“What we priests were forced to endure under the Nazi regime, especially in Dachau concentration camp, is no more than a cup filled from the vast sea of human suffering in the world today,” wrote Fr. John Lenz. “It is not this suffering as such that is important. The important thing is to show those who have crosses of their own to bear in life just what the grace of God can do for those who follow faithfully in the footsteps of Christ the Crucified. It is no less important to reveal the wickedness of Hell.”
The Nazi hellhole Dachau concentration camp housed the most Catholic priests (almost 2,400) in the Nazi camp system. They came from a variety of nations and backgrounds, including parish priests and prelates, monks and friars, instructors and missionaries. More over one-third of the people were slain.
Fr. Lenz was among the survivors, and his superiors urged him to write an account of what he saw — and experienced — so that it would not be forgotten. This gorgeous book, packed with captivating real-life tales and eighty photographs, was the spectacular outcome and quickly became a phenomenon.
This book is unlike any other published on the Holocaust; it illustrates how the Church triumphed in one of the darkest periods in human history by persistent sacrifice amid savage suffering. Many individuals were reluctant to speak out when the Nazis invaded numerous European nations. However, a few of priests continued to teach the gospel and the truth about the dignity of life and freedom.
Through their courageous witness you will learn about:
- The arrest and imprisonment of priests and other faithful citizens
- What really happened at Dachau and the horrific treatment of prisoners
- How priests ministered to fellow prisoners and prayed unceasingly in the camps
- Ways in which priests secretly brought the Blessed Sacrament to the people and heard confessions
- Spiritual lessons learned in the face of death and despair
“Only when we are forced to endure the most profound suffering and hardship do we learn how to catch hold of God’s hand in our misery,” Fr. Lenz reflected. “We learn to pray.”