GERMANY, Heinrich Brehm. Early in the afternoon of 8 January 2015 Fr Franz Johannes Brügger (72), member of the community of Schoenstatt Fathers, died unexpectedly. A former Provincial Superior of the Schoenstatt Fathers and Chairman of the National Presidium of the German Schoenstatt Movement, he died of an acute heart attack as he entered the Provincial House of the community on Mount Sion, Vallendar, soon after he returned from a private trip lasting a number of days.
Together with the members of his family and the community of Schoenstatt Fathers, the Schoenstatt Movement mourns a priest who wholeheartedly served Schoenstatt’s mission in the Church and world.
As pastor to youth and students, Fr Brügger was the driving force behind the start of student pilgrimages, and shared responsibility for the construction of the Youth Centre for the Schoenstatt Young Men, which was dedicated as the Youth Centre Marienberg in 1984. As pastor to families he accompanied countless families in Germany and the United Kingdom on their path of faith and life, and shared responsibility for many and varied courses and events for married couples and families in the various Schoenstatt Centres in Germany.
A brochure “Life in Multiplicity – the Schoenstatt Movement in Parishes”, which appeared in German and has in the meantime sold out, highlighted his constant objective of integrating the commitment of Schoenstatters into the local Church. Endowed with organisational and leadership qualities, he was entrusted with important offices in his community and the Schoenstatt Movement. Most recently he has been involved with the education and on-going formation of young confreres in Africa and India.
Members and friends of the Schoenstatt Movement are warmly invited to pray for Fr Brügger “that in his encounter with the God of Life he may arrive at ‘life in its fullness’”, as Fr Breitinger, Provincial Superior, expressed it when he informed the members of the communities in Schoenstatt of the death of his confrere.
- The Requiem for Fr Franz Johannes Brügger will take place in the Adoration Church on Mount Schoenstatt, Vallendar, on Saturday, 17 January 2015, at 2 p.m.
- The interment will follow at the cemetery of the Schoenstatt Fathers on Mount Sion, Vallendar, followed by a reception and snacks in the Father House, Mount Sion.
- From 8 a.m. on 17 January there is the possibility to take leave of Fr Brügger at his open coffin in the House Chapel of the Provincial House, Mount Sion, Vallendar.
- Condolences:
Schoenstatt Fathers, Sion Province, Fr Theo Breitinger, Berg Sion 6, 56179 Vallendar, breitinger@schoenstatt-patres.org.
A more detailed obituary will follow.
Source: Official Website of the Schoenstatt Movement in Germany – www.schoenstatt.de
Original: German. Translation: Mary Cole, Manchester, UK
On December 8 2009, a dedicated Father Franz handed over the Nigerian family to Father Juan Pablo. it was also my investiture day a joyful day where he preached about purity as well as the presence of our Mother in the Victory Shrine to help fulfill the mission of our Father. May he now support us with his intercession. Till we meet again padre
Schoenstatt in the United Kingdom is still in shock at the tragic news of the sudden death of Father Brügger. For many years, since 1972, he invested his energy, creativity and spiritual experience in building up the Schoenstatt Movement in England. With his help and encouragement, the first Schoenstatt House could be established in 1989 and he played a key role in the building of the Shrine of our MTA in England at the beginning of the new millennium in the year 2000. He remained always faithful to the people entrusted to his care and will be sorely missed by all who knew him. We are grateful that he could come again to England for the Solemn Blessing of the Mosaic beside the Shrine in September of last year. For most of us, this was the last time we saw him. No-one would have imagined that he would be taken from us so suddenly in a few months time. The Schoenstatt Family in England are eternally grateful for all he achieved and gave, for his charisma and for his courage. May he rest in peace and rise in glory!