Leo Wallner (priest)

P. Leo Wallner SJ

Leo Wallner SJ (born March 14, 1931 in Poysdorf ; † June 7, 2013 in Vienna ) was an Austrian religious priest and media worker.

Life

Leo Wallner was born in Poysdorf in Lower Austria in 1931. He went to school in Scheibbs, Retz and Vienna and joined the Jesuit order in 1950 . After the basic philosophical and theological studies in the order, he was ordained a priest in Vienna in 1961. This was followed by postgraduate studies in Paris and the last part of the religious education, the terciate, in St. Andrä im Lavanttal and in 1966 took the vows of profession as a Jesuit. Wallner then became student pastoral care at the Alte Burse in the first district. During this time he began to work for ORF and to organize the “Ecumenical Morning Celebration”. Wallner soon made a name for himself both in the ecumenical movement and in the media world - not only through regular radio broadcasts, but also through articles, lectures and his sermons, which were lively discussed after the services.

At the ecumenical morning celebrations, there was often cooperation with the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Staikos and also with representatives of Judaism. Wallner was concerned about both of these things, as was the role of women in the church and the view of youth. Working with the Bible was also important to him. In this context he went on study trips with his Bible study group to the countries of the Holy Scriptures and the countries of Eastern Europe, which for a long time were difficult to reach due to the Iron Curtain and also had hardly any church contact with the West.

From 1981 to 1998 Wallner was rector of the Jesuit Church in Vienna , which at that time was generally only called "University Church " or "UK". During this time an extensive church renovation took place (1986 to 1998). Wallner was concerned not only with a thorough interior and exterior renovation of the church, but also with an overall solution and revitalization of the entire complex of the Old University with its inner courtyard and the numerous memorable and lavishly decorated rooms such as the theater or the refector. Together with the architect Hueber, he campaigned for this in public and journalistic terms. For several years, on his initiative, there were regular performances of church operas and spiritual dramas under the name "SPECTACVLVM" in the Jesuit church. The renovation of the church came to an end with the performance of “HIERLANDA”.

Above all, it is thanks to Wallner that the St. Augustine Choir Association came to the Jesuit Church in Vienna. An important partner in this was the choir member, Section Head Otto Grumbeck, who tried to find sponsors and campaigned for appropriate support in the Ministry, which managed the complex and church at the Old University. He and Wallner also campaigned for a new organ that was eventually financed, built and inaugurated in 2004.

Wallner spent the last 15 years of his life as a parish moderator in the Lainz-Speising parish and then as a chaplain with the Sisters of Mercy in Vienna. He died there on June 7th, 2013. After a solemn requiem in the Jesuit Church in Vienna, Father Wallner found his final resting place in the local crypt.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Archdiocese of Vienna. Retrieved September 15, 2018 . 
2. ^ "Media Jesuit" Leo Wallner died - religion.ORF.at . In: religion.ORF.at . June 7, 2013 ( orf.at [accessed September 15, 2018]).
3. ^ Burghauptmannschaft Austria: Burghauptmannschaft Austria. Retrieved September 15, 2018 .