02/03/2026
Blessed Engelmar Unzeitig – “The Angel of Dachau”
Blessed Fr. Engelmar Unzeitig was born on 1 March 1911 in Greifendorf (now in the Czech Republic). He joined the Missionaries of Mariannhill (CMM) as a young man and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1939.
He served as a parish priest in Austria during the time of Adolf Hi**er and the N**i regime. Fr. Engelmar courageously preached about love, freedom, and human dignity. Because he defended Jews and spoke against N**i injustice, he was arrested by the Gestapo in 1941.
He was sent to the concentration camp at Dachau Concentration Camp, where many priests were imprisoned. Even in terrible conditions, he continued to show kindness, faith, and hope. When a deadly typhoid epidemic broke out in 1945, he volunteered to care for the sick prisoners, knowing the danger.
Fr. Engelmar contracted the disease and died on 2 March 1945, just weeks before the camp was liberated. Because of his heroic charity and sacrifice, he became known as the “Angel of Dachau.”
He was beatified (declared Blessed) on 24 September 2016 in WĂĽrzburg, Germany, recognizing him as a martyr of love.
His legacy:
Blessed Engelmar reminds us that true Christian love means standing for truth and serving others, even when it costs everything.
