"I have lived for Christ; I want to die for Christ." -Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka's last recorded words
Born in a large family who were shoemakers in Czechoslovakia, Helena Kafka (1894-1943) became a sales clerk, and afterwards joined the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity in 1914. There, she took the the name Restituta (an early Church martyr) and in 1919 she started working as a surgical nurse until 1939. In a hospital wing, she hung a crucifix in all of the rooms, but when the Nazis demanded that she should removed them, she refused. And in 1942 she was arrested and was martyred on the 28th of October. In prison, she cared for the other prisoners, and when she was offered freedom only if she would abandon her religious community, she once again refused.
She was venerated on the 6th of April, 1998, by Pope John Paul II
and beatified on the 21st of June, 1998, by Pope John Paul II
and beatified on the 21st of June, 1998, by Pope John Paul II
2 comments:
CT: You are so good at teaching about these less known saints. I for one have never heard of Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka. Mahalo!
Aunty Esther
You are welcome Aunty Esther! The little known saints are very interesting to read about, and I love to share their story with others. :-)
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