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Pilgrims of Hope remember in Lübeck: Martyrs' Commemoration 2025!
Archbishop Heße made a pilgrimage from Schwerin to Lübeck to remember martyrs and share hope in uncertain times.
Pilgrims of Hope remember in Lübeck: Martyrs' Commemoration 2025!
Over 100 pilgrims from northern Germany visited Lübeck from June 25th to 28th, 2023 to commemorate the Lübeck martyrs. As part of the Catholic Holy Year “Pilgrims of Hope”, which was proclaimed by Pope Francis and continued by Pope Leo XIV, the route led to the provost church of the Sacred Heart, the place where three of the four martyrs worked. This reports that Archdiocese of Hamburg thereby highlighting the importance of remembering these tragic events.
Hope and faith were discussed at a service, with Archbishop Dr. Stefan Heße, who traveled from Schwerin by bike, talked about his experiences and the strong headwind on the trip. In his sermon, he recalled an emotional letter from beatified Johannes Prassek from July 1942. In it, Prassek reported inner peace, even though he was threatened with death. The martyr's words represent a sign of hope in uncertain times and are particularly relevant given current crises such as the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East.
The Lübeck martyrs
On November 10, 1943, the three Catholic priests Eduard Müller, Johannes Prassek and Hermann Lange as well as the Protestant pastor Karl Friedrich Stellbrink were executed in Hamburg. These four clergymen sacrificed their lives because they resolutely opposed the Nazi regime. Joseph Goebbels pushed for their execution, and they became known as the “Lübeck Martyrs.” The World describes how the clergy who defeated the Nazis suffered while uniting in the resistance. Stellbrink, who took over the Luther Church in Lübeck in 1934, established contacts with the Catholic clergy in 1941, which ultimately led to their joint arrest in 1943.
The trial against the clergy began on June 22, 1943, and they received the death penalty with a verdict that described Stellbrink as “traitors” and condemned the Catholic priests for “treasonous aiding and abetting the enemy.” All requests for clemency were rejected and the execution was carried out despite international protests. Their bodies were cremated and the ashes were scattered.
Legacy and commemoration
Annual memorial services take place in Lübeck on November 10th, honoring the courageous stance of these four men. The process for the beatification of the three Catholic clergymen was opened in 2004 and they have been considered beatified since 2011. The Protestant pastor Karl Friedrich Stellbrink is honored in the Evangelical Name Calendar and listed in the “German Martyrology of the 20th Century”, which underlines his outstanding importance in interdenominational memory.
The criteria for martyrdom, as defined by the Catholic Church, include a violent death, the motive of the persecutors' hatred of faith and church, and the conscious acceptance of God's will at the risk of life. These criteria are crucial for inclusion in the German martyrology, as stated on the Website of the German Martyrology is explained.
Lübeck therefore remains an important place of remembrance and hope, where the courage and steadfastness of the Lübeck martyrs are continually highlighted.