On September 26, the Redemptorist Family celebrates the liturgical memorial of Blessed Gaspar Stanggassinger. Born in Berchtesgaden in 1871 and ordained a priest in 1895, he dedicated his short life—he died at just 28 years old—to the formation of young people, living his missionary vocation with kindness, patience, and profound faith. His figure remains particularly close to formators and those involved in youth and vocation ministry: his example reminds us that holiness is built day by day in daily life.
We invite you to reread his life through the ideas for personal reflection proposed by Fr. Paweł Drobot CSsR.
September 26th marks the liturgical memorial of Blessed Gaspar Stanggassinger, a Redemptorist. He was born on January 12, 1871, in Berchtesgaden, an Alpine town on the border between Germany and Austria, into a large family of 17 children. His love for God and his desire for holiness led him to the Redemptorist Congregation, which flourished in the second half of the 19th century, and whose apostolic dynamism and fervor attracted enthusiastic young people.
Gaspar attended elementary school in Berchtesgaden. He wasn’t the most gifted student, but he was the most diligent. Already in school, he thought about becoming a priest. A significant date in the development of his priestly vocation was November 21, 1880. As he later recounted, it was the day he heard Christ’s call to follow him, during Holy Mass.
It’s significant to reflect on this event. His vocation, like the stories of many biblical callings, has a clearly defined framework: place, time, and decision. Jesus speaks to the heart with a subtle, interior voice. But in the story of every vocation, there is a decisive moment: the conscious and determined response. For Gaspar, that moment was the very day he participated in the Eucharist.
In light of Blessed Gaspar’s story, each of us can ask ourselves: Do I remember the day I consciously responded to God, accepting the vocation he gave me? It could be religious, priestly, marital, or family.
In 1884, Gaspar entered the minor seminary in Freising. His vocation developed in a supportive family environment, marked by his mother’s faith. Already a Redemptorist, Gaspar often repeated: “I owe it to my mother.”
Another important milestone was his general confession in 1887, with Father Anton Höfer, a Redemptorist. After that sacrament, he developed the desire to become a Redemptorist. Here we see how a concrete encounter and the sacrament of reconciliation can guide one’s life. This episode reminds us that a spiritual director helps in discernment, and that sin can hinder right choices. By trusting in God’s mercy, we gain the light and freedom to make good decisions.
In 1892, Gaspar transferred from the diocesan seminary to that of the Redemptorists. In 1895, he was ordained a priest. In his diary, he wrote: “I am a priest by the grace of God’s mercy. I wish to submit myself completely to the will of God and my superiors. Wherever they send me, whether to work in the missions, to teach, or to carry out any other activity, I will accept it as God’s will. I am, in fact, an instrument in God’s hands. I wish to be completely open to the action of God’s grace. If I have the opportunity to choose, I want to preach the word of God to the poor, the humble, and those who have not yet heard the Gospel. I want to preach only the Word of God, not myself.”
After ordination, he ardently desired to be a popular missionary and pastor, but was sent to the Redemptorist minor seminary in Dürrnberg as a formator and religion teacher. He later became prefect. Gaspar was friendly and kind, qualities that made him popular with seminarians and fellow friars. His life demonstrates that holiness does not consist in renouncing humanity, but in living with goodness, kindness, and availability.
He wrote: “Someone knocks at the door while I’m working, and my work is often interrupted. In this case, I shouldn’t show impatience, but welcome everyone as if I had nothing else to do.”
The students recalled that as prefect, he sought to understand, listen patiently, and welcome each person as they were. He imparted a solid religious education. His lectures had three characteristics: concreteness and existentialism; the conviction that without God’s grace, human efforts are worthless; and his life motto, “Don’t be in too much of a hurry,” “Proceed step by step.”
For Gaspar, Christian education wasn’t limited to devotion, but included cultural and humanistic education. He reiterated that it’s not enough to live by emotions or academic knowledge: the most important thing is to know oneself, discovering God’s role in life. The path to this knowledge is prayer.
His educational goal was the sanctity of his students: “It is not the climate or the place that makes a man holy, but the grace of the Holy Spirit.” God’s will is recognized when we imitate Christ, entering reality and taking responsibility for it, not remaining passive spectators.
In his notes he wrote: “Trust in God’s grace, without focusing on worries and your own successes. Don’t want to achieve anything on your own. Leave room for God to act and seek first the Kingdom of God. The rest will come by itself.”
His superiors considered appointing him to the youth ministry at the new seminary in Gars am Inn. But Gaspar’s health deteriorated. He arrived in Gars on September 11, 1899; two days later, he began retreats for the seminarians. On the night of September 23, he experienced severe abdominal pain: it was appendicitis. After two days of suffering, he died at dawn on September 26, 1899.
On April 24, 1988, Pope John Paul II proclaimed him blessed in Rome.
Gaspar Stanggassinger can be described as a saint of everyday life. His living faith led him to say: “God is everything, I am nothing.” This resulted in his love for God and his choice of holiness, a journey of self-knowledge and inner work, step by step. His experience reminds us that everything is grace, that we must avoid excessive devotion, and that holiness is lived in goodness, kindness, and dedication to others, especially young people.
The heroism of Blessed Gaspare consisted in welcoming everyday life as the true path to holiness.
Through his intercession, we pray that we may discover sanctification in our daily lives. We entrust to him our formators, catechists, teachers, and educators, so that, following his example, they may lovingly and patiently accompany young people on their journey of spiritual and personal growth.
Fr. Paweł Drobot CSsR
www.slowo.redemptor.pl
