Blessed Peter Friedhofen

Peter Friedhofen was born in 1819 in Weitersburg, near Koblenz, and was orphaned as a child. He worked as a chimney sweep, and after his brother died he also supported his widowed sister-in-law and her children. Moved by the needs of the sick and poor, he founded in 1850 the Brothers of Mercy of Mary Help of Christians, who cared for the sick in their homes and in hospitals. He died of tuberculosis in Koblenz on December 21, 1860, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1985.

His remains rest in the motherhouse of his brothers in Trier, Germany. He is a patron of chimney sweeps, who in German-speaking countries are a traditional sign of good luck at New Year.