We are pleased to share an excerpt from Patrick O’Hearn’s new book Courtship of the Saints published by Tan Books.
Blessed Franz and Franziska Jägerstätter
One of the greatest mistakes biographers of the saints make is to paint a perfect picture of their lives. The following story is about second chances, because, in the words of the famed English author Oscar Wilde, “every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.”213 Every person discerning marriage ought to strive to be pure and spotless for their future spouse. It was said that Christopher Columbus named the Virgin Islands after Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin martyrs. Certainly, Columbus made the connection: there is something sacred and beautiful about a virgin, especially on the wedding night. Hence a bride’s white wedding dress symbolizes purity. And yet, today, fewer women are virgins on their wedding day compared to ages past. Of course, the same sad fate applies to men. Even Saint Paul said about the Church, “That he (Christ) might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). Blessed Franz’s courtship and life is a story of hope because God is a God of second chances. And it is a story about one woman taking a second chance on a future saint.
In the small village of Sankt Radegund, Austria, Franz was born to unwed parents in 1907. Some records indicate his parents were too poor to get married. Perhaps they didn’t have enough money for a proper wedding and reception or to pay the dowry. Sadly, Franz’s father died in World War I. His mother eventually met and married Heinrich Jägerstätter, who would adopt Franz.214 The Jägerstätters attended Sunday Mass and raised Franz in a faith-filled environment. And yet, Franz led a wild and misspent life in his early twenties, rebelling against the Faith of his youth. At the time, he was the first person in his town to own a motorcycle. He allegedly fathered a daughter, Hildegard, with a local maidservant named Theresia Auer.215 Franz agreed to pay child support. Later, he moved away for many years, perhaps embarrassed by the situation
But something changed in his late twenties. He left behind his work in the iron ore industry, became a peasant farmer like his father, and returned home. The simplicity of farming and being near his loved ones certainly helped foster greater virtue. What led to his transformation? Some accounts believe it was meeting his future wife, Franziska, that helped bring Franz back to the Faith. She was a very devout Catholic, possibly even having discerned the religious life. Other accounts believe that Franz already had an interior conversion before meeting Franziska, but that she helped assist with his reversion. It seems likely that Franz’s illegitimate child and departure from his hometown reawakened Franz’s faith and allowed him to start over.216 In fact, a priest, Father Karobath, expressed that Franz became interested in religious life himself following his conversion, but that he dissuaded Franz because he was set to run the family farm.217 Many spiritual directors today tell recent converts or reverts, especially those who had been living in serious sin, to wait at least a year before applying to the seminary or religious life. The same would apply to entering the marriage state. The Divine Healer must heal the soul before it can truly be given away in love.
After his struggles with sin, Franz became even more convinced of the type of woman he wanted to marry, namely, a godly one. Franz was apparently a changed man, but would Franziska welcome such a man into her heart—a man who had not been pure? A man who used other women? A man who likely fathered a child? The details surrounding how and where Franziska met Franz are not clear. They likely met in the small town of Santk Radegund where they grew up. Today the population is less than one thousand people. Perhaps they met each other for the first time at their local Catholic parish. God’s calling was right before their eyes, but the timing was critical. A godly man will be hard-pressed to find his wife if she is living in serious sin, and the same for a godly woman. Had Franz not wasted so many years, maybe he would have encountered Franziska earlier.
And yet, one thing is clear: Franziska gave Franz another opportunity to pursue a woman properly and purely. This time, Franz would pursue Franziska out of love, not lust, unlike his relationship with Theresia. To play off the words of Saint Maria Goretti’s mother, who forgave the man who killed her daughter, Franziska could say to Franz, “If God loves you and forgives you from your past sins, how can I not do the same for you?
213 Oscar Wilde, Goodreads, goodreads.com/quotes/12620-every -saint-has-a-past-and-every-sinner-has-a.
214 Zahn, In Solitary Witness. The Life of and Death of Franz Jägerstätter, 3.
215 To this day, mystery surrounds whether Franz actually fathered Hildegard. Some of his closest friends deny such claims, but his wild youth also opens the possibility.
216 Zahn, In Solitary Witness, 39.
217 Zahn, 38.
Author Bio – Patrick O’Hearn
Patrick O’Hearn is an author, freelance editor, and literary consultant. He has authored six books, including most recently the Courtship of the Saints: How the Saints Met their Spouses (TAN Books) and co-authored, The Grief of Dads: Support and Hope for Catholic Fathers Navigating Child Loss (Ave Maria Press). You can visit his website at patrickrohearn.com.
