Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer

Biography

Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer, also known as the Apostle of Vienna, was born on December 26, 1751, in Tasswitz, Moravia (in the modern Czech Republic), as John Dvorák. He was the ninth child of a butcher, and his family later changed their surname from the Moravian Dvorák to the Germanic Hofbauer. When Clement was just six years old, his father passed away, leaving the family in a difficult financial situation. From a young age, Clement felt a calling to the priesthood. However, his family was too poor to afford his education. As a result, he became an apprentice and journeyman baker at the Premonstratensian monastery in Bruck, Germany. During this time, Clement also lived as a hermit in some hermitages. However, Emperor Joseph II abolished hermitages, forcing Clement to work as a baker in Vienna, Austria. Following his time as a hermit in Italy with Peter Kunzmann, Clement decided to become a Redemptorist. While on three pilgrimages to Rome, he joined the Redemptorists at San Giuliano and added the name "Marie" to his own. During the third pilgrimage to Rome, Clement met some sponsors who agreed to pay for his education. He subsequently studied at the University of Vienna and in Rome before being ordained as a priest in 1785. Clement was then assigned to Vienna, where he served as a missionary. From 1786 to 1808, Clement, along with several companions, undertook a missionary mission in Warsaw, Poland. In Poland, they worked tirelessly to assist the poor, build schools, and establish orphanages. The Redemptorist brothers preached five sermons a day, displaying their commitment to spreading the Gospel and ministering to the people. Clement also became a spiritual teacher to Venerable Joseph Passerat and, along with Father Thaddeus Hubl, introduced the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer to Poland. Moreover, he sent Redemptorist missionaries to Germany and Switzerland. However, in 1808, when Napoleon suppressed religious orders, Clement and his companions were imprisoned, and eventually, they were expelled to Austria. Despite this setback, Clement continued his work as a noted preacher and spiritual director in Vienna. He became chaplain and spiritual director of an Ursuline convent and became instrumental in founding a Catholic college in the city. Throughout his life, Clement worked tirelessly with young men, helping to revitalize religious life in Germany. He fought against the establishment of a German national Church and Josephinism, which sought secular control over the Church and its clergy. Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer died on March 15, 1820, in Vienna, Austria, of natural causes. His heroic virtue was recognized in a decree by Pope Blessed Pius IX on May 14, 1876, and he was beatified by Pope Leo XIII on January 29, 1888. Pope Pius X canonized him on May 20, 1909, and he was named the patron saint of Vienna, Austria, by Pope Saint Pius X in 1914. Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer, the Second Founder of the Redemptorists, remains a revered figure for his tireless dedication to the poor, his commitment to promoting Catholic education, and his efforts to preserve the independence of the Church from secular influence. His life and work serve as an inspiration for all who seek to follow the path of faith and service.