Blessed Otto Neururer

Biography

Blessed Otto Neururer, also known as Ottone Neururer, was born on 25 March 1881 in Piller, Tyrol, Austria. He was the twelfth and youngest child of a peasant family, growing up on a small farm with a mill. Unfortunately, his father passed away when Otto was still young, leaving his mother to raise the children on her own. Although his mother was devout, she suffered from periodic bouts of depression.

Otto was known as a brilliant but timid young man who also battled depression himself. However, despite his personal struggles, he felt a strong calling to serve God and pursued his vocation by attending seminary at Brixen, Italy. After completing his studies, he was ordained a priest.

Throughout his priesthood, Blessed Otto Neururer served as a curate and religion teacher in various places within the diocese. During the early 20th century, ideological and social tensions arose in Tyrol, both in political and ecclesiastical circles. Otto joined the Christian Social Movement, which sought to address these issues. However, his involvement in this movement caused problems with his more conservative superiors.

In 1938, the Nazis occupied the Tirol region of Austria. This occupation triggered a brutal persecution of the Church, with thousands of faithful Catholics being harassed, interrogated, imprisoned, and even murdered. At that time, Father Otto Neururer was serving as a parish priest in Gotzens, Austria.

Father Otto's courageous actions during this tumultuous period led to his arrest and imprisonment. He had counseled a girl in his parish not to marry a divorced man who was leading a dissolute life, which angered the Nazis. The man happened to be a personal friend of the Gauleiter, the highest Nazi authority in the Tyrol region. As a result, Otto was accused of "slander to the detriment of German marriage" and promptly arrested.

He was first taken to Dachau concentration camp and then transferred to Buchenwald. Throughout his time in these camps, Blessed Otto Neururer endured unimaginable suffering, including routine torture. Despite the harsh conditions, he continued to minister to his fellow prisoners, providing spiritual comfort and even sharing his meager rations with those who were weaker.

It was in Buchenwald that Otto encountered a prisoner who approached him, expressing a desire to be baptized. Though suspicious of a possible trap, Otto could not refuse the request. Unfortunately, just two days later, he was transferred to the "bunker," a place of extreme punishment within the camp. There, he was hanged upside down until he died, becoming the first priest killed in a concentration camp.

Following his martyrdom, the relics of Blessed Otto Neururer, represented by an urn containing his ashes, were venerated at Gotzens, Austria. In recognition of his courage and faith, Pope John Paul II declared him blessed on 24 November 1996, and his feast day is celebrated on 30 May.

Blessed Otto Neururer's life serves as an example of unwavering dedication to his faith and the courageous defense of Christian principles, even in the face of persecution and death.