Eustachius Kugler

Appointed prior of several establishments, Brother Eustachius became provincial superior of the Bavarian province in 1925. His major work was the construction of the modern Brothers of Mercy hospital in Regensburg (1927-1929), designed by Albert Boßlet. Under the Nazi regime, he firmly opposed eugenic policies and the forced euthanasia program (Aktion T4), protecting the sick at the risk of his life in the face of Gestapo interrogations.

Weakened by trials and suffering from cancer, Brother Eustachius died on June 10, 1946, in Regensburg. His cause for beatification opened in 1963. In 1974, Bishop Rudolf Graber wrote to Pope Paul VI to support his cause. After a supplementary investigation into his heroism in the face of Nazi persecution, Pope Benedict XVI declared him Venerable on December 19, 2005.

An investigation into an unexplained healing attributed to his intercession was opened in 2004. The miracle was officially recognized by Pope Benedict XVI in January 2009. The beatification ceremony was celebrated on October 4, 2009, in the Cathedral of Regensburg by Archbishop Angelo Amato, on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI, marking the first beatification celebrated in Bavaria.

The spirituality of Blessed Eustachius rests on an absolute trust in Providence and on prayer, which he defined as the "breath of the soul." Despite his responsibilities, he remained deeply humble. His legacy endures through the hospital of Regensburg, and his relics rest in the chapel dedicated to him within the St. Pius church of the hospital.