem Ortsteil von Gersheim im Saarland - ist die Kapelle Konrad
geweiht. Dort gibt es jedes Jahr den Bruder-Konrad-Ritt, bei dem die
Pferde und Fahrzeuge des Umzugs gesegnet werden.
Kanonisation: Konrad wurde am 15. Juni 1930 von Papst Pius XI. selig- und am 20. Mai 1934 von demselben Papst heiliggesprochen.
Attribute: als Pförtner, Brot austeilend
Patron der katholischen Burschenvereine, des seraphischen Liebeswerks; in
allen Nöten; dritter Patron des Bistums Passau
Bei seinem Besuch in
Bayern im September 2006 würdigte Papst Benedikt XVI. Konrad in seiner Predigt
beim Vesper-Gottesdienst in der Basilika
St. Anna in Altötting:
Er hat sich, wie es der Herr im
Gleichnis empfiehlt, wirklich auf den letzten Platz gesetzt, als demütiger
Pfortenbruder. Er konnte von seiner Zelle aus immer auf den Tabernakel
hinschauen, immer bei ihm sein. Von diesem Blick her hat er die nicht zu
zerstörende Güte gelernt, mit der er den Menschen begegnete, die fast ohne
Unterbrechung an seiner Pforte anläuteten - auch manchmal eher bösartig, um ihn
bloßzustellen; auch manchmal ungeduldig und laut: Ihnen allen hat er ohne große
Worte durch seine Güte und Menschlichkeit eine Botschaft geschenkt, die mehr wert
war als bloße Worte.
Worte des Heiligen
Konrads schriftlicher
Nachlass besteht aus einigen wenigen Briefen. In (drei) Briefen an eine Dritt-Ordens-Schwester
spricht Konrad über sein geistliches Leben:
Meine Lebensweise besteht nun meistens darin: lieben und leiden, im Staunen und
Anbeten und Bewundern der namenlosen Liebe zu uns armen Geschöpfen. In dieser
Liebe meines Gottes komme ich an kein Ende. Da hindert nichts, da bin ich immer
mit meinem lieben Gott auf das innigste vereinigt. …
Auch bei meinen vielen Geschäften bin ich oft umso inniger mit ihm vereinigt.
Ich rede da ganz vertraulich wie ein Kind mit seinem Vater. Ich klage ihm da
meine Anliegen, meine Bitten, was mich am meisten drückt. Dann bitte ich ihn,
er möchte mir diese und jene Gnade verleihen - aber mit recht kindlichem
Vertrauen, ja mit recht großem Vertrauen.
Habe ich gefehlt, dann bitte ich recht demütig, er möchte mir wieder verzeihen,
ich will ja ein recht gutes Kind werden. Ich will ihn dann umso inniger lieben.
Und das Mittel, das ich gebrauche, mich in der Demut und Sanftmut zu üben, ist
kein anderes als das Kreuz. Dieses ist mein Buch. Nur ein Blick auf das Kreuz
lehrt mich in jeder Gelegenheit, wie ich mich zu verhalten habe. Da lerne ich
Geduld und Demut, Sanftmut und jedes Kreuz mit Geduld zu ertragen. Ja, es wird
mir süß und leicht. (Brief vom 28. April 1872)
Bemühen wir uns recht, ein recht innerliches, in Gott verborgenes Leben zu
führen; denn es ist so gut mit dem lieben Gott umzugehen. Wenn wir wahrhaft
innerlich sind, so wird uns daran nichts hindern, auch mitten in den
Geschäften, die unser Beruf mit sich bringt, insofern wir es nicht selber sind
(die uns hindern). Lieben wir ja recht das Stillschweigen, denn eine Seele, die
viel redet, wird nie zu einem wahrhaft innerlichen Leben kommen. (Brief
vom 6. August 1872)
Konrads innige Gottverbundenheit: Was mich betrifft, du möchtest es
vielleicht wissen, wie es mir geht. Es geht mir immer gut. Ich bin immer
glücklich und zufrieden in Gott; ich nehme alles mit Dank von dem lieben
Himmelvater an, sind es Leiden oder Freuden. Er weiß ja, was für uns das Beste
ist und so bin ich immer glückselig in Gott.
