Blessed Clemens August Von Galen - Catholic Blessed

Blessed Clemens August Von Galen

Also known as: Lion of Münster

Blessed

Post-Congregation

Feast Day

22-Mar

Born

16 March 1878 at Dinklage Castle, Lower Saxony, Germany

Died

22 March 1946 at Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany of natural causes; interred in the cathedral of Münster

Beatified

9 October 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI; recognition celebrated by Cardinal Saraiva Martins at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy; the beatification miracle involved Hendrikus Nahak, a 16-year old Indonesian whose life was threatened by a particularly dangerous form of appendicitis in 1995 who was healed after his nurse called on Cardinal von Galen to intercede on the boy‘s behalf

Venerated

20 December 2003 by Pope John Paul II (decree of heroic virtues)

Biography

Blessed Clemens August von Galen, also known as the Lion of Münster, was born on 16 March 1878 at Dinklage Castle in Lower Saxony, Germany. He came from one of the oldest German noble families and felt a deep connection to his homeland throughout his life. Von Galen was ordained as a priest on 28 May 1904 in Münster, Germany, and later became the bishop of Münster on 5 September 1933.

Cause for Canonization

Beatified

Beatified2005-10-09 by 9 October 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI; recognition celebrated by Cardinal Saraiva Martins at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy; the beatification miracle involved Hendrikus Nahak, a 16-year old Indonesian whose life was threatened by a particularly dangerous form of appendicitis in 1995 who was healed after his nurse called on Cardinal von Galen to intercede on the boy‘s behalf