Father V@father_rmv
Blessed Josef Mayr-Nusser was an Italian Catholic layman born on December 27, 1910, in Bolzano, in the South Tyrol region, then part of Austria-Hungary but later annexed to Italy after World War I. Raised on a family farm in a devout German-speaking household, he grew up with strong Christian values after losing his father in the war. Though his older brother pursued priestly studies, Josef worked the land and later took a job as a clerk, while dedicating himself to prayer, daily Mass, and service to others.
Deeply involved in his faith, he became a prominent member of Catholic Action and served as president of the Saint Vincent de Paul Conference in Bolzano, where he showed particular compassion for the poor, spending time to assist those in need. He married Hildegard in the 1930s and became a devoted husband and father; the couple had a son who was only two years old at the time of Josef's death.
During World War II, South Tyrol fell under Nazi control, and in 1944 Josef was drafted into the German army. When required to swear the Hitler oath of loyalty, he refused, declaring that he could pledge allegiance only to God and Jesus Christ, not to any human leader in a way that violated the First Commandment. This act of conscience led to his immediate arrest. He was court-martialed, sentenced to death, and ordered to Dachau concentration camp.
En route by train under harsh conditions, Josef fell seriously ill with dysentery and exhaustion. He died on February 24, 1945, in Erlangen, Bavaria, at age 34, never reaching the camp. Witnesses, including a German soldier who later wrote to his widow, described him as dying peacefully with faith, convinced he had spent time with a saint.
Decades later, his cause for martyrdom advanced. Pope Francis recognized him as a martyr on July 8, 2016, and he was beatified in Bolzano on March 18, 2017, by Cardinal Angelo Amato. Often called the "Martyr of the First Commandment," Blessed Josef Mayr-Nusser remains a powerful example of fidelity to conscience, lay holiness, resistance to totalitarianism, and unwavering commitment to Christ above all earthly powers. His feast is celebrated on October 3 in some contexts, though his death date of February 24 is also remembered.
