Status: 16.01.2024, 19:00 PM
By: Klaus Kuhn
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One replaces two: Dean Martin Ringhof (center) with his predecessors Michael Bayer (left) and Josef Kriechbaumer. © Klaus Kuhn
With this sentence, the Protestant dean Christian Weigl exposed all radical religious movements from the Evangelicals to the Taliban on Sunday in Wartenberg: "Faith without love makes you fanatical."
Wartenberg – The devotion in the parish church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary at the ecumenical New Year's reception of the Erding District Catholic Council and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the district on Sunday in Wartenberg, which was organized by the Protestant Dean Christian Weigl with his Catholic counterpart, the new Erding Dean Martin Ringhof, was well attended. The whole thing is based on the biblical basis of the annual motto 2024: "Whatever you do, let it be done in love" from the Apostle Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.
Ringhof broke the issue down to the personal level by saying, "Where does peace begin? At peace with oneself." This was also reflected in the intercessions. Weigl continued: "My contribution is important. Keep the human being in mind." District Administrator Martin Bayerstorfer made this concrete in his welcoming address by recalling those families who have privately taken in Ukrainian war refugees.
The event was hosted by the District Catholic Council, whose representative Jörg Basten gave the detailed welcome. The Protestant Church had strengthened its delegation and sent Volker Nicolai-Labitzke, a leading layman, from the deanery council. He took up an idea that Ringhof had already mentioned in the devotional when he spoke of "ecumenical fraternity". Nicolai-Labitzke had the courage to make it clear that this was not always the case and openly asked the question: "Is it that easy?" He gave the answer himself, but avoided any apportionment of blame: "Why do we imagine that we know how things work?" In questions of the local organization of the church's work, the Protestant Church seems to know better, but Armin Schalk, as a Catholic lay representative, admitted in any case: "One follows the more professional structures of the Protestant Church." This meant the completely new deanery structure of the Catholic Church (we reported). The devotional was musically accompanied by Fabian Huber (cajon), Balthasar Nussrainer (piano) and Ursula Senninger (violin). In the parish hall, Bernd Scheumaier (accordion) and his daughter Susanne (harp) took over this role.
Large crowd in the Wartenberg parish hall for the ecumenical New Year's reception. The devotion in the parish church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was also well attended. © Klaus Kuhn
From the point of view of the organizers, the reception was the ideal setting for the introduction of Ringhof as the new district dean. Shortly before, he became the new pastor in St. Wolfgang on December 1 (we reported). As reported, he replaces the deans Michael Bayer (Moosinning) and Josef Kriechbaumer (Isen), creating a deanery whose area corresponds to the district boundaries. Recently, Ringhof was appointed by Archbishop Cardinal Reinhard Marx. With the new deanery structure, which leads to a reduction in the number of deaneries in the archdiocese from 40 to 18, a middle management level moves in for the first time, the dean now has personnel responsibility. For this work, he is given a half-time position, which means that the work previously done by Bayer and Kriechbaumer in addition to their work as pastors is now carried out full-time and with the support of an office worker who is also employed full-time.
It was Armin Schalk from the diocesan council who explained the new structures and also emphasized the advantages for local politicians, because there is more clarity due to the orientation to the district borders. The departing deans received gratitude and warm applause for their commitment and also gifts. As reported, they had exercised their post with a lot of commitment, and on this occasion there was another piece of news: The new dean will in all probability have his official residence in Erding, probably in Klettham. Schalk, however, left that open.