Blessed Karl I of Austria
Karl I, c. 1917
Who Was Blessed Karl?
Karl I of Austria (1887–1922) was the last Emperor of Austria, the last King of Hungary, and the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He came to the throne in the darkest years of World War I and made extraordinary efforts to end the war through secret peace negotiations — efforts that were ultimately sabotaged and led to his political destruction. He was exiled, refused to abdicate, and died in poverty on the island of Madeira at age 34, comforting those around him with the words: “I must suffer like this so my peoples will come together again.”
Throughout his reign, Karl was guided by a deep Catholic faith, a genuine love for his people, and a commitment to social justice. He refused to use poison gas against enemies. He worked tirelessly to stop the war. He founded the League for Peace of the Peoples. He signed the Magnanimous Manifesto offering Austria constitutional reform. He and his wife Empress Zita raised eight children in an atmosphere of prayer and devotion.
Pope John Paul II beatified Karl I on October 3, 2004, calling him a “courageous witness of the Gospel in the service of his people.” His feast day is celebrated on October 21.
Empress Zita — Servant of God
Empress Zita of Bourbon-Parma (1892–1989) was Karl’s devoted wife and the mother of their eight children. She lived in exile with Karl, watched him die in poverty, and then spent the next 67 years as his widow — raising their children, defending Karl’s memory, and refusing ever to compromise her Catholic faith or her dynastic dignity. She died at age 96, having outlived the Communist regimes that had dispossessed her family. Her cause for canonization is open in Rome; she holds the title Servant of God.
Their Connection to Saint Mary of Victories
The Hungarian community at Saint Mary of Victories has long venerated Blessed Karl — the last King of Hungary, crowned with the Crown of Saint Stephen, who suffered exile and death rather than abandon his people. A portrait of Blessed Karl is displayed in the chapel, and his memory is honored at special commemorations.
The Visit of Princess Maria-Anna Galitzine
On November 8, 2020, Princess Maria-Anna Galitzine — granddaughter of Blessed Karl and Empress Zita, born Maria-Anna Charlotte Zita Elisabeth Regina Therese von Habsburg-Lothringen in 1954 — visited Saint Mary of Victories as part of the Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation Speaker Series.
Together with Suzanne Pearson, the Princess addressed a gathered congregation on the cause for canonization of Blessed Karl — her grandfather. A special Mass was celebrated, and the Princess spoke warmly of Karl’s faith, his suffering, and his enduring relevance to Catholics today.
Saint Mary of Victories has a strong bond with the Catholic royal families of Central Europe. Like Cardinal Mindszenty, Blessed Karl represents the intersection of faith, sacrifice, and Hungarian identity that defines our chapel’s spiritual heritage.