Ich bin bemüht, ihn recht zu lieben. O das ist ja oft mein einziger Kummer,
dass ich so wenig ihn liebe. … Ja ich möchte ein Seraph der
Liebe sein, ich möchte ja oft alle Geschöpfe anrufen, dass sie mir doch meinen
lieben Gott lieben helfen. Ich muss schließen. Ich komme zu weit. Die Liebe hat
keine Grenzen. (Brief vom 6. August 1872)
Quelle: G. Bergmann:
Bruder zwischen gestern und morgen - Konrad von Parzham. Passau 1974, S. 212,
217, 218
zusammengestellt von Abt em. Dr. Emmeram Kränkl OSB,
Benediktinerabtei Schäftlarn,
für die Katholische
SonntagsZeitung
Im ehemaligen Gutshof von Konrads Eltern in Parzham wurde eine Gedenkstätte eingerichtet; sie ist von April bis Oktober werktags von 9 Uhr bis 18 Uhr, sonntags erst ab 12 Uhr, im Winter werktags von 10 Uhr bis 16 Uhr, sonntags erst ab 12 Uhr geöffnet. (2021)
Das Kloster
St. Konrad in Altötting mit seiner umfangreichen Ausstellung über
Konrad ist täglich von 8.30 Uhr bis 19.30 Uhr geöffnet. (2020)
Artikel
kommentieren / Fehler melden
Suchen bei amazon: Bücher über
Konrad von Parzham
Wikipedia: Artikel über
Konrad von Parzham
Fragen? - unsere FAQs
antworten!
Impressum - Datenschutzerklärung
Schauen Sie sich zufällige Biografien an:
Haido
von Stanos
Eulalius
von Syrakusai
Urban
von Langres
Unser Reise-Blog:
Reisen zu den Orten, an denen die
Heiligen lebten und verehrt werden.
Zum Schutz
Ihrer Daten: mit 2 Klicks empfehlen!
Autor: Joachim
Schäfer - zuletzt aktualisiert am 19.03.2021
Quellen:
• Vera Schauber, Hanns Michael Schindler: Heilige und Patrone im Jahreslauf. Pattloch, München 2001
• http://www.zenit.org/german/visualizza.phtml?sid=94633 nicht mehr erreichbar
• http://www.pnp.de/lokales/news.php?id=56125 nicht mehr erreichbar
• Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, begr. von Michael Buchberger. Hrsg. von Walter Kasper, 3., völlig neu bearb. Aufl., Bd. 6. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1997
• Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz. In: Friedrich-Wilhelm Bautz (Hg.): Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon, Bd. I, Hamm 1990
• https://www.donaukurier.de/archiv/der-heilige-klosterpfoertner-3175806 - abgerufen am 07.02.2024
•
https://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/saarland/homburg/blieskastel/der-bruder-konrad-ritt-in-utweiler_aid-22806539
- abgerufen am 07.02.2024
korrekt zitieren: Joachim Schäfer: Artikel Konrad von Parzham, aus dem Ökumenischen Heiligenlexikon - https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienK/Konrad_von_Parzham.html, abgerufen am 21. 4. 2024
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet das Ökumenische
Heiligenlexikon in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte
bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über https://d-nb.info/1175439177 und https://d-nb.info/969828497 abrufbar.
Source : https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienK/Konrad_von_Parzham.html
Die
katholische Pfarrkirche St. Konrad von Parzham in Mendorferbuch bei Hohenburg
in der Oberpfalz
Den hellige Konrad av
Parzham (1818-1894)
Minnedag: 21.
april
Skytshelgen for portnere,
den katolske studentforeningen, Det Serafiske Barmhjertighetsarbeidet; i all
nød; tredje skytshelgen for bispedømmet Passau (siden 1984)
Den hellige Konrad ble
født som Johann Evangelist Birndorfer den 22. desember 1818 i landsbyen Parzham
i Rottdalen ved Passau i Niederbayern i Sør-Tyskland. Han var niende og yngste
sønn i en from bondefamilie og hans livsoppgave syntes å være landbruket. Men
helt fra barndommen skilte han seg fra de andre bondebarna gjennom sin
naturlige fromhet. Han ba rosenkransen på skoleveien, stiftet fred blant sine
slåsslystne kamerater og hadde fra barnsben av en dyp kjærlighet til Guds
Mor Maria i
sitt hjerte.
Farens tidligere død da
Johann var 16 år gjorde at han måtte hjelpe til med å forsørge familien ved å
arbeide sammen med sine søsken på familiens åkre. Det harde arbeidet ga ham
indre ro til stadige samtaler med Gud. På søndager dro han vekk fra huset. Uten
å ta til seg næring valfartet han til pilegrimsstedene på hjemstedet, og i
timevis knelte han i bønn i kirkene. Ordknapp og fullstendig innadvendt gikk
han sin egen vei. Han fant også tid til praktisk nestekjærlighet.
