As of: March 31, 2024, 6:00 a.m
By: Elena Siegl
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New pastor of Steingaden: Father Joyice, here at a communion in 2022 in Wessobrunn. © Archive
As Mayor Max Bertl announced at the most recent meeting of the local council, there will be a new pastor in Steingaden from September: Father Joyice Thomas Lanithottam will take over the office. He hasn't met him yet, but he's hoping for a good collaboration, says Bertl.
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Steingaden/Wessobrunn/Birkland
- As is well known, the pastor's position for Steingaden and Prem has been vacant since the beginning of the year with the departure of Petrus Adrian Lerchenmüller, who was elected abbot of the Windberg monastery (we reported). Dean Georg Fetsch from Peißenberg has taken over the leadership and administration of the parish community on a provisional basis, and priests from other parishes are helping out so that services can continue to be celebrated during the vacancy.
A fresh start after 17 years is not a bad idea
The new priest, Father Joyice Thomas Lanithottam (54), is no stranger to the region. Since 2007 he has looked after the parishes of St. Johannes Baptist in Wessobrunn and St. Anna Birkland. And he still feels very comfortable there, as he told the local newspaper when asked. “I had a good time and still have it,” said Lanithottam. Nevertheless, a new beginning after 17 years in Wessobrunn is not a bad idea. And so he is pleased that Augsburg's Bishop Bertram has entrusted him with the leadership of the Steingaden parish community.
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The “parish committees and pastoral employees” of the Steingaden parish community were informed of the decision by Vicar General Wolfgang Hacker at the beginning of March, according to the diocese. “As usual, the position was previously advertised in the diocese’s official gazette.”
In Germany since 2003
Lanithottam, who belongs to the Order of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculata (CMI), originally comes from the state of Kerala in southern India. He completed his priestly training in his home country and then spent two years in Peru, among other places. “I’ve already looked at the world a bit,” he says and laughs. He has been at home in Germany since 2003. He spent two years as a chaplain in the parish of Bissingen (Dillingen district) and two more years in the Burgheim parish (Neuburg-Schrobenhausen district). His beginnings in Germany were not entirely easy, says Lanithottam. But he quickly got used to the climate and culture.
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Child and youth work is particularly important to him, he says. As part of his pastoral work, he also teaches at schools – “I really enjoy doing that,” says Lanithottam. Pastoral care for all people is close to his heart. In general, he enjoys being around people and having conversations. He hopes that he will be well received in Steingaden.
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He knows the place and the surrounding area “a little bit” because of the proximity. Of course, he is particularly familiar with the Wieskirche, where he offers a pilgrimage every year.
And what will happen next in Wessobrunn and Birkland from September? “As the pastoral spatial planning 2025 stipulates, the parishes of St. Johannes Baptist in Wessobrunn and St. Anna in Birkland will be merged with the Lechrain parish community on September 1, 2024,” explains press spokeswoman Maria Rösch. The community would then consist of the parishes of Reichling (St. Nicholas), Apfeldorf (Holy Spirit), Rott (Holy Family), Epfach (St. Bartholomew), Kinsau (St. Matthäus), Ludenhausen (St. Peter and Paul) - and Wessobrunn and Birkland exist. “As before, Pastor Michael Vogg remains the senior pastor of the Lechrain parish community, which was expanded from September 1st,” said Rösch.
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Pastoral spatial planning was put into effect in 2012 by Bishop Konrad Zdarsa in response to “worrying demographic developments, noticeable shortages of priests and believers” and a sharp decline in all full-time pastoral employees, according to a press release from the Diocese of Augsburg.