Name/Title
Bishop Konrad Martin Burial StoneEntry/Object ID
10.02.017Description
Bishop Konrad Martin Burial Stone located in the Paderborn Cathedral.
In 1850, Mother Clara joined the Sisters of Christian Charity in Paderborn where she taught and worked with orphaned children. In 1859, desiring to create a new community, Mother Clara appealed to Martin who ultimately granted approval. Over the next fifteen years, he supported Mother Clara and her fellow Sisters. During the 1870s, Kulturkampf caused significant strife between the Prussian government and Catholic Church in Germany, and Martin was arrested on August 4th, 1874. The following year, Mother Clara visited the bishop in his prison cell where he bestowed on her special authority ordinarily reserved for clergy. Known as the "Burning Seal", Mother Clara never divulged this secret. Several months later Martin escaped from the prison and fled to the Netherlands where he found refuge with the Sisters of Christian Charity. While in exile, he died in Belgium on July 16th, 1879.Context
Born in Germany in 1827, Mother Clara Pfaender founded the Franciscan Sisters, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, in 1860. With a focus on education, nursing and care for orphaned children, the women reached out to those in need. In the following years, Sisters were sent to nations such as France, the Netherlands and the United States. There, they gained increased autonomy when America became a province in 1884, and by the early 20th Century, their health and education ministries included locations in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Colorado. Looking to relocate, in 1947 land was purchased in Wheaton, Illinois and a new motherhouse was completed in 1955. As time passed, the Sisters continued to develop their healthcare ministry and addressed pressing issues such as Polio, Aids and affordable housing. During the early 21st Century, they celebrated the 150th anniversary of the congregation and found new sponsorships for their healthcare and housing ministries. Today, the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters continue to follow in the spirit of Mother Clara Pfaender by responding to the needs of the Church and our times.Lexicon
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Please contact the WFS Archives (archives@wfsisters.org) for further information or materials requests.