The beatification process of God's servant Josef Engling, student at the Pallottine Minor Seminary in Germany has made a further and very important step forward. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during its Congress of 2 April 2009, has acknowledged the diocesan investigation made in the diocese of Treviri in Germany relative to the continuation of the reputation of holiness by Engling and has issued a decree of validity. With this act the process enters an apostolic level, namely in the Holy See. At this point we wait for the appointment of a Relator by the Vatican Congregation, under whose guidance we will write the Positio on virtues.
It is worth recalling that Josef Engling (1898 - 1918) was a student at the Minor Seminary of our Society at Vallendar/Schönstatt from 1912 until his death. There he distinguished himself not only in his studies but above all in the formation of his character, in the veneration of Our Lady and for his determined desire to become a saint. Of great help for his growth was the Spiritual Father of the Seminary, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, Pallottine, founder of the Schönstatt Movement. During the first world war, in 1916 Joseph Engling was obliged to give up his studies and became a soldier. He died on 4 October 1918 near Cambrai in France. In the period between the first and second world war Joseph Engling had a great reputation of holiness and therefore on 25 February 1948, the SAC General Council decided to start a process for his beatification.