Heinrich Suso Mayer OSB, usually called just Suso Mayer, Franz Mayer (born April 17, 1890 in Hohenberg near Ellwangen, † May 22, 1963 in

Beuron Beuron (Swabian: ''Beira'') is a municipality in the district of Sigmaringen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Beuron is known for the Beuron Archabbey and the Beuron Art School for religious art. Geography Beuron is divided into subdistricts ( ...

), was a German

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

and priest.

Life

After completing his humanistic studies in Ellwangen, Franz Mayer entered the Beuron monastery in 1909 and professed his first vows in 1911. After the novitiate, he studied philosophy and theology in

Maria Laach Maria Laach Abbey (in German: ''Abtei Maria Laach'', in Latin: ''Abbatia Maria Lacensis'' or ''Abbatia Maria ad Lacum'') is a Benedictine abbey situated on the southwestern shore of the Laacher See (Lake Laach), near Andernach, in the Eifel ...

and

. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he did military service as a medical soldier. Subsequently to his ordination as a priest in 1920, P. Suso studied at the Benedictine College of

San Anselmo San Anselmo () is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. San Anselmo is located west of San Rafael, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). It is located about north of San Francisco. The town is bordered by San Rafael t ...

in Rome and acquired the Dr. iur. can. in 1923 After that, he taught canon law as a lecturer at the Theological College in Beuron until 1936. There, P. Suso also held the office of a vice rector. In 1925/1926 he stayed for a year at the University of Berlin, where he especially attended lectures by Ulrich Stutz. His friendship with the canonist August Hagen also began in Berlin. On his return, Meyer published his doctoral thesis on ''Die Klöster in Preußen'' ("The Monasteries in Prussia") in 1927. Archabbot Raphael Walzer appointed P. Suso

prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

of Beuron in November 1936; he remained in this function until April 1938. The subsequent abbot Benedikt Baur sent P. Suso in 1938 to the Beuron priory of Tonogaoka in Japan. In 1939 P. Suso travelled to the United States in order to look for charitable donations for the newfounded monastery in Japan. Surprised by the outbreak of World War II, P. Suso stayed at St. Gregory's Abbey in Shawnee (Oklahoma), where he lectured on canon law and pastoral care for Benedictine students. P. Suso Mayer died in Beuron in 1963, where he was sub-prior of the abbey. He published numerous theological writings and, among other things, published the four-volume ''Neueste Kirchenrechts-Sammlung'' (“Latest Canon Law Collection”) from 1953 onwards.

References

Works

P. Suso wrote almost 60 works, but is most known for his publications on

consecrated virgin In the Catholic Church, a consecrated virgin is a woman who has been consecrated by the church to a life of perpetual virginity as a bride of Christ. Consecrated virgins are consecrated by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical ...

ity and

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

. Some main works are: *''Ehe und Jungfräulichkeit'', Beuron 1928 * ''Braut des Königs – Jungfräulichkeit in Kloster und Welt und Jungfrauenweihe'', Beuron 1956 * ''Der Klosterberuf – Ein Ratgeber für solche, die ins Kloster gehen wollen, für Ordensobere und Seelenführer'', Beuron 1961 * ''Beuroner Bibliographie – Schriftsteller und Künstler während der ersten hundert Jahre des Benediktinerklosters Beuron 1863–1963'', Beuron 1963 {{DEFAULTSORT:Suso Mayer 1890 births German Benedictines 20th-century German Catholic theologians German male non-fiction writers 1963 deaths