The staff carousel turns at the Salesians of Don Bosco in the Benediktbeuern monastery.
Father Lothar Bily's term of office as director ends and Father Claudius Amann leaves the community in the Loisachtal.
His successor will be a secular employee.
Benediktbeuern – In the Benediktbeuern monastery there is a change in personnel.
From August there will be several new contacts.
The religious community announced this to the public on Wednesday.
Not only did pastor Father Heiner Heim (80) end his activity, he was followed, as reported, by Father Bernhard Stiegler from the Salesian community in Aschau am Inn.
There are also changes at the top of the monastery and facility management: Father Lothar Bily (70) is replaced by Father Heinz Menz.
Bily has been a director since 2017.
"My transfer is nothing unusual," Bily said in an interview with our newspaper on Wednesday, "The term of office for a director is three years twice for us." That his predecessors, Padres Heim and Amann, were in office longer at the time been an exception.
Bily will continue to work as a pastor in Walchensee.
+
Father Lothar Bily (70), director of the monastery since 2017.
© Proehl
Father Heinz Menz will lead the monastery
Bily says he signaled early on that he would like to step down as director when the time came.
"It would only have been an option for me if no successor had been found." But Father Heinz Menz (58) had shown interest in moving to Benediktbeuern.
The 58-year-old studied in Benediktbeuern and has been the director of the Salesians of Don Bosco and deputy general manager of the vocational training and youth work of the religious community in Aschau am Inn since 2017.
He is also a member of the Provincial Council and Provincial Representative for the Don Bosco Family.
He was born in Dillingen.
"I'm looking forward to my new task," Menz is quoted as saying in the press release.
"I will do my best to ensure that the Benediktbeuern monastery continues to have charisma."
+
Father Heinz Menz (58) comes from Dillingen.
© SDB
Father Amann goes to Aschau am Inn
In Menz's place, Father Claudius Amann will move to Aschau am Inn and take up the position of director of the confrere community there.
The 66-year-old, who is currently the head of the facility in Benediktbeuern, is leaving this workplace after more than 45 years.
"It would be strange to say that after so many years I wouldn't leave Benediktbeuern Abbey with a crying eye," Amann said with a smile in an interview with our newspaper.
However, he is happy to share everyday life with the new confreres – there are twelve in Aschau am Inn – “and it makes sense and is necessary to go to Aschau”.
The move will take place in August and, as usual, the term will be three years with an option to extend.
+
Father Claudius Amann (66)
© arp
The successor to Father Claudius as facility manager in the monastery of Benediktbeuern is for the first time a secular employee.
Franz Wasensteiner, a graduate theologian, has been Amann's deputy for two years.
The Lenggrieser has been closely linked to the monastery for almost 30 years.
He worked his way up in the Action Center (AZ) from education officer to manager, and for ten years he has also been the overall manager of AZ and the Don Bosco Youth Hostel.
In addition, since 2021 he has been the deputy facility manager in Benediktbeuern.
+
Franz Wasensteiner (58), theologian from Lenggries and has held various positions in the Benediktbeuern monastery for 30 years.
© Birch
In his new role as head of the monastery, Wasensteiner is clearly focusing on youth work, the press release says: "I'm looking forward to the new challenge.
The monastery is a place for young people, where young people find orientation and strength for their lives.
My goal is to continue to expand the offers for young people in close cooperation with my colleagues and to ensure that the monastery can also support this economically.”
Südarkadentrakt: This is how things are progressing
The largest project in the monastery is currently the multi-million dollar renovation of the southern arcade wing.
The goal was to be ready in 2023.
The work was carried out in different stages, said Bily on Wednesday when asked by our newspaper.
"We hope that we can start with the entire kitchen operation this fall and that the dining rooms will be available." However, the work on the first floor, where various conference rooms are being built, would still be ongoing.
Completion is currently planned for spring 2024, "but we don't want to commit ourselves specifically".
As soon as his successor, Father Menz, is in office, a decision will be made "in due course" about possible changes in tasks, responsibilities and competences within the monastic community and its facilities, said Bily.
You can find even more current news from the region around at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.