At Vienna in Austria, Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer, priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, who labored wonderfully to spread the faith in far-off regions and to reform ecclesiastical discipline; and, renowned as much for his genius as for his virtues, he drew not a few men distinguished in the sciences and the arts to come to the Church.
Lifespan: 1751–1820
Beatified: 29 January 1888 by Pope Leo XIII
Canonized: 20 May 1909 by Pope Pius X
Memoria liturgica: 15 March
A baker manqué and a hermit who fell short: he devoted his entire life to orphans, the young, and students.
Johannes Hofbauer was born on 26 December 1751 in Tasswitz, in present-day Czech Republic. From his earliest years he longed to become a priest, but the premature death of his father forced him to take up the family trade, and he became a baker. In time he managed to set aside enough money for university and moved to Vienna, where he studied theology and philosophy.
In 1785, after a journey to Italy, Clement Mary was ordained a Redemptorist priest. Sent to Austria to found a new community, he devoted himself to ecclesial renewal and to the care of the poor.
He founded houses in Germany, Switzerland, and Romania. He lived for many years in Warsaw, until Napoleon expelled the Redemptorists on account of their cultural and social activities.
Pius X proclaimed him patron of Vienna and of bakers — the occupation of his early years.