Reverend Francis Wahle passes away aged 95

In January 1939, he and he sister Anne travelled to England on the Kindertransport, via Harwich and were looked after by the Catholic Committee for Refugees.

His parents survived the war in Vienna. “We were some of the lucky ones. I am grateful to God,” he said.

Francis Wahle when he was young (Credit: AJR)[Missing Credit]

Wahle later trained for the priesthood in Rome, while his sister returned to Vienna where she spearheaded interfaith relations through her directorship of the Information Centre for Christian and Jewish Understanding.

Wahle was ordained in 1965 and became Parish Priest for Enfield.

Last year, he met the King as part of the 85th anniversary commemorations, organised by the Association of Jewish Refugees.

The King and Reverend Francis Wahle, at an AJR event in Central Synagogue in London, November 2023 (Credit: Adam Soller Photography©)[Missing Credit]

Michael Newman, CEO of AJR, said they were “deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our much-loved member Rev. Francis Wahle.

“The AJR is grateful to have had the opportunity to capture Francis’ testimony, both as part of our Refugee Voices archive and for our My Story collection. Capturing experiences like Francis’ helps preserve the record of the Holocaust and enables us all to learn about his remarkable life and the contribution he made to his adopted home.

“We will miss his warmth and positive outlook and are honoured to continue to tell his story as part of our work.”