Fr. Richard Henkes, S.A.C., A Picture of His Life A Picture of His Life | Page 20

Schönstatt. This is a valley at Vallendar on the Rhine where the
Pallottines bought the old house of a former Augustinian convent in
1901 and used it as a school. When this house crumbled, a new build-
ing was built on the slope of the monastery land. After his ordination,
Fr. Henkes was placed in this school as a teacher. At that time, it was
common for a newly ordained priest to be able to do everything, in-
cluding giving lessons. The decision of the superiors was unexpected,
nonetheless. When he was a student at this school, Richard Henkes
had quite different plans. Whatever led to this first assignment, the
new priest was convincing as a teacher; his methods were refreshing-
ly unconventional, and he knew how to motivate and encourage the
students.
It was like a stroke had hit all those involved when the hardwork-
ing teacher noticed he had a lung condition. This was not unusual at
the time, but it meant long hospital and spa stays and carried the pos-
sibility of death. Fr. Henkes was first sent to Ahrweiler. Here, Fr. Max
Kugelmann, a hospital chaplain, took him on. It was hoped, first of
all, that the illness of Fr. Henkes was only the result of over-exertion.
As expected, he stayed in the house in Ahrweiler, and quickly made
acquaintances there.
The doctors at Ahrweiler diagnosed Fr. Henkes with tuberculosis
and sent him to the Schwarzwald (Black Forest). He stayed in St.
Blasien and Menzenschwand for months and suffered idleness. He
was really happy, as other sick Pallottines were coming to the Black
Forest. And he immediately developed a sense of responsibility that
was typical of him. Thus, he was vehemently committed to a better,
and thus more expensive, medical treatment for the dying Pallottine
student, Wilhelm Fell, with the aim to give him a long life. Richard
Henkes did not wish this more expensive treatment for himself. Fell
was sent to the mission in South Africa in the hope that the local
climate would do him good - which it did. Fr. Henkes defended him-
self with all his strength; he had discovered his vocation as a teacher.
The fact that he had the highest abilities is testified by all the student
generations who experienced him.

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However, after his convalescence, Fr. Henkes did not return to