János Brenner
15 December | |
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Attributes | Cistercian habit |
János Brenner, O.Cist (Hungarian:
Life
János Brenner was born on 17 December 1931 in the
He attended a
Brenner's first assignment was to be a chaplain in St. Gotthard,[3][1][4] a parish which had over previous centuries been in Cistercian care. After the communists made personal threats against the enthusiastic and idealistic chaplain, his bishop offered to send Brenner elsewhere, but he said, "I'm not afraid" and affirmed his desire to remain where he was.[2][4]
Around midnight on 15 December, 1957 (Brenner was preparing his sermon for 16 December) he was called to give last rites to a supposedly ill man in a neighboring town; he failed to realize that it was a trap.[4] The 17-year-old boy who summoned him had been known to Brenner as an altar server. The young priest took anointing oils and the Eucharist with him in his bag. He was soon ambushed in the woods and stabbed 32 times. He was found dead that morning with the Eucharist still in his hands, earning him the title "Hungarian Tarcisius" since he died in similar circumstances to Tarcisius.[2][3]
Brenner was interred in the family vault in the Salesian church of Saint Quirinus on 18 December.[4] The authorities made a failed attempt to disperse the crowd at his funeral.[3] His ordination motto, taken from Romans 8:28, was inscribed on the tomb: "All things work together for good to those who love God."
Over the years, Catholics continued to venerate Brenner and visited his grave often. In 1989, the Chapel of the Good Pastor was built on the exact spot where the young priest had been murdered.[2] In 1981 a stained glass window was dedicated to him in Saint Elizabeth's Church in his hometown.[4]
Beatification
The beatification process opened under Pope John Paul II on 14 February 2001; the diocesan investigations opened on 3 October 1999 and concluded only a decade later. The Vatican later validated the process on 18 September 2009, and a commission of historians approved the cause on 4 September 2015.
Pope Francis confirmed that Brenner died as a victim "in odium fidei" (in hatred of the faith). On 8 November 2017, the pontiff approved the priest's beatification. The solemn liturgy took place on 1 May 2018, in Szombathely's City Park.
Legacy
Brenner is commemorated, along with Blessed Maria Sagheddu, in an altarpiece at Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Austria.[5]
A Catholic school in Szombathely is named after Brenner, and the school has a bronze statue of the martyr in its courtyard.[6]
In 2023, a
References
- ^ a b c d "Fr. Anastasius John Brenner (1931-1957)". Cistercian Abbey: Our Lady of Dallas. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Father Janos Brenner: Hungarian priest and martyr". Catholic News Agency. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Servant of God János Brenner". Mindszenty Alapítvány. Retrieved 12 November 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Blessed Giovanni Brenner". Santi e Beati. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- ^ "Heart of Monastic Renewal in Europe: Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Austria". NCR. 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Szobrot állítottak Brenner János emlékére Szombathelyen" [Statue erected in memory of János Brenner in Szombathely]. Magyar Kurír (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ Nemzet, Magyar (2023-04-20). "Legyetek szeretettel – egyedülálló történelmi sorozat indul a Hír TV-n a mártírhalált halt Brenner János atyáról". Legyetek szeretettel – egyedülálló történelmi sorozat indul a Hír TV-n a mártírhalált halt Brenner János atyáról (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2024-02-21.