Pastor Michael Henger retires – Moving thanks to many supporters
Schwindkirchen – The parish association of St. Wolfgang has said goodbye to its pastor Michael Henger. Henger, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday, is leaving the parish association after eleven years. During this time he was responsible for the parishes of St. Wolfgang, Schwindkirchen and Schönbrunn.
The participation in the church procession, church service and a small ceremony was correspondingly large. The Bible verse "Every thing has its time and every project under heaven has its hour" was the beginning of Henger's farewell speech. "I thank the Lord for helping me on my way," he said, looking back on 45 years as a priest.
After fleeing communist Romania in 1989, the young Preister worked for the first time in 1990 in the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising. He was chaplain in Dorfen for almost two years, followed by three years in Rosenheim and half a year in Romania again. In 1994, Henger took over his first parish: Wartenberg. There he was responsible for pastoral care for 18 years.
+With an outdoor service, Pastor Michael Henger said goodbye to three parishes.
© Anne Huber
"I will be able to keep fond memories of the eleven years in the parish association," Henger promised his companions in St. Wolfgang and the surrounding area. His special thanks went to the "volunteer fellow Christians", in the parish or to the lectors and leaders of the Liturgy of the Word.
"I am pleased that all three choirs of the parish association, which were present at my introduction, are also here today," said Henger, who will be able to call himself a retired pastor in a few days. It is also nice that a similarly large number of altar servers as at the inauguration would take part in his farewell service.
Emotionally moved, he also thanked his family, friends and fellow priests for their support. "Only God has the power to turn the hand," he concluded his speech by reflecting that everything is subject to time. Henger's respect for the "ideas of the volunteers" was emphasized by Anton Daumoser as a representative of the church administration in his welcoming address. As head of 20 employees, churches, vicarages, parish homes and kindergartens, Henger took on a variety of tasks eleven years ago at the age of almost 60. "It's almost inconceivable that you would take on such a task at such an age, you have my huge respect for that," said Daumoser.
Henger's appreciation of the staff and the volunteer work as well as his ability to work constructively together were also emphasized by Josef Stadler, chairman of the parish association, and Sandra Pongratz, head of the parish. "They have embraced the independence and self-confidence of the individual parishes," said Stadler. As a reminder of his time in the parish association, Pongratz presented the pastor with a photo book.
The "always friendly and obliging manner" of the outgoing pastor was emphasized by Dorfen's mayor Heinz Grundner in his welcoming address. He would have fond memories of the many personal and nice conversations with the pastor. St. Wolfgang's mayor Ullrich Gaigl recalled Henger's "phenomenal vita" with the decision to become a priest and the escape from Romania. As a gift, he presented Obstler to Henger as "witty things for inner use" as well as a bottle of holy water from St. Wolfgang for spiritual strengthening. At the end of the ceremony, Henger, who will move to his family in his adopted home of Augsburg, revealed what will happen to the parish association. "It is certain that a new parish priest will come in October or November". Four pastors had applied for the position in the parish association.
ANNE HUBER