Servant of God Emilie Engel

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Servant of God Emilie Engel
Feast Day 20 November (proposed)
Liturgical Class
Patronage Schönstatt Sisters of Mary, those struggling with anxiety
Birthplace Husten, Sauerland, Germany
Death Place Koblenz-Metternich, Germany
Cause of Death Tuberculosis and related complications
Primary Shrine Providentia House, Koblenz-Metternich, Germany


Servant of God Emilie Engel (6 February 1893 – 20 November 1955) was a Roman Catholic religious sister and a member of the Schönstatt Sisters of Mary, known for her heroic virtue and deep trust in God despite lifelong struggles with anxiety and illness. Born in Husten, Sauerland, Germany, she was the fourth of twelve children in a devout farming family. Initially a teacher, she joined the Schönstatt Movement in 1921, inspired by its founder, Father Joseph Kentenich, and became a founding member of the Schönstatt Sisters of Mary in 1926. Despite battling tuberculosis from 1935, she served as provincial superior, radiating a “miracle of confidence” through her childlike trust in God’s providence. Declared a Servant of God in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, her cause for beatification is ongoing, with her grave at Providentia House, Koblenz-Metternich, a pilgrimage site for those seeking her intercession.[](https://www.s-ms.org/en/who-we-are/sister-m-emilie-engel/)[](https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2014/02/04/heroic-virtue-venerable-emilie-engel/)[](https://schoenstattsistersofmary.us/venerable-emilie-engel/)

Emilie’s life, marked by overcoming fear through faith, inspires those facing anxiety and illness. Her proposed patronage includes the Schönstatt Sisters of Mary and those struggling with anxiety, reflecting her mission to lead people to God’s fatherly love. Her cause awaits a miracle for beatification, with devotees praying for her canonization to honor her example of holiness in ordinary life.[](https://schoenstatt.com/sister-emilie-engel-i-want-to-become-a-miracle-of-confidence/)[](https://schoenstatt.com/sister-emilie-artist-of-hope-and-trust-in-difficult-times/)

Biography

Birth and Family

Emilie Engel was born on 6 February 1893 in Husten, Sauerland, Germany, to a large Catholic farming family, the fourth of twelve children. Her parents, devout and hardworking, provided a secure home where Emilie grew up praying and singing with her family. However, her childhood was shadowed by intense anxieties, exacerbated by religious instruction portraying God as a strict judge. This fear, coupled with a reserved nature, shaped her early struggles but also her deep spiritual longing to become a saint.[](https://www.s-ms.org/en/who-we-are/sister-m-emilie-engel/)[](https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2014/02/04/heroic-virtue-venerable-emilie-engel/)[](https://www.findingmyinnerbalance.us/life-of-emilie-engel.html)

Her rural upbringing instilled a sense of responsibility and charity, which later defined her service to the poor and her role in Schönstatt.[](https://schoenstattsistersofmary.us/venerable-emilie-engel/)

Early Life

Raised in Husten, Emilie attended local schools, excelling academically and aspiring to teach. She earned her teaching certificate in 1914 despite financial difficulties, beginning her career in the impoverished Ruhr Valley at Grimlinghausen and later Börning-Sondingen. Her work extended beyond the classroom, as she cared for miners’ families, addressing their poverty, illness, and spiritual needs. In 1921, she attended a women’s conference at Schönstatt, where she met Father Joseph Kentenich. His guidance and the Schönstatt shrine’s spirituality transformed her view of God from a judge to a merciful Father, freeing her from anxiety and igniting her vocation.[](https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2014/02/04/heroic-virtue-venerable-emilie-engel/)[](https://schoenstatt.com/sister-emilie-artist-of-hope-and-trust-in-difficult-times/)[](https://www.findingmyinnerbalance.us/life-of-emilie-engel.html)

Her encounter with Schönstatt marked a turning point, leading her to dedicate her life to God’s will and the movement’s mission.[](https://schoenstatt.com/sr-m-emilie-an-inspiration-for-our-time/)

Occupation

Emilie’s early occupation was as a teacher, serving in the Ruhr Valley until 1926. That year, she left teaching to join Father Kentenich in founding the Schönstatt Sisters of Mary, becoming a religious sister and a key collaborator. She served as novice mistress, tertianship mistress, and provincial superior of the Western Province, which she called the “Providentia Province” to reflect her trust in God’s guidance. Despite contracting tuberculosis in 1935, which caused decades of physical decline, she led with courage, offering herself as a sacrifice for the community’s holiness. Her work included spiritual direction, community leadership, and care for the poor, embodying Schönstatt’s covenant of love with Mary.[](https://www.s-ms.org/en/who-we-are/sister-m-emilie-engel/)[](https://schoenstattsistersofmary.us/venerable-emilie-engel/)[](https://www.findingmyinnerbalance.us/life-of-emilie-engel.html)

Her radiant faith, especially in her final years, left a lasting impression, with many recalling her glowing eyes.[](https://schoenstatt.com/sister-emilie-engel-i-want-to-become-a-miracle-of-confidence/)

