Conrad of Parzham
Konrad von Parzham (* December 22, 1818 in Parzham in the parish of Weng near Bad Griesbach im Rottal as Johann Birndorfer ; † April 21, 1894 in Altötting ) was a lay brother from the Capuchin order . He was canonized in 1934 .
Life
Johann Birndorfer was the eleventh of twelve children of the farmer Bartholomäus Birndorfer and his wife Gertrude Niedermayer. He worked as a servant on his parents' farm in the Rottal , which he was supposed to take over, but felt drawn to God from childhood.
“We have to learn to pray from the Venushof-Hansl”, they said in Parzham about Johann Birndorfer. And: "If he doesn't become a saint, nobody will." In 1849 he entered the St. Anna monastery in Altötting , which has been named after him since 1961. From 1852 he worked there as a porter for 41 years. Since the Capuchins were responsible for looking after the pilgrims in Altötting, this was a very labor-intensive task. He was characterized by zeal for prayer, constant willingness to serve and self-sacrificing love. He was loved by the people and venerated by the pilgrims. Through them his name and reputation penetrated far beyond the borders of Bavaria . He died in 1894. Konrad found his final resting place in the church of the monastery. It was renamed the Brother Konrad Church in 1953.
Adoration
Pope Pius XI proclaimed Konrad von Parzham beatified on June 15, 1930 and canonized on May 20, 1934. The Bavarian and Hungarian Capuchin Province, the Diocese of Passau , the Bonifatiuswerk in Germany and the Seraphic Liebeswerk Altötting elected him as patron and co-patron. A vast number of church and public institutions were named after him: houses of worship and parishes , homes and workshops, kindergartens, educational centers and schools, music circles, orchestras and choirs as well as streets, avenues and pharmacies. His feast day is April 21st.
Every year, various Brother Konrad rides with horse blessings take place.
The House of birth
His birthplace, the Venushof, built in 1750, remained in the possession of his relatives until the 1950s. Then a displaced farmer from Silesia bought the farm. In 1971 the Bruder-Konrad-Verein Parzham e. V. took over the building and erected a place of pilgrimage and memorial here after extensive renovation.
literature
- Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz : Birndorfer, Konrad. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 1, Bautz, Hamm 1975. 2nd, unchanged edition Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-013-1 , Sp. 602.
- Werner Friedenberger (ed.): Brother Konrad von Parzham. One of us. Meeting with a saint. Passau 2010, ISBN 978-3-9813094-0-9 .
- Franz Xaver Hoedl OFMCap: Birndorfer, Konrad. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 2, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1955, ISBN 3-428-00183-4 , p. 259 f. ( Digitized version ).
- Max Huber: Brother Konrad von Parzham. Rooted in God - close to people . Pustet, Regensburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-7917-2060-9 .
- Nikolaus Kuster OFMCap: Konrad von Parzham. Philanthropist and man of God. Topos Plus Verlagsgemeinschaft, Kevelaer 2018, ISBN 978-3-8367-1115-9 .
- Eugen Pacelli : St. Brother Konrad von Parzham. Müller, Munich 1937, OCLC 782032634 .
- Paul H. Schmidt: Monastery porter in Altötting. Jestetten 2009, ISBN 978-3-87449-246-1 .
Web links
- Literature by and about Konrad von Parzham in the catalog of the German National Library
Individual evidence
- ↑ Vatican Radio : On Remembrance Day: Benedict about Brother Konrad ( Memento of October 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), April 21, 2007
- ↑ P. Emmeram Glasschröder: "The blessed brother Konrad - a great childhood friend". Seraphic Child Friend (4.1934), p. 57
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Conrad of Parzham |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Birndorfer, Johann (real name); Brother Konrad |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Capuchin lay brother, saint |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 22, 1818 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Parzham near Bad Griesbach in the Rottal |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 21, 1894 |
| Place of death | Altötting |