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Portrait of Blessed Karl I of Austria
and Gebetsliga Prayer Book |
Bl. Emperor Karl and SG Empress Zita are the spiritual Monarchs of all who hold even now to what they lived and died for: The Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary, the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts. Altar, Throne, Subsidiarity, Solidarity, and Christendom. Imperium et Libertas! ~ Charles A. Coulombe, Twitter, 22 March 2022
Joining in solidarity with the pilgrims at Funchal on the Isle of Madeira and all the other commemorations around the world for the centenary of the death of Blessed Emperor Karl I of Austria (1887-1922), the Fratelli della Santa Fede broke our Lenten fast Friday evening with a modest memorial dinner and a few biers at the Schnitzel Haus, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn’s only authentic Bavarian/Austrian restaurant.
A relatively new devotion to our circle (only about six years), we prayed the Novena from the Gebetsliga Prayer Book published by the Emperor Karl League of Prayer for the nine days leading up to the memorial. The Emperor's principal feast day is celebrated on October 21. It is shared with his wife Servant of God Empress Zita (1892-1989), in memory of the imperial couple’s wedding anniversary.
A rare break from my stringent "salad" sandwiches during Lent (literally a small baguette or roll with lettuce, olive oil and lemon juice), I realized too late that the schneckenpfäennchen (broiled snails) was served in a garlic-herb butter. Having given up all meat, eggs and dairy for Lent, I will offer my unwitting gaffe up to God and make an act of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Otherwise, the dinner, drinks, and fellowship were very enjoyable.
Often referred to as the “Emperor of Peace” or “Peace Emperor,” Blessed Karl is often called on for world peace. He is also invoked by husbands, fathers and married couples, as well as against suffering and persecution. Borrowing Herr Coulombe's salut, Imperium et Libertas! Blessed Karl of Austria, ora pro nobis.
O God, through the adversities of this world You led Blessed Karl from this earthly realm to the crown reserved for him in Heaven. Grant through his intercession that we may so serve Your Son and our brothers and sisters, that we may become worthy of eternal life. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
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| Jumbo "Lent" brezeln (pretzel) with red cabbage and sauerkraut |
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| Schneckenpfaennchen (snails crusted in garlic-herb butter) |
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| Raeucherforelle (boneless smoked trout filet onions & horseradish-apple sauce) |
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Rheinische Muscheln (Rhineland style mussels
in saffron-garlic white wine broth) |
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| Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Dunkel and Raderberger Pilsner on tap |
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| Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen and Köstritzer Schwarzbier |
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| Participants wore their Gebetsliga pins |
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| We raffled off copies of Charles Coulombe's Blessed Charles of Austria (TAN Books, 2020) & Holy Hour of Reparation to the Sacred Heart (CMJ Books, 2001) |
The dining hall is festively bedecked with old-fashioned bier steins, flagons, lithographs, and ornate circular bas relief plaques.
