Franz Jägerstätter
1907-1943 20th century Feast day: May 21
A conscience that cannot be bought by anyone, even when everyone advises giving in.
Who was Franz Jägerstätter?
An Austrian farmer from Sankt Radegund, sacristan, husband and father of three daughters, he refused to swear the oath to Hitler and to fight in a war he judged unjust, alone against his village, his pastors and his own fear. Guillotined in Berlin in 1943, he left prison letters and notebooks of overwhelming clarity. He was beatified in 2007.
In their own words
Better to have one's hands bound than one's will.
Neither prison nor chains nor death can separate a man from the love of God, or rob him of his faith and his free will.