Venerable János Scheffler

János Scheffler (German: Johann Scheffler; 29 October 1887 – 6 December 1952) was a Hungarian-born Roman Catholic prelate who served as the bishop of two dioceses before acting as the Bishop of Oradea Mare. He was imprisoned due to opposing the Communist government policies and was killed while imprisoned. He had been noted during his episcopate for his attentiveness to vocations and for the defense of the faith from those forces that sought to disrupt it such as communism. His beatification took place in 2011. János Scheffler was born on 29 October 1887 in Kálmánd, Austria-Hungary (now Cămin, Romania) as the second of ten children. He became a Romanian citizen after the Treaty of Trianon granted the region to the Kingdom of Romania in 1920. His brother was Franz Scheffler (3 October 1894 - 29 October 1956). In 1897 he began to feel called to become a priest though did not begin an active pursuit of this dream until 1906 since he began his high school studies in 1898 with the Jesuits. In 1906 he began his theological studies at the college in Budapest where he achieved excellent grades. Scheffler was later ordained to the priesthood in 1910. He was first assigned to Ciumești while that October saw him sent to Rome to the Pontifical Gregorian University to learn canon law where he soon became a doctor of law on 19 June 1912 upon his graduation. When he studied in Rome he lived in the priest college Santa Maria dell' Anima. In July 1914 - as World War I was beginning - he became a professor of theological studies and the dean of students at Szatmárnémeti (today Satu Mare, Romania). In November 1915 he received his scientific degree. In 1922 with the Satu Mare and Oradea Mare dioceses being merged he set up a single college becoming its first dean as well as professor of canon law and historical studies. In 1923 he became a parish priest at Moftinu Mare.