Als Antwort Auf Gottes Ruf

As part of our ongoing observance of the 200th birthday of Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt in 2017, we continue to post excerpts of Als Antwort Auf Gottes Ruf (Bonifatius, 2016),  the history of the Congregation of the Sisters of Christian Charity since 1881, by Sister Anna Schwanz, SCC (translated into English by Sister Mary Perpetua Rehle, SCC).

[Note: Recall that the bombing of the Motherhouse was covered in our post on April 12.  This information should follow what was contained in that post.]

"From January to April 1945, there was significant damage to the missions in Magdeburg, Cologne, Bonn, Stieldorf, Siegburg, Dortmund Höxter, and Soest.  Each convent could relate its own story of fear, desperation and trust in God, including the courageous, and sometimes heroic, effort to comfort and rescue the children, the blind, and the injured soldiers entrusted to our care.  St. Anthony Home in Soest was almost completely destroyed by a direct hit.  Two Sisters, Sister Bernolda Breuer and Sister Vitalica Rottbeck, were buried under the rubble and died of their injuries shortly after.  Anrath had been liberated by the Americans already on March 1; the other cities, during the course of April.  The Second World War finally came to an end with unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945.  The population and the entire country would suffer from the consequences for a long time."