Freinademetz was born the fourth among the 13 children of Giovanmattia and Anna Maria Freinademetz[6] in Oies, a section of the town ofBadia, which was then in theCounty of Tyrol, a part of theAustrian Empire, now a part of Italy. He studied theology in the diocesan seminary ofBrixen and was ordained a priest on July 25, 1875. He was assigned to the community ofSan Martin de Tor, not far from his own home.
During his studies and the three years in San Martino, Freinademetz always felt a calling to be a missionary. He contactedArnold Janssen, founder of theSociety of the Divine Word, a missionarycongregation based inSteyl,Netherlands. With the permission of his parents and his bishop, he moved to Steyl in August 1878, where he received training as a missionary.
In March 1879, he and his confrereJohann Baptist von Anzer boarded a ship toHong Kong, where they arrived five weeks later. They stayed there for two years. Freinademetz was based inSai Kung Peninsula until 1880[6][7] and set up a chapel on the island ofYim Tin Tsai in 1879.[8] In 1881 they moved to the southern region of the Province ofShandong, to which they had been assigned. At the time of their arrival, there were 12 million people living in that province, of which 158 had been baptized.
Freinademetz was very active in the education of Chinese laymen and priests. He wrote acatechism inChinese, which he considered a crucial part of their missionary effort. In 1898, he was sick withlaryngitis andtuberculosis, so Anzer, who had become thebishop of the region, and other priests convinced him to go to Japan to recuperate. He returned, but was still not fully cured. When Anzer had to leave China for a journey to Europe in 1907, the administration of thediocese was assigned to Freinademetz.
Statue of St. Joseph Freinademetz, S.V.D. St Joseph's Chapel, Yim Tin Tsai, Hong Kong, China
There was an outbreak oftyphus in this time, and he helped wherever he could, until he himself became infected. He returned toDaijiazhuang (Chinese:戴家庄;pinyin:Dàijiāzhuāng, historically spelled "Taikia" or "Taichia"),Rencheng District,Jining, SouthShandong, where he died from typhus.[9] He was buried in Daijiazhuang, at the twelfth station on theWay of the Cross.[3]
Freinademetz's spiritual writings were approved by theologians on 20 November 1940, and his cause was formally opened on 22 June 1951, granting him the title ofServant of God.[10] Freinademetz, together withArnold Janssen, the founder of his Society, wascanonized on October 5, 2003, byPope John Paul II, as wasDaniele Comboni, the founder of the Comboni Missionaries, which works in Africa.
Joseph Freinademetz,Sanctissimum Novae Legis Sacrificium, 1.ed., Verlag der katholischen Mission: Yenchowfu (China) 1915, VII + 161 pp. 2.ed. Typographia Apostolica Domus Missionum ad S. Michaelem, Steyl 1948, VIII + 141 pp.
Josef Freinademetz SVD,Berichte aus der China-Mission, (also in: Analecta SVD 27, 1973) Apud Collegium Verbi Divini, Romae 1974, 171 pp.
José Freinademetz,Relatos de la mision en China, Editorial Verbo Divino, Estella (Navarra) 1976, 219 pp.,ISBN84-7151-199-1.
Joseph Freinademetz,Über den Geist der Societas Verbi Divini Divini, (Analecta SVD 40) Romae 1977, 91 pp.
Joseph Freinademetz,The Most Holy Sacrifice of the New Covenant, translated by Stan Plutz SVD, Tagaytay (Philippines) 1980, 2. ed. 1986, 146 pp.
Richard Hartwoch (ed.),Arnold Janssen and Joseph Freinademetz. Correspondence between two saints (1904-1907), (Analecta SVD - 97), Apud Collegium Verbi Divini: Romae 2008, 287 pp.
Josef Freinademetz,Briefe an die Heimat, ed. by P. Lothar Janek SVD, Sekretariat Josef Freinademetz: Abtei/South Tyrol (BZ) 2009, 199 pp.
Karl Josef Rivinus:Anfänge der Missionstätigkeit der Steyler Missionare (SVD) in China unter der Berücksichtigung des politischen und sozialen Umfeldes des P. Josef Freinademetz(in German)
Johannes Baur: P. Joseph Freinademetz SVD. Steyler Verlag 1956. ISBN B0000BG7A0(in German)
Clifford J. King, S.V.D., A Man of God - Joseph Freinademetz. Pioneer Divine Word Missionary, Divine Word Publications: Techny, Illinois 1959, 144 pp.
John Fleckner SVD, Father Freinademetz’ Requirements in a missionary, in:Verbum S.V.D 4:4 (1962) p. 403-414.
Jacob Reuter, SVD, Blessed Joseph Freinademetz S.V.D. South Tyrol’s Outstanding Missionary to the Far East, English translation by John Vogelgesang, Divine Word College (SVD): Rome 1975, p. 30.
Fritz Bornemann SVD (ed.), A History of the Divine Word Missionaries, Divine Word College: Rome 1981. (internally published as:A History of our Society, Analecta SVD 54/2, Romae 1981, 434 pp.
Fritz Bornemann SVD,As wine poured out. Blessed Joseph Freinademetz. Missionary in China 1879-1908, Divine Word Missionaries, Rome 1984, 485 pp.
Jakob Reuter:Josef Freinademetz: Künder des Glaubens im Fernen Osten. 1985.ISBN3-87787-191-7(in German)
Karl Müller, Freinademetz, Joseph, in: Gerald H. Anderson (ed.),Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, Simon & Schuster Macmillan: New York 1998, p. 226,ISBN0-02-864604-5
Josef Alt,El mundo en un meson. Vida u Obra misionera de Arnoldo Janssen, Editorial Verbo Divino, Cochabamba/Bolivia 2002, 1149 pp.,ISBN99905-1-020-2.
Josef Alt, SVD (ed.):Arnold Janssen SVD, Briefe nach China. Band I: 1879-1897, (Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 73), Steyler Verlag: Nettetal 2000, 447 pp.,ISBN3-8050-0446-X.
Josef Alt (ed.):Arnold Janssen SVD, Briefe nach China. Band II: 1897-1904, (Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 74), Steyler Verlag: Nettetal 2001, XXI + 374 pp.,ISBN3-8050-0447-8.
Josef Alt (ed.):Arnold Janssen SVD, Briefe nach China. Band III: 1904-1908, (Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 75), Steyler Verlag: Nettetal 2002, XV + 313 pp.,ISBN3-8050-0448-6.
Josef Alt (ed.):Arnold Janssen SVD, Letters to China. Vol 1: 1879-1897, (Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 80), Steyler Verlag: Nettetal 2003, 544 pp.,ISBN3-8050-0490-7.
Josef Alt,Journey of Faith. The Missionary Life of Arnold Janssen, (Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 78), Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 2002, XVIII + 1078 pp.,ISBN3-8050-0471-0.
Manfred Müller, Bibliography Concerning St. Arnold Janssen and St. Joseph Freinademetz, Apud Collegium Verbi Divini: Romae 2004 (Last Update: 2006-11-29),
Paul B. Steffen, Witness and Holiness, the Heart of the Life of Saint Joseph Freinademetz of Shandong, in:Studia Missionalia 61 (Roma 2012) 257–392,ISBN978-88-7839-225-0.
Bibliography concerning ST. ARNOLD JANSSEN and ST. JOSEPH FREINADEMETZ, compiled by Fr. Manfred Müller SVD, Romae 2004[1]Archived 2014-12-30 at theWayback Machine
.jpg)
