Fr. Richard Henkes, S.A.C., A Picture of His Life A Picture of His Life | Page 22

Limburg. This is the mission house of the Pallottines, founded
by the community in the small bishopric town on the Lahn in 1892,
after it had already been in the colony of Cameroon from 1890. Mis-
sions needed human and financial support, provided from Limburg.
The house was the first large settlement of the community that had
emerged fromVincent Pallotti’s idea that it was the responsibility of
all the baptized to maintain the faith of the Church. Pallotti had al-
ways looked at both the deepening and animating of the faith of the
people and of the “foreign mission.” His community in Germany con-
centrated itself on this, which corresponds to the missionary senti-
ment of Catholics, who strongly support the new “missionary society.”
From Limburg, the Community did not spread only to Cameroon,
but also to Australia, South Africa, America, and Poland. The Mission
House in Limburg did not only provide the missionaries “outside,” it
also took care of vocations inside, including the novitiate, workshops,
and training for the Brothers. Here, too, the Pallottine students stud-
ied philosophy and theology until the end of the Second World War.
Richard Henkes received his habit on September 24, 1919, grad-
uating after two years of novitiate and four years of studies. Here he
made his consecration as a Pallottine and was ordained on June 6,
1925. Outwardly, Fr. Henkes’s time in Limburg was quiet, but inter-
nally it was difficult.
Richard Henkes had never been a gifted student, but Philosophy
gave him great joy. He also achieved much better marks in theology
than when he was previously in school. The community life was fun,
and his beloved home was not too far away. Henkes was always good
about surprises. Once, with his classmates, he went to the Marian
chapel at Wirzenborn near Montabaur, and he unexpectantly invited
his classmates to the nearby Ruppach. His mother’s surprise was great
when suddenly she had to feed 23 hikers.
Richard Henkes had the admiration of his superiors. They let him
write a wonderful obituary for Fr. Salzhuber, as he had spent months
with the dying young priest - often talking to him and admiring his
soulfulness. But all of this made it just that much harder for Henkes
to find the right words to do Salzhuber justice.
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