It’s far from a secret now—I’m studying the Passionists in China between 1924 and the early to mid-1950s. Their stories intertwine with those of nuns from the Sisters of St. Joseph from Baden, Pennsylvania, and the Sisters of Charity from
This month I’ll be traveling to Boston College to participate in a scholarly history conference, “Bridging Faith and Nations: Passionist Missionary Footsteps in Republican China.” It’s destined to be a watershed moment. Over two decades ago in April 2005, I
When a writer takes a while to update her website, you know that something is cooking in the background. The photo for this post offers a hint that my creative brain isn’t in Germany anymore. I’ve mentioned in many a
Learn more about Fr. Viktor’s early life, and the “story behind the story”—how the Koch family discovered this nearly-forgotten episode in our family history. On May 28th, my father Gary and I were invited to conduct a Zoom presentation for
You might think that the Koch family passed this story down through the generations like a gilded heirloom. On the contrary, we never knew it happened. When Joe Koch visited Fr. Viktor in June 1945, he sensed a pall falling
How do we know that Fr. Viktor’s story is true? It’s literally etched in stone. In 1947, two years after Fr. Viktor defended Schwarzenfeld from U.S. forces, newly elected mayor Norbert Gindele signed documents that declared the American Passionist an
In the midst of oppression and hardship, the people of Schwarzenfeld had a pastime that served as a welcome distraction. They loved speculating about what the Nazis were doing in Fr. Viktor’s monastery. The first years were limited to disgruntled
She’s easy to spot in the snapshots that American Signal Corps photographers took during the funeral. And, she has an interesting story to tell. Her name is Zita Mueller. I mentioned her once in a previous post, and had the
There is an obscure, yet intriguing detail behind the funeral ceremony that occurred on April 25, 1945. It honored both Christian and Jewish traditions. Among the photos that Signal Corps photographers captured in Schwarzenfeld during the harrowing 48-hour ordeal, there
On this day 80 years ago, the 48-hour ultimatum ended without a bullet fired. To the Schwarzenfelders it was tantamount to a miracle. In the early afternoon, Schwarzenfeld’s five hundred men, women and children assembled in a grim human wall
