April 21
St. Conrad of Parzham (1818-1894)Juan Evangelista Birndorfer (Conrad) was born on December 22, 1818 in Venushof (Parzham), near Passau (Bavaria).In 1832 he lost his mother, and two years later the father.In 1837 he tried to study with the Benedictines of Metten (Deggendorf), but progress in their education were minimal.On May 19, 1841 came and professed in the Secular Franciscan Order.The year 1849 was transferred to the convent as a postulant Altötting.The September 17, 1851 the Capuchin habit dressed as lay brother in the convent of Laufen, issuing religious profession on October 4, 1852.From 1852 until his death was a porter at the convent of Altötting.He died on April 21, 1894 in Altötting.The canonization process began without delay, concluding in 1930.Pius XI beatified on June 15, 1930, and included it in the catalog of Saints on May 20, 1934.I am always happy and content in God. I warmly thank all that is of beloved Father in heaven, whether pain or joy. He knows very well what is best for us, and so I am always happy in God. I strive to love him very much. Ah, this is very often my only uneasiness I love him so little. Yes, I would be just a seraph of love, I would like to invite all creatures to help me to love my God.(St. Conrad of Parzham)GOALKEEPER OF PROVIDENCEJohn the Evangelist, the second youngest of twelve children, was born in Venushof (Parzham) on December 22, 1818, his parents were Bartolome Birndorfer and Gertrude Nieder-Kindlbach Mayerinn of rich and pious peasants Rott Valley. After attending primary school in Weng, was orphaned at age 16. In this situation, together with the work in the field, sought to strengthen their spiritual life accommodating the pace that marked the Bavarian popular devotions. In fact he liked to participate in the popular missions, processions and pilgrimages, and was enrolled in many groups, fraternities and pious unions. Never ceased to attend Mass, I can get to travel a long distance. Also knew all the churches and shrines in the region.Devotion always accompanied him, being a true living synthesis of all forms of popular piety in Bavaria. Even while working in the field, while giving back to the grass with a rake or throw the I throw hay, prayers rose to heaven. As noted by the wife of a blacksmith Birnbach, "the young man had not been educated Birndorfer to be a farmer, he was not fact but of prayer, penance and almsgiving." But he was a responsible worker. However, little is known of his secular life, and almost nothing of his childhood, because, as he writes his earliest biographer Wolfgang Beyer, "he never spoke of himself." You will be remembered as the "angel of Venus." The sky shone through his eyes. His teammates avoided in his presence, conversations were ambiguous and when I approached said, "Shut up, Johnny coming".At the age of nineteen years tried unsuccessfully to study at the school of the Benedictines of Metten (Deggendorf). In 1841 he professed the rule of the Secular Franciscan Order. At age 31, in 1849, he became a Capuchin brother tertiary Altotting and in 1851 began his novitiate as a lay brother in the convent of Laufen. There was tasked to help the gardener and the gardener of the convent, but after a month, a cold, which became acute bronchitis forced him to bed. Thus began that annoying cough bronchial asthma tormented him for the rest of his life. In the ordeal left the novitiate already a cappuccino finish, so a witness could say, "It was a cappuccino with all your soul and with all the body."His commitment and ideal are well documented in the eleven purposes "made with reflection" in the novitiate, before the profession, inspired by the sense of a man strong and concrete, vivid portrait of the beloved Capuchin spirit and assimilated by Brother Conrad. Those purposes seek God's presence, silence, the meaning of the crosses, retirement, brotherly love, mortification of the tongue and eyes, punctuality in the choir, delicacy and discretion with women, and obedience and devotion to the Virgin inside. A pounding "want" refrain from holiness, reminded again and again the will of faith, obedience and service underlined retrospectively by the Poverello of Assisi in his Testament. It is bare and fleshless purposes that allow a correct reading of many facts and events in the life of Brother Conrad of Parzham after his religious profession (October 4, 1852), when he was sent back to Altötting with the office of porter the convent of Santa Ana (now called S. Conrad), where they remained until his death on April 21, 1894.Brother Conrad, goalkeeper for forty-one years next to the famous shrine of the Virgin, the destination of many pilgrimages, became the benchmark for all kinds of people, especially the poor, destitute, afflicted and children. At the sound of campanillo he ran, opened it, smiled and leaned on the misery. He gave without measure and without judgment, knowingly ignoring the smallest economic laws. He was because people were poor, and hoped the petitions of the poor as alms expects a calling. No one saw him sad or nervous. He was always ready and willing, at all hours of the day and at any time or season. People called him the "holy goalie" and his holiness, made heroic loyalty and a strong Eucharistic and Marian devotion, the simplicity of everyday life, was wrapped in silent prayer and constant charity. So he, also influenced by nature shy and reserved, spoke little, short sentences, but so full of spirit and turned frequently compungían hearts. Their usual words were: "In Gottes Namen, on behalf of God," or "Wie der liebe Gott's will, as the good Lord willing." Brother Conrad's sentences could form a small anthology of short sentences.That was his way of preaching, advising and comforting. It applied to himself the words of the Rule of St. Francis, "with brevity of speech." But the silence was more eloquent than words. His treasure was his secret prayer and silence, as he wrote in a letter dated October 3, 1873: "Let us lead a life far in truly intimate and hidden in God, because it's so beautiful stop with the good God, if we We really picked up, nothing shall prevent, even in occupations that our vocation entails, and we will love much silence because a soul full of talk will never reach a truly life within. " Brother Conrad became methodical and orderly like clockwork: every day at the same time making the same gestures and gave the same steps. Fidelity steel. Always came first on the night prayer and got the privilege of helping Gnadenkapelle first Mass in the Chapel (thanks) and communicate every day, at a time when this was unusual.Brother Conrad was always moving. His face seemed transfigured as he left private prayer, preferably made under the staircase of S. Alejo, who was a small room where he could see the altar of the church and see the shrine. Similarly showed bright when it came time to distribute the food to the poor came to the kitchen and cook's brother, noting that Brother Conrad got the scoop on all the pots, complained jokingly, "lute pans, if not, take all ". He smiled and replied: "All that is given to the poor returns back inside with abundance." It was the best Capuchin tradition, reflecting the shining example of the Poverello.A Brother Conrad liked to read the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis or some other devotional book like The Meditations on the Passion of Christ Martin von Cochem cappuccino, or the Mirror of the virtues of Augustine Ilg. He used to say: "The cross is my only book, a glance at the cross teaches me at all times as I have to behave." His spirituality, clear and essential, it concentrates all autobiographical in these words: "My meaning of life consists mostly of suffering and love in contemplation and in worship, contemplate and admire the nameless love for us poor creatures. I was never the bottom of this love of my God, because nothing hinders me, so I'm always intimately united with my love, and my many occupations I am often so closely connected with it that I speak, and with the confidence that a child has with his father expose my needs, my prayers, that worries me ... I'm always happy and content in God. I warmly thank all that is of beloved Father in heaven, whether pain or joy. He knows very well what is best for us, and so I am always happy in God. I strive to love him very much. Oh, this is very often my only uneasiness I love him so little. Yes, I would be just a seraph of love, would like to invite all creatures to help me to love my God. "He was short in stature in recent years and crept all bent over, his head almost completely bald, except a thick white beard and a crown of hair at the nape. This is represented in the iconography, with the cross in hand or in the act of distributing charity to the poor. It was the second saint of Germany (the first was St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen) after the Protestant Reformation.His cause for canonization was extremely fast, despite all the documentation collected could only be sent to Rome in late 1919 because of the war. Pius XI, who in 1924 favored the process of "holy goalie", proclaimed him blessed in 1930 and 20 May 1934 he enrolled him in the catalog of saints. This trip so fast and straight processing of the case may have seemed the result of "political will" determined, but was, instead, as the Pope said, "The Divine Art of Our Lord to prepare, arrange or combine things so to draw out facts, events and meetings happiest. "But the miracle of the saint's humble figure Parzham brother remains: a life without drama, straight, simple, smooth, almost bottomless, like a wild flower to everyone. He is an imitable model, of course, very easy, no special reliefs. It's a good Bavarian peasant, but gaudy colors of the Bavarians, lean and without the complicated joy of baroque piety. Brother Conrad split with the Catholic Patriotic, it did not find any reference to the country, no nationalism. He represents the proposal of a simple message in the "terrible everyday", which acquires ever deeper tones and intimate and requires prolonged listening and piercing eyes.His feast is celebrated on April 21 and is copatrón Capuchin province of Bavaria and Hungary, and patron of youth organizations, the Seraphic Work of Charity and Catholic youth of Würzburg.
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