His last day in service as military dean at the air base on November 30th is also the day of remembrance of his namesake, the apostle Andreas.
"That is no coincidence", Andreas Vogelmeier is certain.
Fürstenfeldbruck
- At his farewell service on Wednesday in the monastery church, the pastor therefore turned his gaze to new challenges - without denying that it was difficult for him to say goodbye.
After almost two years, Vogelmeier left the air base at the instruction of Cardinal Marx and took up a civilian position as pastor of the Geretsried town church.
It was not until June 2019 that Vogelmeier took over from the former military chaplain, Alfons Hutter.
“Just arrived, you're moving on again,” said Third Mayor Birgitta Klemenz at the farewell ceremony.
Due to the pandemic, this had to be smaller than desired.
The planned reception was not possible.
During the service, Vogelmeier was able to welcome some companions from the air base and his stations beforehand - including representatives of the mountain troops from Bad Reichenhall and Sergeant Major Walter Halder from the Lourdes Support Command.
In view of only around 50 people who were allowed to be present, Vogelmeier also said: "Many people I have got to know as military dean over the past twelve years cannot be there." That doesn't make the farewell any easier.
Vogelmeier's stay in Bruck was so short that Brigadier General Stefan Scheibl, senior officer and commander of the Air Force officers' school at the air base, only met the clergyman for the third time when he left.
"I regret we weren't able to get to know each other better," he said.
Scheibl said goodbye to Vogelmeier - a declared motorcycle fan, which was discussed in the intercessions - with a lecture of the Hermann Hesse poem "stages".
Klemenz explained that the military dean marked the day of national mourning, on which the military and the city meet, in his short period of service.
The senior military dean for Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, Artur Wagner, also regretted losing his deputy to a civilian position.
He praised Vogelmeier's instinct for what moves people.
In view of the even accelerated change of the church in Corona times away from grand palaces, but again closer to people's hearts, Wagner said: "You are the right person for this."
Andreas Vogelmeier also sees his strengths in bringing people together, building bridges and finding solutions.
At his departure, the 49-year-old made a wish.
During his three missions abroad in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Iraq, he had experienced a camaraderie that helped to endure all the hardships of military service.
His concern therefore: "The military should always advocate that a good, sustainable comradeship succeeds."
