Carol Koch, financial secretary of St. Joseph’s Church, is the great niece of an American missionary with a remarkable story from WWII. His name was Fr. Viktor Koch, C.P. (1873-1955) A native of Sharon—and a member of St. Rose of Lima, the parish that eventually became St. Joseph’s—Fr. Viktor traveled to Europe in 1922 to establish a new branch of his religious order, the Passionists. As a result, he witnessed the rise and fall of Nazi Germany behind enemy lines. His ministry and American values had a profound impact upon the Bavarian town of Schwarzenfeld and insulated its devout Catholic population from National Socialism. When American forces arrived in 1945 and threatened the village with reprisals, Fr. Viktor defended his flock from his own countrymen. His dramatic story is the basis of The Sower of Black Field, an award-winning historical fiction novel that Carol’s niece Katherine Koch published last year.

On May 28, 2025 a Zoom presentation took place at St. Joseph Church given by the author, Katherine Koch.  Please take a moment and view this historical presentation.