Vocation

Emilie’s vocation was to live a life of total surrender to God’s providence, rooted in the Roman Catholic Schönstatt Movement. Guided by Father Kentenich, she embraced a spirituality of divine filiation, seeing herself as a child of a loving God. Her struggles with anxiety and illness became a “school of trust,” as she learned to surrender fear through prayer and Mary’s intercession. As a founding member of the Schönstatt Sisters of Mary, she helped shape its mission to foster holiness in daily life. Her leadership as provincial superior and her willingness to suffer for the community’s sanctity reflected her commitment to God’s will. Her mission, as Kentenich noted, was to “lead people out of the prison of fear and anxiety” into God’s fatherly heart. Recent X posts highlight her as an “artist of hope” for modern crises.[](https://schoenstattsistersofmary.us/venerable-emilie-engel/)[](https://schoenstatt.com/sister-emilie-artist-of-hope-and-trust-in-difficult-times/)

Death

Emilie Engel died on 20 November 1955 in Koblenz-Metternich, Germany, aged 62, from complications of tuberculosis and related illnesses. Despite severe physical frailty, she maintained a radiant joy, with her final words to a sister being, “I pray for you! Always!” Her death in Providentia House, where she lived as provincial superior, marked the culmination of a life of heroic virtue. Her grave, located at Providentia House, became a pilgrimage site, with devotees reporting spiritual favors. Her death in the “reputation of holiness” prompted the opening of her beatification cause in 2012.[](https://www.s-ms.org/en/who-we-are/sister-m-emilie-engel/)[](https://schoenstatt.com/sister-emilie-engel-i-want-to-become-a-miracle-of-confidence/)[](https://schoenstatt.com/sr-m-emilie-an-inspiration-for-our-time/)

Significant Events

Parishes

Emilie Engel

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Canonization

Recognition as a Saint

Emilie Engel’s cause for sainthood began on 12 October 2012, reflecting her reputation for holiness among the Schönstatt community. Her heroic virtues, demonstrated through her trust in God despite anxiety and illness, were recognized by Pope Benedict XVI, who declared her a Servant of God in 2012. Her cause is advancing toward beatification, pending a miracle.[](https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2014/02/04/heroic-virtue-venerable-emilie-engel/)[](http://www.yasni.de/emilie%2Bengel/person%2Binformation)

Servant of God

Declared a Servant of God on 10 May 2012, Emilie’s life was investigated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Testimonies highlighted her theological virtues (faith, hope, charity) and cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude), lived heroically despite personal struggles. The decree, published in 2013 in *Acta Apostolicae Sedis*, affirmed her as a model of trust in God.[](https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2014/02/04/heroic-virtue-venerable-emilie-engel/)

Venerable

Emilie has not been declared Venerable, though her 2012 Servant of God decree is a step toward this recognition. Her cause requires a verified miracle for beatification, with devotees praying for her intercession to advance the process.[](https://www.s-ms.org/en/who-we-are/sister-m-emilie-engel/)[](https://schoenstattsistersofmary.us/venerable-emilie-engel/)

Beatification

Emilie’s beatification process is ongoing, awaiting the approval of a miracle. Devotees at her grave in Koblenz-Metternich report favors, but no specific miracle has been confirmed by the Vatican. Her life of heroic virtue continues to inspire the Schönstatt Movement.[](https://schoenstatt.com/sister-emilie-engel-i-want-to-become-a-miracle-of-confidence/)

Canonization

Emilie has not been canonized, as her cause remains at the Servant of God stage. A miracle is needed for beatification, followed by a second for canonization. Her ongoing cause reflects her growing cult, particularly among those facing anxiety and illness.[](https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2014/02/04/heroic-virtue-venerable-emilie-engel/)

Miracles

No miracles have been officially approved for Emilie’s beatification, though devotees pray for one to advance her cause. Reported favors include spiritual strength and healings attributed to her intercession at her grave in Koblenz-Metternich, but these remain undocumented by the Vatican. Her life itself, overcoming fear and illness, is considered a “miracle of confidence” by the Schönstatt community.[](https://www.s-ms.org/en/who-we-are/sister-m-emilie-engel/)[](https://schoenstatt.com/sister-emilie-engel-i-want-to-become-a-miracle-of-confidence/)

Patronage

Servant of God Emilie Engel is proposed as the patron of the Schönstatt Sisters of Mary and those struggling with anxiety, reflecting her personal triumph over fear and her role in the community. Her patronage supports those seeking trust in God’s providence.[](https://schoenstattsistersofmary.us/venerable-emilie-engel/)[](https://schoenstatt.com/sister-emilie-artist-of-hope-and-trust-in-difficult-times/)

Feast Day

No official feast day is established, but 20 November, the date of her death, is proposed for commemoration, with prayers and Masses held in Koblenz-Metternich and Schönstatt centers.[](https://schoenstatt.com/sr-m-emilie-an-inspiration-for-our-time/)

Veneration

Emilie Engel is venerated through prayers, novenas, and pilgrimages to her grave at Providentia House, Koblenz-Metternich, where devotees seek her intercession for anxiety and illness. Depicted in a religious habit with a radiant smile or prayer book, her image adorns Schönstatt shrines. Her proposed feast day, 20 November, features liturgies emphasizing her trust in God. Recent X posts praise her as a model of hope, with her words, “I feel secure in your protection,” inspiring devotees. Her veneration grows within the Roman Catholic Schönstatt Movement, particularly for those facing fear.[](https://www.s-ms.org/en/who-we-are/sister-m-emilie-engel/)[](https://schoenstatt.com/sr-m-emilie-an-inspiration-for-our-time/)

Books

Written About the Saint

Written by the Saint

External Links

References

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