20th anniversary of Salvatorian Lay group in Bad Wurzach

Sunday, September 15^th, 2013 the Salvatorian Laity of Bad Wurzach celebrated their 20^th anniversary. Together with my wife Martina and Josef Bader, both also Lay Salvatorians from Austria, I visited our brothers and sisters in South Germany. It was a more or less long journey by car, because the weather was not amusing. On the other hand we had enough time for good conversations.

We arrived already on Saturday and Albrecht Klein had booked rooms for us in a seminar house in Leutkirch, a town near Bad Wurzach. On Sunday the festivities started with a festive holy mass in the town church St. Verena. Auxiliary bishop Renz celebrated the mass and many known Salvatorians participated.

In the homily suffragan bishop Renz showed a deep interest in the Lay Salvatorian movement. With reference to the II. Vatican concile he said, that the laity should not be seen as people with little knowledge any longer. Much more the concile described the role of the laity very clearly – they are the people of God. In the current usage of the word „lay“ it means the opposite to the word „professional“. If you look at the meaning of the word, you will recognize that it comes from „laios theou“ – those called by God. They are called by God through baptism and confirmation to an apostolic service in the kingdom of God. That means also inside and outside the church, so the laity are the professionals in the proper sense. They have the right and the duty for the apostolate.

The idea of Fr. Jordan (1848-1918), that laity can be or has to be apostels, was much ahead of his time. The laity is called for a confident life which is coming up from their faith. The Salvatorian laity has dedicated to this order which grew up from the charism of Fr. Jordan and they are living between the people as the salt of society.

After the mass we changed the location to the Salvator College. There a panel discussion with the suffragan bishop Thomas Renz, Sr. Klara-Maria Breher SDS (provincial), Johannes Stiebel (lived one year als “missionary for time” in Japan) and Rosemarie Böcherer CDS (CDS Bad Wurzach) took place. The topic was, which (new) ways could be taken by the church in the future. Bishop Renz said, that the church has to take over the role of a shepard who has to follow the lost sheep and is not allowed to sit down and wait until the sheep will come back. The main part of the resources of the church is used for the 20% baptized, which are always coming each Sunday – and the other 80% – non-church visitors and un baptized will be lost. The church has to become more home, open, welcoming – also for them, who will not stay for a longer time. Conclusion: The “come here Church” has to change to a “go there Church”.

Johannes Streubel represented the youth and young adults. He held the opinion that the Church has to use a language, that is also understood by young people and which reaches their hearts. She has to be like the love of your life: it does not matter, if I have to drive 100 or 500 km to share my time as I would do to see my beloved girl. Real church has to come out of the heart and not to seem false.

After a common dinner the “Community of Salvatorian life” of Bad Wurzach celebrated their 20^th anniversary. Special thanks were given to Fr. Paulus Blum SDS. He guided the group through all the ups and downs in those years. The growing and development of this group is in his heart. Finally we sat together with a cup of coffee and some pieces of fine cake for a nice concluding talk. Full with overwhelming impressions we started our journey back home.

 

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