I 1849 kunne han som
31-åring endelig gi avkall på sin arv og overlate gården til sine søsken. Han
trådte inn som legbror hos kapusinerne (Ordo Fratrum Minorum Capuccinorum –
OFMCap) i klosteret St. Anna i Altötting, det største Maria-valfartsstedet i
Sør-Tyskland. Hundretusener av pilegrimer kommer hvert år til «Det hellige
kapellet» fra karolingisk tid for å ære nådebildet av «Den svarte Madonna» som
står over sølvtabernaklet, og se de sølvinnfattede hjertene til alle bayerske landfyrster
siden kurfyrst Maximilian.
Johann avla sine
høytidelige løfter i klosteret Laufen ved Salzach i 1852 med klosternavnet
Konrad. Deretter vendte han tilbake til Altötting og ble innsatt som portner i
St. Anna. Han skulle bli i dette embetet i 41 år, og ved helligkåringen ga pave
Pius XI ham tilnavnet «Den evige portner». Oppgaven var alt annet enn lett for
den blyge bonden fra landet, som plutselig ble klosterets «ansikt utad» for de
hundretusenvis av pilegrimer som år etter år kom til Altötting. Han måtte
besvare spørsmål, utføre all slags oppdrag og ønskemål og ta seg av de mange
tiggerne. Konrad kom aldri med noen unødvendig ord, men han hadde et vennlig
ord til alle, særlig pilegrimer, fattige og barn. Ingen gikk noensinne fra ham
uten at hans ærend var blitt oppfylt, «i kjærlighet til Gud og menneskene,
pliktoppfyllende og ydmyk», som pave Pius XI sa ved helligkåringen.
I hvert ledig øyeblikk
gikk Konrad et par skritt vekk fra porten til et lite vindu, som ga innsyn i
kirken og til alteret. Da sank han hen i bønn, til klokken igjen kalte ham til
porten. Den korte tiden han hadde til overs etter 16 til 18 timers tjeneste,
brukte han til bønn. Ham hadde knapt tid til å sove. Konrad var nestekjærlig,
tålmodig og taktfull, og han hadde også ry for å lese hjertenes hemmeligheter
og å utøve profetisk nådegave. Hans yndlingsuttrykk var «I Guds navn».
Til sitt 76. leveår
tjente Konrad i daglig troskap til sin oppgave. Men en dag sa den utslitte
broderen til sin guardian: «Nå klarer jeg ikke mer». Tre dager senere, den 21.
april 1894, døde han og ble gravlagt i kapusinerkirken St. Anna i Altötting.
Den skiftet i 1953 navn til Bruder-Konrad-Kirche. Det finnes et fotografi av
ham på dødsleiet. Siden slutten av 50-årene har hans relikvier hvilt i et
sølvskrin under et eget alter i kirken. I sitt siste brev til søsteren bekjente
han: «Jeg har det alltid bra. Jeg er alltid lykkelig og tilfreds i Gud. Alt tar
jeg takknemlig imot fra den himmelske Fars hender, enten det er lidelse eller
glede. Han vet godt hva som er best for oss».
Konrad ble saligkåret den
15. juni 1930 og helligkåret pinsedag den 20. mai 1934 av pave Pius XI
(1922-39), en rask prosedyre etter datidens standard. Da var
nasjonalsosialismens hovmod allerede blitt utålelig i Tyskland. I sin preken
stilte paven hovmod og ydmykhet opp mot hverandre. Han viste tyskerne at den
enkle ordensbrorens vei var veien til sann storhet. Tusenvis av vokslys brant
den dagen i Peterskirken i Roma for å minne om alle lys som dag og natt brenner
foran den svarte Madonnaen i Altötting.
Konrad av Parzham har
minnedag 21. april. Hans navn står i Martyrologium Romanum. Han blir fremstilt
i brun kapusinerdrakt, med hvitt skjegg og kors («Korset er min bok»). Ved det
barokke alteret med nådebildet av den svarte madonna i Altötting er det en
knelende sølvstatue av ham på den ene siden; på den andre siden kneler kurfyrst
Maximilian Josef. Siden 1984 har han vært tredje skytshelgen for bispedømmet
Passau.
Kilder:
Attwater/John, Attwater/Cumming, Farmer, Butler (IV), Benedictines, Bunson,
Engelhart, Schnitzler, Schauber/Schindler, Melchers, Gorys, Dammer/Adam,
Index99, KIR, CSO, Patron Saints SQPN, Infocatho, Bautz, Heiligenlexikon -
Kompilasjon og oversettelse: p. Per Einar Odden -
Opprettet: 1999-09-06 20:47 - Sist oppdatert: 2006-01-04 15:04
SOURCE : http://www.katolsk.no/biografier/historisk/kparzham
Voir aussi : https://web.archive.org/web/20210308110140/https://www.capuchins.org/documents/conrad.bio.2017.0728.pdf
