In his capacity as rector of the German parish, Paris, Franz Stock came in contact with the hell. For during the year 1940 he was trusted with the responsibility of the ministerial work in the prisons Fresnes, Cherche-Midi and La Santé, where the Nazis incarcerated members of the resistance and all those they disliked.
In this „Hell of agony, gruelty and fear“ he personified the mercifulness of God, handed out to all without paying attention to race, class, nationality, party and personal opinion. This difficulty, almost unresolvable task, he carried out with an astonishing mixture of courage and cleverness, of tact and prudent braveness.
He alleviated unutterable misery and prepared more than thousand condemned for death. Among them were also Jews, whose look he directed to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who is also the God of the Christians. He escorted them upto the end – till reaching the scaffold. Many fighters of the resistance, like Michelet, Jean de Pange, Robert d´Harcourt paid respect to him.Not satisfied with this in itself already hard and painful activity he secretly informed the families of the prisoners, and wherever it was possible, he gave warnings to the resistance fighters of impending dangers.
It is a miracle, that he has stood firm in his place until the end.
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