Johann Baptist Reus

Johann Baptist Reus SJ ( Portuguese João Batista Reus) (* July 10, 1868 in Pott 's Stone ( Upper Franconia ), † July 21, 1947 in São Leopoldo, Brazil ) was a German Jesuit missionary and mystic of paramount importance in the Sacred Heart piety and theology.

Life

Johann Baptist Reus joined the Bamberg seminary, was ordained deacon on 16 April 1892 and was ordained priest on 30 July 1893. On October 16, 1894, he entered into Blyenbeck in the Netherlands in the novitiate of the Jesuits. From 1896 to 1899 he studied philosophy and theology at St. Ignatius College, Valkenburg. After completing the novitiate, he was sent to the mission. Together with four other Jesuits he came on September 15, 1900 to Brazil, where he mostly in Porto Alegre was salvaged the first years. In 1913 he became pastor in Sao Leopoldo and the following year the local Spiritual seminar. From 1917 to 1944 he taught in the small and in the large seminary Religion, Geography, French and liturgy. From 1912 he had mystical experiences, such as visions and stigmata, which he kept notes in the diary and in his autobiography. He also wrote several books for his educative work in the seminar.

P. Reus died after a long illness on July 21, 1947. He is buried in the sanctuary of Sao Leopoldo Sacred Heart. Johann Baptist Reus is very well known in Brazil. His tomb is visited by many pilgrims. The beatification process began in 1958.

Works (selection)

• Autobiography
• Diary