Introduction
Since so many have expressed an interest in the life story of the Foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Charity we have decided to put for all to read, the biography written by a contemporary in 1905. This anonymous person, surely a member of the Congregation, has written her story with love and attention. It is now published here world-wide for all who know the English language to read.
CHAPTER ONE
Mother Franziska’s Childhood and Youth
Franziska Lechner was born on January 2, 1833[1] in the friendly village of Edling situated near Wasserburg in Bavaria. Her parents, Xaver and Marie were a truly God—fearing Christian couple who lived on the income from their considerable property. Her father was also occupied with transporting food and goods for the farmers of his village to the capitol, Munich, because at that time there was still no rail line. Because of this, he and his family were well known far and wide. He was also well liked because of his honesty, goodness and outgoing friendliness.
These beautiful qualities were soon evident in Franziska, called “Franzi” at home, who soon became the darling of her parents and her sisters, among whom she was the fifth in order of birth. From her earliest childhood, she had a special joy in learning little prayers. It was her old nurse, Resi, who, also considering Franzi her special darling, taught her these and had the little one recite them daily. She did this, not mechanically, but with devotion and zeal so that the nurse thought that surely something great would become of her Franzi. She enjoyed praying these childhood prayers also later, especially while traveling, when during the journeys she had enough time to pray.
Franzi never had to be reminded of morning and evening prayer and usually performed these devotions in front of the crucifix which is still in the sisters’ choir of the Mother House of the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Charity in Vienna. Earlier this was the property of the Benedictine Monastery of Attel near Wasserburg in Bavaria, where it was hung in the oratory of the cloister. At the suppression of the monastery the cross came into the possession of Franzi’s grandfather. He, as well as his family and descendants, always considered it a family treasure. Later, after Franziska founded the first institute of her congregation in Vienna the crucifix was brought at her request and hung in a place of honor in the convent chapel, from where it was later brought to the choir of the new Mother House. Franzi participated at Mass with such attention that those present were deeply touched by the sight of this “angel in human form”.
Her intelligence developed unusually early. Her father’s cleverness contributed to this. When she was permitted to accompany him on the drive to the market, she had to, among other things, tell him the name of this and that town and relate what she had seen here and there. He paid strict attention that his children did not just make the trip in a mindless way and this was a great advantage for the very precocious little one. She also had to re-count the money taken in and, later, under his direction, help with the business accounts, helping Franzi to acquire an unusual ability in arithmetic. In school she was first in industry and good behavior. From the very first year of school she always brought her parents the first prize from the examinations held, according to the custom of the time in city and country schools, in the presence of school and civil authorities. She had great influence on and enjoyed the trust, yes, even the respect of her classmates,--boys and girls were instructed together--which tells of her model behavior and all the virtues of a good student. Therefore she was sought out by her classmates before confession to help them with their examination of conscience and she did this willingly and successfully.
When she was nine years old a priest came to Edling to preach a mission. In one sermon, at which the little one was present, he described the misery of the pagan children and asked his listeners to give small sums to rescue them. Young people, however, who might have a vocation to the religious state, and who wanted to offer their lives for the welfare of the pagans, he encouraged to report to Rosenheim which was some distance from Edling. The result was that Franzi immediately felt herself called to this heroic sacrifice and, keeping it a secret, was determined also to go to the savages with her nine year-old cousin, “Xaverl”. The two children outfitted themselves with the necessities, tied these into two large handkerchiefs and, without telling anyone of their plans, set out the next day. Late at night and totally exhausted they arrived at their Uncle’s house in Seiding where they wanted to spend the night in order to continue their journey the next day. Naturally, the Uncle informed himself about the reason for their coming and the children told him very honestly what had brought them. He calmly let them go to sleep, but immediately sent a messenger to the parents of the fugitives to prevent their further worry and search. The next morning, securely accompanied, Franzi and Xaverl began the trip home.
The good memory and speaking talent of the student, hardly out of the delicate years of childhood, aroused great admiration. She retained very well the sermons and conferences she heard and she often and gladly made use of this special grace. In front of her father’s house was a stately tree with a natural projection which served her as a pulpit from which she repeated the Word of God she had heard and encouraged her listeners, not only children, but also adults, to do good. Such a sermon from the mouth of a child not only won the respect of the older people, but also produced satisfying fruit among the young, especially since Franzi preceded her contemporaries with good example. Once, in school, the pastor explained that love of neighbor must be turned into deeds. At the next opportunity Franzi was seen supporting an old lady as she was walking, then taking a heavy basket from the arm of another woman to carry the load for her, and really being helpful wherever there was need. At her encouragement, the other children also did such little acts of love. They valued praise from her very highly, as well as feared correction from their little mistress almost more than a scolding from their parents. Therefore, when one of the boys or girls did some mischief they would say “If only Franzi doesn’t find out, otherwise I will have a hard time on Sunday!” It was on Sunday afternoons that the children gathered at the “carter’s” as the Lechner house was known in the village and environs, for innocent fun. In good weather they met outside. In bad weather or in winter, Franzi knew how to provide a suitable place where all could devote themselves to their childish activities undisturbed. Nearby was a roomy house belonging to the Lechners and originally built for the retired parents. Since Franziska’s grandparents were already deceased during her childhood, the house was given over to an old couple for their use. Naturally, the little one was also their darling, and so, whenever she needed a meeting place, the two old people would go to church and leave the house for her use. The entire group of children willingly obeyed Franzi’s commands so it rarely happened that the planned recreation was disrupted by the bad behavior of an individual. Franzi selected, and herself arranged, the various games, held little lectures and reprimanded those about whom she had heard complaints in the past week. So attractive was Franzi’s example to all that, those who received correction from her amazingly demonstrated neither spite nor unfriendliness to their strict little superior but tried to repair the fault committed and the next week appeared again at the “carter’s”.
