José Calasanz Rosenhammer
José (Josef) Calasanz Rosenhammer OFM (born January 1, 1900 in Mauerkirchen (baptized name: Josef), † April 26, 2003 in San Ignacio de Velasco ) was an Upper Austrian missionary bishop in Bolivia .
Life
Josef Rosenhammer grew up in poor conditions. In 1911 he came to the Franziskanergymnasium in Hall in Tirol to study . Four years later he entered the Tyrolean Franciscan Province and was ordained a priest on July 27, 1923 after studying theology . From 1925 he worked as an educator in the student home 'Leopoldinum' in Hall in Tirol, which he also directed from 1935.
After the boarding school was closed by the National Socialists in 1938, Josef Calasanz Rosenhammer registered for the mission in Bolivia and was able to leave the country just before his arrest. In Bolivia he first worked as a pastor, pastor, monastery superior and provicer of the mission area.
On May 12, 1949, Pope Pius XII appointed him . as Vicar Apostolic of Chiquitos and Titular Bishop of Ampora . The Apostolic Nuncio in Bolivia, Archbishop Giuseppe Burzio , donated him his episcopal ordination on August 21 of the same year. Co- consecrators were the Archbishop of La Paz , Abel Isidoro Antezana y Rojas CMF , and his predecessor Juan Tarsicio Senner OFM, Auxiliary Bishop in Sucre .
During his tenure, he set up mission stations, parishes and small hospitals. He also campaigned for the rights of the Indians and built the first short-wave transmitter in Latin America, 'Juan XXIII'. Due to a serious eye condition he became more and more blind and in 1974 handed over the management of the mission area to Bishop Bonifaz Madersbacher .
In his retirement he still worked as a spiritual director for religious sisters and confessor. In 2000 he received the highest honor in the country from the Bolivian President for his services. José Calasanz Rosenhammer died at the age of 103 in San Ignacio de Velasco as the oldest missionary bishop in the world.
Web links
- Entry on José Calasanz Rosenhammer on catholic-hierarchy.org
- Entry to José Calasanz Rosenhammer on medals online
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Tharsitius Senner OFM |
Vicar Apostolic of Chiquitos 1949–1974 |
Bonifaz Madersbacher OFM |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rosenhammer, José Calasanz |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rosenhammer, Josef (civil) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Upper Austrian missionary bishop |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 1, 1900 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Wall churches |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 26, 2003 |
| Place of death | San Ignacio de Velasco |