Schwester M. Genesia (Franziska) Rychetzky FDC

Franziska Rychetzky was born in Bixard (now Bukova) in Bohemia. After elementary school, she joined the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Love on August 16, 1910 and was given the religious name M. Genesia. 11 years later, on August 16, 1921, she made her perpetual profession. The long interval between entering and taking perpetual vows can be explained by the early stage of development of the congregation and the large number of sisters. The congregation was founded in 1868 by Sr. Franziska Lechner and legally recognized by Rome in 1884. By 1894, there were already over 600 sisters.

After her profession, Sr. M. Genesia Rychetzky began working in the ironing room of the Marienanstalt. She is responsible for the church linen for St. Stephen's Cathedral. Within the order, she enjoys a reputation as an extremely hard-working and diligent sister.

As an opponent of National Socialism, she listens to her fellow sisters M. Gualberta Krenn, Sr. M. Aniceta Schiefelbein, Sr. M. Ewalda Schenk, Sr. M. Immaculata Schleimer and Sr. M. Meinrada Wleklo together with residents of the Jacquingasse women's hostel attached to the Marienanstalt and the Redemptorist priest Anton Pauk, the banned station 'Radio Vatican'. During the interrogation of Sr. M. Immaculata Schleimer by the Gestapo for passing on a mocking poem about Adolf Hitler, she mentions listening to the forbidden radio station together.

On November 26, 1939, Sr. M. Genesia Rychetzky is arrested by the Gestapo for listening to an 'enemy radio station'. She was detained by the Gestapo and the provincial court and was released on May 31, 1940.

After her release from prison, she worked temporarily in the branches of the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Love in Blattendorf and in the Herz Maria Kloster in Lacknergasse 87 in Vienna's 18th district before moving to Hirschstetten for 20 years. She looked after the kitchen and laundry everywhere.

After the liberation of Austria and the re-establishment of the Republic in April and May 1945, she joined the newly founded Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the ÖVP-Kameradschaft der politisch Verfolgten und Bekenner für Österreich.

In 1961, she moved to the Congregation's own retirement home in Breitenfurt near Vienna. She died there in 1977.