Symposium on Blessed Karl Held in Dallas, TX
Photos courtesy of the Blessed Karl Symposium and @nathanintexas
On Saturday, October 15, 2022, a Symposium on Blessed Karl was held in Dallas, TX. Held at the Plano Center, the event was attended by 700 from 28 states and 6 countries.
“Joy Against Trials” was the theme of the Symposium, and that joy was evident throughout the day. From the many young people throughout the crowd to the speakers who couldn’t repress their devotion to Blessed Karl, a holy delight permeated the day. The focus was on a man who is a model for enduring trials in a faithful manner—and faithfulness to Christ always leads to joy in one’s heart.
The speakers for the event included experts on Blessed Karl as well as his own family members. Archduke Eduard von Habsburg, Hungarian Ambassador to The Holy See (and great-great-great grandson of Blessed Karl’s predecessor Emperor Franz Josef), applied the life of Blessed Karl in a practical way to life as a Catholic today. The Ambassador emphasized the need to have a strong prayer life, as Blessed Karl did, always staying close to the Sacraments and the Rosary.
Charles Coulombe, author of the wonderful Blessed Charles of Austria: A Holy Emperor and His Legacy, was his usual humorous and gregarious self, regaling the audience with stories from the life of Blessed Karl. Coulombe was masterful at helping us enter into the life of this man who lost all the trappings of power without losing his faith or his family.
A treat for the audience was hearing from the granddaughter of Blessed Karl himself, HIRH Princess Maria-Anna von Habsburg Galitzine. In question-and-answer format, she revealed insights into the family life of Blessed Karl and his wife, Servant of God Zita. It might be natural to see their life as Emperor and Empress as something above the “real world,” but Princess Maria-Anna showed that they were, first and foremost, a devoted couple and loving parents.
Suzanne Pearson, North American Delegate of the Emperor Karl Prayer League, gave an illuminating talk that detailed in-depth the overall context of the life of Blessed Karl and how he was fated to be the last of the Habsburg emperors. Her description of his acceptance of his trials and even his early death at the age of 34 was a challenge to an age that rages against the slightest hardship.
The loudest and longest ovation from the audience was for His Excellency, Bishop Athanasius Schneider. Everyone in attendance was in rapt attention to his call to emulate Blessed Karl in our willingness to suffer for the faith.
The Emperor Karl League of Prayer is grateful to Mr. David Ross for his work planning and organizing this Symposium!
For more information on this annual event, visit the Symposium website.