Mary always responds

The following story happened in Vienna, Austria, in the year 1920. A priest named Father Peter, offered to give the last sacraments to an old man on his death bed, only to be energetically rebuffed. The man had already sent away and cursed other priests who had come for the same reason.

So Father Peter decided to sit in a corner of the room and pray his Rosary. He thought about the words of Saint Clement Hafbauer, the Apostle of Vienna: "When I visit a dying person, I say my Rosary, and it's never in vain. None of them end up dying without receiving the last sacraments."

Again the priest approached the dying man who was nearing the end, but gathering his last strength he lifted himself up and shouted: "In the triple name of Satan, the answer is no!"

Without losing patience, Father Peter took his rosary and told the Mother of God in a tone of supplication: "In our church we have many ex-votos with the inscription of ‘Mary has answered our prayer.’ If you let this poor sinner go to eternity without the last sacraments, I will set up a plaque with the inscription ‘Mary did not answer me’!"

Then he approached the dying man one last time by presenting him with a crucifix and saying: "Do you know the one who gave his life for men?” First a silence, then this reply: "Our Lord Jesus Christ!" And miraculously, the man kissed the crucifix several times with great fervor and asked for the Holy Viaticum, before peacefully passing away. In gratitude, Father Peter placed an ex-voto in his church with this inscription: ‘Mary always responds.’

Karl Maria Harrer (1926-2013)

German priest and writer

From Die schönsten Mariengeschichten (Collection of the most beautiful Marian stories)