Pastoral space should be organized differently.
This means drastic upheavals for some parishes and parish associations.
The Isarwinkel is also affected.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – The pastoral care areas in the Isarwinkel are facing a fundamental reorganization.
That is a challenge, after all, there is a blatant shortage of priests in the Catholic Church.
It is not yet clear how the division and organization of the parish associations will look like in the future.
The decision-making process for this has been underway since February.
There is a novelty: a specially set up meeting of delegates from all affected parishes, who discuss the possibilities of a reorganization.
Sachsenkam currently has no pastor
This is also urgently needed.
Because: Sachsenkam is a small - still independent - parish without a pastor.
As is well known, Pastor Josef Kraller will retire in Lenggries at the end of November.
And in December 2023, the time limit for the current management model in the Gaißach-Reichersbeuern-Greiling parish association will expire.
Since the end of January 2021, Deacon Joachim Baumann has been employed for this parish association as parish association officer and head of the parish association.
The priestly leader is the retired priest Quirin Strobl.
The parish association is satisfied with the model, but the archdiocese is not
A lot of people there were quite happy with that.
But the professorship obviously doesn't.
The press office of the Archbishop's Ordinariate in Munich answered a question about the exact reasons why this model was being phased out as follows: "The model was intended as an interim solution.
At the same time, the South Region was commissioned to reorganize the pastoral space.”
The parish council chairwoman from Reichersbeuern, Barbara Landler, says: “We were extremely satisfied with the model.
No one understands the reasons why the Ordinariate no longer wants to continue it.”
Here you agree with Michael Danner, parish council chairman from Gaißach.
“Everyone would like our model to stay.
It worked out great and the communities have grown together well.” He also doesn't understand the decision against the extension.
Assembly of the redesign is taken as a positive sign
Nevertheless: Landler interprets the establishment of the reorganization meeting as a positive sign.
"We think it's nice that we can bring our wishes to the ordinariate in this way." The assembly is made up of a delegation of full-time and honorary representatives from all the parishes concerned.
In other words: pastors and parish councils.
Dean Thomas Neuberger and Andrea Martin, the regional officer responsible for the south of Auxiliary Bishop Wolfgang Bischof, are also present.
"We will pass on the proposals that have been worked out to the diocesan administration," explains the dean.
He emphasizes that such a merger has never existed before.
"I see this as a response to the loud clamor for local people to be more involved in church decisions," he says.
"It's an attempt to take the desire for modern handling seriously."
A “future team” has been formed within the parish association
Deacon Joachim Baumann also considers this procedure to be correct.
"We are still in an open process, so one cannot say much at the moment," he says, but also makes it clear: "It is no secret that the three congregations get along well and that we have been pastoral in the past have made a lot of progress.”
A so-called future team has also been set up within the parish association.
"It's important that we talk to each other internally before we enter into dialogue with others," explains Baumann.
How seriously are the proposals really taken when making a decision?
Nevertheless, the parish association views the possibility of participation with some caution: "There is still a question mark as to how seriously our proposals are actually taken in the decision-making process," emphasizes Landler.
Neuberger says: "It's like in many areas of life: In the end, the decisions about the management are made by the management.
Mrs. Martin and I will take the results to Munich.
Everything else is out of my hands.”
By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Bad Tölz newsletter.
At the previous two meetings on site, it became clear that most are still clearly against the reintegration of the Isarwinkl parishes into Dietramszell.
"That's just too far away," Michael Danner is convinced.
And Neuberger also says: "It was no longer a big issue that this option was up for debate."
A "collegial management model" with full-time and honorary employees would be conceivable
If this is off the table and the current parish commissioner model is no longer to have a future, what then?
"A collegial management model would be possible," says the dean.
This means that a team of full-time and volunteers leads a parish association together.
This model does not yet exist in the district, but it is already being practiced in the Catholic parish association Feldkirchen-Höhenrain-Laus (Rosenheim district).
According to Neuberger, the advantage of this model is, for example, that the priest does not necessarily have to be part of the management system.
“Not every priest can lead a parish,” he explains.
What will happen to Piesenkam when Sachsenkam is accepted into the neighboring parish association?
In addition, it is still in the stars how things will continue with Sachsenkam.
"Of course we are discussing whether it makes sense to include Sachsenkam in the Gaißach-Reichersbeuern-Greiling parish association," says Danner.
"But there are still some things that need to be clarified, such as how things will continue with Piesenkam.
It's a branch church of Sachsenkam, but it's in the Miesbach district," says Danner.
Neuberger confirms: There is still one meeting of the Sachsenkammer.
"At the coming meeting in autumn we want to work out a possible solution to this."
Lenggries remains an independent parish
In addition, there is no information yet as to who will take over the office of Pastor Kraller.
"But it is clear that Lenggries is big enough to remain independent," says Neuberger.
Hinterberger says: "Pastor Kraller's position will be seamlessly filled after his departure.
Since the process is still ongoing, I can't say with whom." It is also unclear whether Quirin Strobl will remain as St. Jakob's holiday representative.
"The pastor makes arrangements on holiday help from within the country," says Hinterberger.
At the request of our newspaper, Kraller himself does not want to comment on his departure until October.
You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.