According to custom, the inhabitants of Edling gathered in the church each Saturday after the evening bells’ tolling to recite the rosary. Many children, however, taking no pleasure in this religious practice, often stayed away entirely or disturbed, and even angered those present during their devotions by their unsuitable behavior. Talking and punishment by parents and teachers helped little here. Then Franzi tackled the case. She assigned each boy and girl to a specific place and herself supervised them as the entire community of Edling watched with amazement and admiration, the happy consequences of the energy and influence of this little girl over the lively youths. In a short time none of the children was missing from the rosary, Mass or other public devotions, and order was always preserved in a most praiseworthy manner.
The little one showed a special preference for religious things and convent practices. Her Father often took her along to Wasserburg where there was an institute run by the “English Ladies”[2] so she had several opportunities to see Sisters and to attend the solemn Clothing and other church ceremonies. One of her favorite games came to consist in imitating what she had.seen on such occasions. She made herself a habit according to her childish fantasy and then with admirable earnestness set about the clothing of her companions. For the members of her community she built houses and chapels or churches whose blessings were usually held in very solemn ceremonies. Nearby, her father had a brickworks, and there the little foundress went with her subjects to gather building material for her purposes. Naturally, this always resulted in some disorder and damage, but the father’s strictness toward this activity achieved little with his usually so obedient darling. Franzi, with the help of her faithful following continued to build as she would later do in her richly blessed work for the good of the young and the welfare of so many of the poor.
She dressed the boys as Capuchins by tying cords around their waists and hanging rosaries from them. Why, as a child, she preferred this order can be traced back to the fact that, every year after the harvest, a Capuchin brother came to Edling to collect alms. It was always Franzi and her little cousin, Xaverl, who attached themselves to him and accompanied him from house to house. Franzi, carrying a basket, and Xaverl a sack, they announced the arrival of the religious and talked the owner or housewife into giving him a generous amount. They both had great joy as Franzi’s father then rewarded the charity of the children by carting all the collected things to the Capuchin monastery in Rosenheim the next day.
Even at that time they thought something special would become of this child so richly endowed with wonderful gifts and graces. And it was to be! God wanted to show in this way to the inhabitants of Edling that He intended to use this graced child to do great things for His own glory and the welfare of humanity. In the neighboring State of Austria-Hungary He later permitted Franziska to fulfill in a glorious way all those things, which in childish play and zeal for good, she had practiced in her youth.
Once, Franzi was allowed to go to Altötting to visit the famous image of the Virgin. She went to confession there and the confessor permitted the pious child to go to Holy Communion twice. For Franzi this was an almost unimaginable good fortune; she recounted later that she hardly dared to look up as she walked, because she wanted to keep her heart very pure for this grace. In Altötting she also had an opportunity to see the “English Ladies” and it made a great impression on her to watch them greet the Mother of God with “Ave Maria” whenever they passed her image in the hallway. Soon after returning home she made her decision; she wrote secretly to the Superior in Altötting and asked to be admitted as a candidate, The response, however, fell into her father’s hands and now Franzi received a real scolding for her secret correspondence. Rightly, her father considered her too young for such a decision, and kept strict watch over her to prevent any further secret attempts to request admittance. He took her with him on almost all his trips, and when he couldn’t keep her near him, her elder sister, Caroline, had to watch her. None of this could dissuade Franzi from her desire and yearning for religious life. She assaulted her father with pleading to be allowed at least to go to a convent as a boarding student. Since he had to admit to himself that his little daughter was called by God to something greater, he finally decided to give in to this eager desire of hers and brought her, after completion of her thirteenth year, to the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Munich “an der Au” for further education. Here Franziska made shining progress and was, in a short time, the darling of her teachers as well as the most sought-after and trusted friend of her companions. Unfortunately, details from this time were not preserved; only that her companions often asked her, in the free time, to tell them a story. Fanni—as she was called in the institute—told not only of personal experiences or from her reading, but her creative spirit knew how to compose the most moving tales, for example, of travelers on the sea, who were very near sinking; of oppressed people who found themselves in great need, and who were aided by God’s providential help and so forth. Her fellow students listened with suspense-filled attention and were often moved to tears even though they knew that Franziska usually made up the stories herself. We can imagine that here, too, as with her classmates at home, her popularity with her companions was a good influence on them. After completing the prescribed study time, Franziska brought home to her parents a certificate which permitted her to teach. With this a long-held wish was fulfilled.
[1] Parish records cite January 1, 1833
[2] A Roman Catholic religious congregation.
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