Army Loses Out

Wimmer Wednesday. A young Sebastian Wimmer begins to head in the right direction.

“When Sebastian started his return trip to Munich after summer vacation, he had about as little hope as desire to be accepted at the Georgianum. For that reason, he now had firmly made up his mind to volunteer for the Greek army as soon as he arrived in the capital city. The students joked “ultima spes, miles”3; however, a higher power directed differently. Upon arrival in Munich, Sebastian marched toward the Sendlinger gate, tired and not in the best of spirits, when he met Herr Grundner, his landlord, at the door. The latter greeted him kindly with the words: “Herr Wimmer, you have been accepted into the Georgianum!” However, these words came to Sebastian like a bolt out of the blue. “What?!,” he said and his knees started to shake. “How do you know that?” Grundner showed him the Intelligenzblatt (newspaper). Yes, it was true beyond all doubt, but he was not happy about it; he had by now already made other plans.

“He was afraid of the Georgianum and was tempted to abandon the whole thing and to give up this privilege. He stood there like Hercules at the crossroads. He struggled long within himself, until finally the grace of God helped him to victory, undoubtedly due to the prayers of his pious mother. He pulled himself together, upset about his own cowardice, and made the decision to persevere at least one year, consoling himself with the thought, ‘It won’t cost you your head.’

“When Sebastian started his return trip to Munich after summer vacation, he had about as little hope as desire to be accepted at the Georgianum. For that reason, he now had firmly made up his mind to volunteer for the Greek army as soon as he arrived in the capital city. The students joked ‘ultima spes, miles’3; however, a higher power directed differently. Upon arrival in Munich, Sebastian marched toward the Sendlinger gate, tired and not in the best of spirits, when he met Herr Grundner, his landlord, at the door. The latter greeted him kindly with the words: ‘Herr Wimmer, you have been accepted into the Georgianum!’ However, these words came to Sebastian like a bolt out of the blue. ‘What?!,’ he said and his knees started to shake. “How do you know that?” Grundner showed him the Intelligenzblatt (newspaper). Yes, it was true beyond all doubt, but he was not happy about it; he had by now already made other plans.

“He was afraid of the Georgianum and was tempted to abandon the whole thing and to give up this privilege. He stood there like Hercules at the crossroads. He struggled long within himself, until finally the grace of God helped him to victory, undoubtedly due to the prayers of his pious mother. He pulled himself together, upset about his own cowardice, and made the decision to persevere at least one year, consoling himself with the thought, ‘It won’t cost you your head.'”

—From Boniface Wimmer, Abbot of Saint Vincent in Pennsylvania, translated by Dr. Maria Von Mickwitz and Father Warren Murrman, O.S.B., editor.