When St. Clement Mary Hofbauer began his career, his dreams of the priesthood probably seemed impossible. The training was expensive, and he was the poor son of a butcher. Yet through the grace of God, he not only received a proper education and became a priest – he also became such an influential missionary and spiritual director that he won the moniker “the Apostle of Vienna,” and was declared the city’s patron saint in 1914.
As we observe the anniversary of his passing on March 15, we invite you to learn about his life, legacy, and where you can find him portrayed in the Basilica.
Clement’s Early Life
Born in Moravia in 1751, Clement Mary Hofbauer was the son of a German woman and a Czech man. Baptized as John, he was the ninth out of 12 children, and grew up with little financial means. Unfortunately, his family’s situation meant that his dreams of the priesthood were out of reach; the training was too expensive, so he began working for a baker.*
Surprisingly, this profession eventually gave him the opportunity to study; when he transferred to work in a monastery kitchen, he was permitted to join the classes in its Latin school. He later began living as a hermit there, but Emperor Joseph II’s termination of hermitages forced him to return to Vienna.
A Divine Appointment
Despite these obstacles, God had not forgotten John; it was not much later that He brought two generous women into John’s life who would change everything. Where exactly they met is disputed by differing accounts; some hold that it was in Rome, others, that it was at the Viennese Cathedral of St. Stephen, where John hailed a carriage for them as they waited in the rain after Mass. Upon hearing of his plight, the two women offered to fund the education of both John and his friend Thaddeus at the University of Vienna.
Thanks to their generosity, John and Thaddeus completed their studies and joined the Redemptorists in Rome. When they were ordained in 1785, John took the name Clement. Originally, they had intended to work in Vienna, but as the emperor once again placed restrictions on religious life there, the two eventually settled in Warsaw, Poland, where they began their missionary undertakings.
Clement and Thaddeus’ Ministry
Their work was not without its challenges. At first, their resources were so scant that they had to preach outdoors, but they didn’t allow difficulties to discourage them. For nearly a decade, they gave multiple sermons in both German and Polish every day at the church of St. Benno, and established an orphanage, a school, and churches in the region. Even there, however, their work was interrupted by political upheaval; at Napoleon’s orders, the Redemptorist order in Warsaw was dissolved in 1808, and Clement was imprisoned and then exiled.
Clement’s Final Years
Over the next 12 years, Clement served in Vienna, continuing to labor tirelessly to care for the underprivileged and foster spiritual development. He became a chaplain for the Ursulines, gained popularity as a confessor, and won the respect of academic and political elites in the region even though his own academic background was limited. These connections no doubt helped him succeed in halting the creation of a German national church, and in establishing a Catholic college.
Throughout his final years, he sought to obtain governmental approval for the Redemptorist order in Vienna, but it wasn’t until after his death that it was granted. Today, he is known as the patron saint of Vienna. You can find him portrayed in the Basilica in the Our Lady of Holy Hostýn Chapel, the Our Lady of Czestochowa Chapel, the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, and in a death mask in the Our Lady of Mariazell Chapel.
Sources:
“Blessed Clement Mary Hofbauer,” New Advent.
“Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer,” Britannica.
“Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer,” Franciscan Media.
“St. Clement Maria Hofbauer,” Catholic Online.
“St. Clement Mary Hofbauer,” EWTN.
*While most sources indicate that Clement was a baker, the entry on his life in Britannica holds that he was a butcher; whether or not the entry intends to exclude him being a baker at some point is unclear.