Adalbero Heussinger

Adalbero (Adalbert) Heussinger (* February 12, 1923 in Bundorf ; † January 31, 2011 in Graz ) was a Catholic priest, member and father of the Franciscan Minorites in Würzburg , head of a religious seminary in Bamberg , penitentiary in the Vatican and namesake for a minor planet and portrait giver for an Austrian postage stamp.

Life

Adalbert Heussinger was born in Bundorf (Lower Franconia) as the second of four children to the couple Josef and Maria Heussinger. The parents had a farm in which the children also helped a lot. He went to school for the first time in Bundorf and then, because of his good learning successes, went to high school in Würzburg. At the same time, he also entered the St. Valentin minorite seminary, which set the course for the first time. The last class of the grammar school was abruptly interrupted by his entry into the armed forces. From 1942 to 1945 he was deployed in some theaters of war, where he experienced the end of the war in Styria ( Feldbach ). Coming home and reorientation were not easy, but he felt a vocation to priestly and religious life, so in 1945 he entered the novitiate of the Franciscan Minorites in Schwarzenberg. Here he took the religious name Adalbero.

A long period of study began. From 1946 to 1949 studied philosophy with the Jesuits in Pullach near Munich, then from 1949 to 1952 theology in Würzburg. Ordained priest in 1952 by Bishop Julius Döpfner in the Augustinian Church in Würzburg . In 1952 the first Roman contacts were made through the further study of philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University , which was completed with the dissertation “Phenomenology at Husserl ”.

From 1955 to 1959 a second doctorate was obtained at the same university with a thesis on the moral theological topic “Communicatio in sacris”. Then he returned to Würzburg, where he was appointed director of the late-calling seminar in Bamberg. As early as 1964, an Apostolic Penitentiary of St. Peter had to be found in the Vatican. Father Adalbero had all the prerequisites for this post - excellent training, knowledge of the Italian and French languages ​​and was very familiar with Roman customs during his student years. An ideal successor from the German provinces for the pilgrims of the Eternal City was found. For 37 years, Father Adalbero held the very important post of penitentiary in the Vatican. For many people from all walks of life and almost all over the world, he became a contact, advisor and pastor. He also maintained extensive correspondence with numerous personalities from all over the world. In addition to his work as confessor, he was repeatedly entrusted with numerous duties of the papal see. The high esteem he enjoyed was evident in the papal orders and awards he received.

After his retirement he decided to start his priestly ministry all over again. He had been familiar with the Minorite Monastery in Graz for many years, which is why he decided to use his labor there in preaching and pastoral care. In 2006 the International Astronomical Union honored her . Minor planet no. 21075, sighted in 1991, was named " Heussinger " at the suggestion of its discoverer, the Heidelberg astronomer Lutz D. Schmadel . Two “priestly” asteroids, Ratzinger and Heussinger, move their orbit together between Mars and Jupiter. Father Adalbero received another honor on his 85th birthday in the form of a postage stamp from the Austrian Post with his portrait.

For ten years, interrupted by some callings to Rome, appreciated by the population, the Slovenian confreres and the diocesan bishop Dr. Egon Kapellari , he died after a short, serious illness on January 31, 2011 in Graz. In an obituary, the diocesan bishop paid tribute to Father Adalbero Heussinger's services to the diocese and church. He found his final resting place in the crypt in the Würzburg cemetery. He remained true to the motto of his life until his death: love for God, service to others and loyalty to the church.

Web links

• Hermann Haupt: On the death of Father Adalbero Heussinger. (PDF) In: Pfarrblatt “Treffpunkt Mariahilf”, No. 1/2011. Pfarramt Graz-Mariahilf, 2011, p. 4 , accessed on October 1, 2012 . 
• Vatican. Retrieved October 1, 2012 . 
• Friede und Heil, edition 2/2011. Retrieved October 1, 2012 . 
• Johann A. Bauer: Confession in St. Peter. Sunday newspaper, Bischöfliches Ordinariat Graz-Seckau, February 10, 2008, accessed on October 1, 2012 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 21075 Heussinger (1991 RF4). Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, accessed October 1, 2012 .