Beatified by Pope John Paul II on June 26, 1996, in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Karl Leisner was the first from the Schoenstatt Movement to receive the honor of the altars. Marked by an intimate love for Mary and a profound enthusiasm for Christ and the Church, he is an outstanding figure of the Catholic youth movement of the 1930s. His encounter with Schoenstatt, his attachment to the Shrine of the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt and the community of Schoenstatt groups gave him the strength for an intense and responsible commitment as a youth leader, for sacrificial dedication to the suffering Christ in the concentration camp, and finally for unreserved witness to Christ in the giving of his life as a martyr.
Thoughts, Places and Testimonies
Karl Leisner has many friends. His devotion proves to be creative. We look at places and testimonies of his devotion. Read also the thoughts of Dr. Peter Wolf.International Karl Leisner Circle
An almost complete list of places and testimonies of devotion to Blessed Karl Leisner can be found on the homepage of the International Karl Leisner Circle. Click on the following keywords: Sculptures / Windows / Paintings / Buildings / Bells / Streets / Songs and Texts / Liturgical Memory / Name Bearers / RelicsBiographical
Here you will get a first overview of the most important dates of his life.
A devotional image includes a description of his life, a meditation and intercessions.
The picture gallery about Karl Leisnershows the stages of his life in pictures and picture montages.
Here you can read a short biography about Karl Leisner complemented by some audio spots by Dr. Bernhard Mucha and an eyewitness account (video) of his secret ordination to the priesthood in a concentration camp.
Insights into his vocational path are given by excerpts from his diary and from letters:
Part 1 / Part 2
The bronze sculpture of Johannes Potzler is interpreted in the meditation
Victor in vinculis by Dr. Bernd Biberger.
Materials
The following materials can be downloaded, saved and/or printed:
- Karl Leisner texts (pdf)
- Karl Leisner Eucharistic celebration (pdf)
- The “Rosary for Priestly Vocations with Blessed Karl Leisner”, which you can also download and print out, is very popular.
- Prayer to blessed Karl Leisner for Belmonte
- Karl Leisner / Sister Emilie Engel – Pentecost novena 2008
Books
If you want to get more information about Karl Leisner, the following writings can be a good help:
- Hermann Gebert: Geschichte einer Berufung Karl Leisner (1915-1945)
- Joachim Schmiedl: Mit letzter Konsequenz Karl Leisner 1915 – 1945
- René Lejeune; Wie Gold im Feuer geläutert Karl Leisner (1915-1945)
- H.-K. Seeger, G. Latzel: Karl Leisner – Priesterweihe und Primiz im KZ Dachau
- Wegstationen Karl Leisners in der Erzdiözese Freiburg
- H-K. Seeger (Hrsg.), Karl Leisners letztes Tagebuch
- Arnaud Join-Lambert, Ganz und ungeteilt – 15 Tage mit Karl Leisner
- Oskar Bühler, Das Schönstatt-Heiligtum “Wiege der Heiligkeit” für den sel. Karl Leisner
- H.-K. Seeger, G. Latzel, Karl Leisner – Tagebücher und Briefe – Eine Lebenschronik
- Rundbriefe des Internationalen Karl-Leisner-Kreises (Links)
Archive
Photo report about the celebration of the 70th anniversary of death
by Karl Leisner on August 12, 2015 on Mount Moriah
Sermon
New devotional picture
Ceremony and consecration of a Karl Leisner monument
on the 70th anniversary of Karl Leisner’s ordination to the priesthood:
on moriah.de – on schoenstatt.de
Radio broadcasts:
Radio Horeb – seven broadcasts in the series “Spirituality” 2014/2015.
Homepages:
http://www.moriah.de/leisner/horeb-2014.html
https://www.moriah.de/haus/Dachau-Altar/index.html
https://www.moriah.de/Leisner/index.html
