Memorial Service for Franziska Jagerstatter Sept 29, 2013 in Philadelphia PA... message from Mary Beth Appel, House of Grace Catholic Worker

[Frank Cordaro]

------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mary Beth Appel <eini...@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, Sep 18, 2013 at 7:43 PM





Dear Friends,


We are writing on behalf of Catholic Peace Fellowship
http://www.catholicpeacefellowship.org/Home.html to invite you to a
memorial service in honor of Franziska Jagerstatter on Sunday, Sept.
29th, 2013. Franziska, widow of Austrian conscientious objector and
martyr, Blessed Franz Jagerstatter, died March 16, 2013. She was 100
years old. Johanna had the privilege of attending Franz's
beatification in Linz, Austria in 2007. At that time, she also had the
privilege of meeting Franziska and other family members. We are so
pleased that CPF has planned this event. It is so important to honor
and remember Franziska for the witness and sacrifice that she made
together with her husband, Franz in resisting the Nazi's. The evening
promises to be informative and inspiring. We hope that you can join
us.

See below for details.


Peace,
Mary Beth and Johanna
House of Grace Catholic Worker
----




Memorial Service for Franziska Jägerstätter
Sunday, September 29, 2013, 4:30 PM
St. Malachy Church, 1429 N. 11th Street, Philadelphia,PA 19122


Expected Guests:
Aloisia and Maria Jägerstätter Franz and Franziska’s daughters, and
Elisabeth Jungmeier, Pax Christi Austria


Reflections:
Johanna Berrigan (House of Grace Catholic Worker, attended Franz’s
beatification)
Tom Gumbleton (Bishop and Friend of Franziska)
John P. McNamee (Priest, Poet,visited Franziska with Aileen and
Robert McGovern*)


The witness for which we honour Franz Jägerstätter was ajoint witness.
… His was the dramatic action;
hers to live out that act of resistance… Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, 1987



Franziska Schwaninger Jägerstätter 1913 - 2013
Franziska, the widow ofAustrian conscientious objector and martyr
Franz Jägerstätter, died March 16,2013, two weeks after celebrating
her 100th birthday. Franzwas beheaded on August 9, 1943, for his
refusal to take the oath of inductionfor conscription into the Nazi
military. He was 36 years of age. OnOctober 26, 2007, Franz was
declared Blessed of the Catholic Church in Linz,Austria, the site of
his heroic refusal.


Franziska and Franz metat a social event in 1935 two years after Franz
inherited his family farm in StRadegund. Franz (28) and Franziska
(23) married on April 9, 1936. In 1940 Franz was called up for the
first period of military service. At the time his mother Rosalia was
inhospital, and Franziska who only just had their third child would be
responsiblefor the management of the farm in Franz’s absence. Franz
returned from that military servicedetermined that he would not serve
again. He and Franziska had two years of anxious anticipation that he
would becalled up again. Franziska said of thistime: “In the
beginning, I really beggedhim not to put his life at stake, but then
when everyone was quarrelling withhim and scolding him… I didn’t do it
any more…”, and: “If I had not stood by him he would have had no one.”


The honor of the beatification was an acknowledgment of Franz’s
courageand conviction. It was also acelebration of Franziska and a
recognition of the material, social andpsychological suffering she
experienced as a result of Franz’s imprisonment andhis martyrdom.


Generous donations to CPF received in memory of Marguerita McSorley
Walsh (another woman of deep faith)
make this memorial possible.