A symbol of faith and humanity in Oberkrüchten

Father Suitbert Schmitz (1887 to 1945) was born in Aachen, Germany, studied theology in Aachen, Bonn, Munich, and Cologne, and was ordained a priest in 1914. After serving in Cologne-Bickendorf, Cologne-Ehrenfeld, and Hetzerath, he became parish priest of St. Martin’s Church in Oberkrüchten in 1933. Throughout the years of the Nazi regime, he was known as a calm and compassionate spiritual guide. He also cared for his elderly mother and his severely disabled sister – a life marked by quiet devotion and duty.

On 1 March 1945, his name day, an important day in catholic tradition commemorating his patron saint, he was called to administer the last rites to a dying parishioner in Niederkrüchten. On his way back, he was struck by machine-gun fire from advancing U.S. American troops. His leg was shattered, and shortly afterwards he died by the side of the road. Eye witnesses later recalled that he was praying at the moment of his death. Schmitz’s passing deeply moved the local population. His obituary stated: “He died for Oberkrüchten, almost as Christ died for mankind. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”

Today, a simple memorial stone marks the location of his death, and his tombstone – a plain stone cross with a metal corpus – can be found in the cemetery on Schmutzersweg in Oberkrüchten, now a protected monument. In 2015, the parish and local associations held a ceremony in his memory, and a year later the nearby Pfarrer-Suitbert-Schmitz-Weg was named after him. Until today, Father Schmitz’s devotion remains a symbol of faith, courage, and compassion in a time of destruction and despair.